ol. 38, no. 1 2016 campaign leadership team 2016 campaign ... · 12/1/2015 · chicago who...
TRANSCRIPT
The Charlotte Jewish Film Fes-tival is pleased to announce thelineup for its exciting 12th seasonthat will be taking place February20–March 13.
A big thank you to ScreeningChair Jeff Turk and ScreeningCommittee members Shari Baum,Bunny Bramson, Jena Coen, BobEcker, Jackie Fishman, MichaelLieberman, Gale Osborne, MasonSklut, and Marcia Stern for put-ting together another diverse and
great CJFF slate.The Early Bird Special All Fes-
tival Pass will be available for $90($145 value) until January 10.The price for a regular All FestivalPass will be $115 starting on Jan-uary 11.
Tickets and information on thisyear’s value added programmingcan be found at charlottejewish-film.com. CJFF representativeswill also be in the lobby of theLevine JCC on Sunday, January
10 and Sunday, February 7 from10 AM–1 PM.DOUGH / Opening Night Celebration - $25Saturday, February 20 - 7:15 PM - Temple Israel
Award-winning actor JonathanPryce stars in this warmheartedand gently humorous story abouta recently widowed Jewish bakerwhose faltering business issuddenly rejuvenated afterhe hires a young Muslimapprentice. ROCK IN THE REDZONE - $10Sunday, February 21 -7:15 PM - Temple Israel
An intimate portrayal oflife in the war-torn city ofSderot, Israel, where a di-verse music scene has de-
veloped out of thetrauma endured byits citizens duringyears of rocket at-tacks from Gaza. SURVIVINGSKOKIE - $10Wednesday, Feb-ruary 24 - 7:15 PM - TempleIsrael
Filmmaker EliAdler’s deeply per-sonal documentarytells the story of hisfather Jack who survived theHolocaust and started a newlife in Skokie, IL, where heand many other survivors hadto unexpectedly face thenightmares they thought theyhad left behind. APPLES FROM THE
DESERT - $10Saturday, February 27 - 7:15 PM - Regal Ballantyne
The rebellious teenage daugh-ter of ultra-Orthodox Jewish par-ents journeys into the secularworld in the adaptation of theaward-winning Israeli play.BREAKFAST AT INA’S - $15Sunday, February 28 - 11 AM -
Regal Ballantyne Ina Pinkney, the “Breakfast
Queen,” is a living legend inChicago who overcame disabilityand prejudice to run a restaurantthat became a local institution.MR. KAPLAN - $10Wednesday, March 2 - 7:15 PM - Regal Ballantyne
76-year old Jacob Kaplan looksback on his life and questions itsworth. When he hears a rumorabout a local resident, he sees hischance for redemption and em-barks on a crazy mission with thehelp of his equally dispirited part-ner.WEDDING DOLL - $10
Saturday, March 5 - 7:15 PM - Regal Ballan-tyne
Hagit, a beautiful youngwoman with a mild mentaldeficiency, dreams of inde-pendence and love while heroverprotective mother sacri-fices her own life to watchover her.
Vol. 38, No. 1 Tevet-Shevat 5776 January 2016
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An Affiliate of the Jewish Federationof Greater Charlotte
What’s the mark of a great campaign chair? Alison Lerner’s entire2015 campaign team has re-upped for a second year. As CampaignChair, Alison’s inspirational leadership and her passion for Federationmotivated the Federation’s Campaign Leadership, solicitors anddonors to meet the highest campaign goal in Federation’s history …$3,700,000.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Do Good Everywhere. FromAnywhere” because through Federation, at any hour of the day, youcan be virtually anywhere on the globe making a difference in the livesof Jews at home, in Israel, and in 70 countries around the world.
The 2016 Annual Campaign officially kicked-off at the Federation’sMain Event on December 17. Please mark your calendars for ourupcoming 2016 Campaign Events:
* Solicitor University, Thursday, January 7* Lion of Judah and Pomegranate Society Luncheon,
Tuesday, January 12* Super Sunday, January 24* Women’s Annual Spring Lecture, Thursday, April 7* Super Sunday, The Sequel, April 17To make your pledge, please visit our website at www.jewishchar-
lotte.org. And if you’d like to get involved, please contact Sue Littauer,Director of Development, at [email protected]. Y
2016 Campaign Leadership Team“Do Good Everywhere. FromAnywhere”
Alison Lerner, Federation Campaign Chair for 2016, reminds us ofthis year’s theme.
See You at the Movies!
“Dough”
“Rock in the Red Zone”
“Mr. Kaplan” (Continued on page 31)
2016 Campaign Leaders:
Alison LernerAnnual Campaign Chair
Tracy Brown and Steve CohenMajor Gifts Co-Chairs
Rich Osborne Create a Jewish Legacy Chair
Gail Baron Women’s Philanthropy Chair
Dale Polsky and Adrienne GossettLion of Judah Co-Chairs
Jill Halverstam and Stacey SchanzlinPomegranate Society Co-Chairs
George Cronson, Risa Miller, and Jeff TurkTeam Captains
Marcie Jacobs and Jeff TurkSuper Sunday Co-Chairs
Larry Schwartz Main Event Chair
Sara Kulbersh and Mallory Miller Spring Lecture Co-Chairs
Zach Schwartz Impact365 Chair
Stacy GorelickCommunity Campaign Chair
By Inbal Ozeri, CommunityShlicha
Since I arrived here in Char-lotte at the end of August, I haveexperienced the most extremechange in my life. I decided toleave Israel and everything Iknow and love and move to a dif-ferent side of the planet for at leastone whole year.
Serving as the communityShlicha solidifies my belief inWorld Jewry, and the importanceof the connection between IsraeliJews and the Diaspora Jews. Inthe role of Shlicha, I can help ad-vance the connection of the holy-land from our Bible as well as ourjoint history and legacy with Jewsfrom all around the globe (includ-ing Israelis!).
Since I started my journey tothe U.S, I have experienced amaz-ing experiences such as my firstJewish holidays out of Israel,away from my family and friends,but celebrating and enjoying theholidays with such an amazingand warm Jewish community. Ihave had the opportunity to prayfor the first time in an AmericanJewish synagogue and get to
know wonderful, genuine familiesthat had opened their homes andhearts for me and let me in to theirlives. I am and continue to beamazed by all the friendly peopleI meet and I know that I will con-tinue to meet. I never thought Iwould be so very fortunate to ar-rive to such a superb communityin Charlotte.
I am happy to announce a
monthly Café Ivrit (Hebrew) thatI started last month. We will meetup every third Monday of themonth at 6:30 PM at Starbucks onMorrison Blvd. We will meet forsix sessions and our next meet upwill be on January 18. I hope tointroduce folks - in a casual andentertaining way - to learn a fewwords in Hebrew while getting toknow each other and just basicallyhaving fun.
Also I am beginning to planour Jewish Federation annualYom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atz-maut event on Wednesdayevening, May 11, and I’m lookingfor a few volunteers that maywant to help me plan the most in-teresting, creative and entertain-ing community event thatCharlotte has ever seen.
If you are interested in joiningmy Café Ivrit, participating inplanning our Yom HaZikaron/Yom Ha’aztmaut celebration orsimply want to reach out to me,feel free to email me at at [email protected] or 704-944-6784.
I look forward to hearing fromyou. Y
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Federation News ...............................pp. 1-4
Youth Visions ..........................................p. 5
Synagogues/Congregations..............pp. 6-9
Jewish Family Services................pp. 10, 11
Levine-Sklut Judaic Library ..............p. 12
Community News .........................pp. 13-15
Jewish Community Center .........pp. 16, 17
Mazel Tov..............................................p. 19
Schools ...........................................pp. 20-24
Women’s News.................................p. 24
Tu biShevat..........................pp. 25, 26, 28-30
Dining Out ............................................p. 27
Op-Ed: Special to CJN.........................p. 31
CONTENTS
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 2
JEWISH FEDERATION NEWS
The Charlotte JewishNews
5007 Providence Road, Suite 112 Charlotte, NC 28226
Phone(voice mail after office hours)Office 704-944-6765FAX 704-365-4507
email: [email protected] Affiliate of the
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Amy Krakovitz - EditorAdvertising Sales Reps:
Jodi Valenstein, 704-609-0950 or Scott Moskowitz, 704-906-2474
Art Director, Erin [email protected]
CJN Editorial BoardChair - Bob Davis
Members: Bob Abel, Sara Abadi,David Delfiner, Ann Langman, Linda Levy, Elaine Millen
The CJN does not assume responsibility for the quality or kasruth of anyproduct or service advertised. Publishing of a paid political advertise-ment does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate, political
party or position by this newspaper, the Federation or any employees.Published monthly except July
An affliate of:
SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING FOR
JANUARY 2016Friday, January 1, 5:04 PM
Friday, January 8, 5:10 PM
Friday, January 15, 5:16PM
Friday, January 22, 5:23 PM
Friday, January 29, 5:30 PM
New Year New Start
Inbal Ozeri
Tuesday February 2 in SamLerner Center for Cultural Artsat 7 PM
Dr. Hoffman has an extensivehistory as a politician and war ex-pert in Israel. He isthe co-founder of theInternational PolicyInstitute for counter-terrorism, served aspersonal assistant toPrime MinisterYitzchak Rabin dur-ing his politicalcampaigns and coor-dinated the Israelidelegation that ne-gotiated peace withSyria. He alsoserved as senior ad-visor to the Ministerof Defense and ad-vised the HealthMinister on interna-tional economic co-operation.
Dr. Hoffman isalso a former mem-ber of Knesset, having served onIsrael’s defense and foreign af-fairs committees in the 19thKnesset, eventually chairing thesub-committee on foreign affairsand public diplomacy.
With a Ph.D. in war studiesfrom King’s College in London,Dr. Hoffman is an expert in polit-ical psychology. He specializes inpsychological and cultural barri-ers in conflict and resolution and
in political negotiations.More recently, Dr. Hoffman
was a lecturer and researches atthe school of government at theInterdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
Dr. Hoffman will discuss thechallenges that Israel faces in for-eign policy and how one of theworld’s best militaries and a spec-tacular intelligence system failsand stumbles when it comes toforeign policy. Why? Whatcauses Israel’s leaders to actcourageously in the martial-secu-rity battlefield while at the sametime be driven by fear in the po-
The Tail Wagging theDog, Israel Style: Challenges in IsraeliForeign Policy Israel
Dr. Ronen Hoffman
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte Presents DistinguishedSpeaker Dr. Ronen Hoffman
(Continued on page 4)
They rode camels in the Judeandesert, floated in the salty water ofthe Dead Sea, hiked to the top ofa mountain in the Negev, watchedthe sun rise from the top ofMasada, walked through the nar-row streets of Jerusalem’s OldCity, danced and prayed at theKotel, and perhaps most impor-tant, spent five nights in thehomes of Israeli families inHadera.
As much fun as it was, the fiveCharlotte teens who travelled toIsrael on the 2013 P2G SummerTeen Exchange trip will tell youthat it was more than just a greatadventure. It was a transformativeexperience that created enduringconnections to the land and peopleof Israel – and to their own Jewishheritage. This summer, the JewishFederation is again sponsoring the2016 Summer Teen Trip to Israel.Jewish teens will have a chance topersonally experience getting toknow Israeli teens in our Hadera-Eiron Partnership city as well astour the land through meaningfulmoments in Israel.
The Jewish Federation askedteens from the 2014 P2G trip totalk about their experiences andhow it affected them. Read to findout first- hand accounts from JoeyKelso, Katy Smith, David Rabi-novich, Ari Rabinovich and Jes-sica Soto about what they learnedon this vital journey.
“I had such an amazing experi-ence. I loved experiencing the cul-ture of the Israeli teens and seeinghow they live their life and show-ing them how we live ours.” --Jessica Soto
“I had an amazing experiencewith the Tikkun Olam program. Itwas my first time in Israel, and Ihad a warm welcome from myhost Dolev, and his entire ex-tended family. They said I waslike their American son. The foodwas delicious and there was al-ways plenty of it. We hung outlike normal teenagers, shopping,
going to movies, everything wedo in Charlotte. Israel is smallenough that we got to see justabout everything, from Masada toJerusalem to Masada. I felt a re-newed sense of my Judaism whenI saw how it’s observed in anothercountry.” – Joey Kelso
“My experience in Israelstarted the moment I met my newfriends at Ben Gurion Airport. Atfirst it was a little awkward but aswe began to bond at the Bedouintents, we grew more comfortablewith each other. We started thebonding experience with camelrides. They were bumpy and wildbut fun at the same time. Thatnight we all slept in the same tent,which was awesome, we all got toknow each other better, I evenfound out more about the Ameri-cans I was with. After only a fewhours of sleep we woke up toclimb Masada. The sunrise on topof Masada was like nothing I hadever seen before, it was priceless.This exchange program haschanged my vision of Israel andJudaism because I am now reallyconnected to our Homeland, to thepeople there, we are very differ-ent, our cultures and way of livingbut at the same time we are soalike, it is cool to discover that.”-Ari Rabinovich
“Wow, just wow, peo-ple always come backfrom Israel and say ‘Itwas so amazing!’ and ‘Ican’t wait to go thereagain!’ Clichés that arenot only true but fallshort of the feelings andemotions that surge for-ward after spending timein the Holy Land. Israelis all the more endearing to meknowing that I have now a per-sonal connection to it. I know thatI will always have friends thereand I know more about the placesand history of Jews and Israel. Itis my belief that, given the oppor-tunity, all Jews should visit Israel
on programs like this one so thatthey can experience the beauty ofIsrael’s land and people.” – DavidRabinovich
“Participating in this teen ex-change program was one of thebest decisions of my life. Not onlydid I get to travel to Israel for twoweeks, I got to stay with an Israelihost family and truly experienceIsraeli culture. Swimming in theDead Sea, watching the sunrise onMasada, and visiting many otheramazing sites in Israel was just in-credible. But, eating a Shabbatdinner with a family of over 20people was an extraordinary expe-rience that not everyone gets ontheir trip to Israel. I also got thechance to see America through theeyes of Israelis my age.” – KatySmith
Summer travel dates are: June28-June 13 to Israel; July 18-July31 to Charlotte. The Jewish Fed-eration offers subsidies for travel.For more information or to signup, please contact Tal Stein, Di-rector of Community Relationsand Israel Affairs at The JewishFederation of Greater Charlotte [email protected] or at704-944-6751.Y
Participants are still eligiblefor Taglit Birthright Israel Expe-riences.
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 3
Partnership 2Gether 2016 SummerIsrael Teen Trip – A Life-ChangingExperience
Local teens visit Israel and host Israeli teens on the2014 P2G Summer Israel Teen Trip.
The Jewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte and the JewishFederations of North America(JFNA) invite you on a unique andhistoric mission to Israel.
See Israel with Pride offers aunique opportunity to join mem-bers of the Jewish LGBTQ com-munity to experience Israel likenever before and give you achance to connect with the landand people of Israel. You will alsolearn about the successes and thechallenges they are facing, and tofeel a part of the Jewish collective.
The mission also serves as anamazing opportunity to see first-hand Federation and its partner’swork that is changing lives notonly in Israel but around theworld. Israel is considered highlyprogressive when it comes toLGBTQ rights, and by far is the
most progressive in the region.On this mission, you will have
an opportunity join ReuvenRivlin, President of the State of Is-rael, for a festive opening dinner.This once-in-a-lifetime opportu-nity will focus on work he is doingto help progress LGBTQ rights inIsrael.
The mission takes place fromMay 26–June 2, and will includea visit to Jerusalem’s Old City, a
chance to relax on Tel Aviv’sworld famous beaches, opportuni-ties to meet activists, politicians,LGBTQ community leaders, anda chance to have dinner with IDFsoldiers and officers. As a bonus,there will be a special opportunityto dance the night away with Is-raeli pop star Ivri Lider, best-sell-ing artist and the host of The XFactor Israel.
Whether this is your first trip toIsrael or you are returning as aseasoned traveler, this is an expe-rience will never forget.
Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Festival,one of the largest in the world withhundreds of thousands of partici-pants will take place on June 3,and options are available for thoseparticipants who wish to stay andenjoy the festivities.
To learn more about See Israelwith PRIDE, visit the www.jew-ishcharlotte.org. Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 4
Larry Horowitz, CLU, ChFC
L2 Financial
5950 Fairview Road, Suite 608 Charlotte, NC 28210 (704) 556-9982, Fax (704) 369-2918
www.L2financial.com
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call 8 -343-6266 or visit .MannTravels.com
Join us January 3OthCHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER • 11AM-4PMBook your 2016 vacation
at the show and receive exclusive gifts and offers!ee
See Israel with Pride, May 26-June 2
In honor of Amy Augustine By: Alison Lerner
In honor of Amy Augustine By: Stacey Slomka
In honor of Claire KruschBy: Marianne London
In honor of Marty and ElaineSchefflin
By: Barry and Michelle Goodman
In honor of Shana Suris By: Alison Lerner
In honor of Shana Suris By: Stacey Slomka
In memory of Sam ApplebaumBy: Howard and Merridith
Glazer
In memory of Leslie BernsteinBy: Jon and Stephanie Simon
In memory of Leslie BernsteinBy: Diana Warth
In memory of Leslie BernsteinBy: Stephanie Haynes
In memory of Leslie BernsteinBy: David and Risa Miller
In memory of Irma MayerBy: Pearl Rosenthal
If you would like to make aTribute to the Jewish Federation,please contact the Federation of-fice at 704-944-6761.Y
Tributes to the JewishFederation Annual Campaign
litical and international arena?How is it that Israel - the only lib-eral democracy in the MiddleEast, a nation on the cutting edgeof entrepreneurship, innovationand technology - finds itself in-creasingly isolated and outcast po-litically and diplomatically? Isthis simply a reaction to the polit-ical stances of particular parties,or does it stem from a deeper cul-tural and psychological failure?
Dr. Hoffman will serve as thefirst speaker in an ongoingJewish Community RelationsCouncil/Jewish Federation dis-cussion on Israel.
Space is limited. To RSVPplease call or email Tal Stein,Director of Community Relationsand Israel Affairs at [email protected] or 704-944-6751.Y
Dr. Ronen Hoffman to Speak(Continued from page 2)
The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte thanks and acknowledgesthe following tributes made August 1, 2015 – December 4, 2015.
SAVE THEDATE
AnnualSpringLectureApril 7
AnnualSpringLectureApril 7
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 5
Youth Visions
Taking the ordinary and making it ex-traordinary was the goal of Hebrew High’sart class “Portrait of An Artist.” By studyingthe work of Israeli artist Hanoch Piven, stu-dents set out to create collage charactersmade from food, random objects and scrapsof materials. We talked a lot about the thingsPiven used to create his caricatures, such asfeathers for eyebrows, buttons for eyes, and
spaghetti for hair. We focused on how wesee our Jewish and secular selves and set outto find objects that would portray those im-ages in a self-portrait?
Once we gathered our materials, the funand playfulness started as we reinvented themeaning of the objects we used to tell ourstory. Each portrait gives insight to who thatperson is, how they see themselves, and how
they want the rest of us to see them. It was ajourney of discovery as the portraits came tolife.
See if you can guess who some of the stu-dents are by studying their selfies. Y
Discover Yourself at Hebrew High’s “Portrait ofAn Artist”
PRECISIONIS MY INSPIRATION
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 6
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Havurat Tikvah will host a TubiShevat Seder on January 24, 4PM, at an undisclosed location.
The event is a revival of onesthat have been held in the past andwill feature a sit-down meal andservice with a focus on the firstfruits of the season and the re-newal of life after winter. Theservice will bring in some ele-ments of Kabbalistic thought re-garding the seasons of growth.
During the event, attendees willhave the opportunity to view twomono prints which were created inearly 2015 by a small number ofcongregational members. Thosewho wish to do so can bid on theone-of-a-kind works of art.
Space is limited and the eventis only open to members and theirguests. Havurat Tikvah will coverall costs for the Seder.
The congregation will holdcommunity Shabbat services onJanuary 9, 10 AM, at AvondalePresbyterian Church, AitkenClassroom, 2821 Park Rd. The
community is welcome to attend.Havurat Tikvah is a warm, sup-
portive and nurturing Jewish Re-constructionist congregation withShabbat services and a full spec-trum of holiday observances, aswell as religious educational op-tions for both adults and children.We are a diverse group of fami-lies, singles, and Jewish and inter-faith couples who participate inprojects that promote social jus-tice.
We value and depend uponmember participation and leader-ship for our religious services,spiritual growth and governance.
Havurat Tikvah is an affiliate ofthe Jewish ReconstructionistCommunities, in association withthe Reconstructionist RabbinicalCollege.
For more information on up-coming services, programs, mem-bership or other queries, call980-225-5330, write to HavuratTikvah, P.O. Box 12684, Char-lotte, NC 28220, email [email protected] or visithavurattikvah.org. Havurat Tikvahis also on Facebook atfacebook.com/groups/havurattik-vah/.Y
Tree New Year Observed
Temple Kol Ami of Fort Mill isthrilled to announce that we havebeen awarded a 2016 Impact andInnovation Fund Grant by theJewish Federation of GreaterCharlotte. Temple Kol Ami in-tends to use this grant to bringmore access to rabbinic leadershipand Jewish educational and cul-tural programming to the GreaterYork County area, specifically byutilizing the Rabbi on the Roadprogram sponsored by the Insti-tute of Southern Jewish Life.There will be a quarterly Shabba-ton sponsored by Temple KolAmi, each of which will consist ofShabbat service, Torah study, cul-tural programming and religiousschool education. We are pleasedto announce that our first Shabba-ton will be the weekend of Janu-ary 22-24 and will be led by RabbiBruce Aft from Congregation
Adat Reyim in Springfield, VA.Rabbi Aft was with us last year fora Shabbaton, and we found him tobe a wonderful and engaging spir-itual leader. We are so excited towelcome Rabbi Aft and his lovely
wife Sue back to York County,and we hope you will join us topartake of what will be an enrich-ing and educational weekend. Allevents associated with the Shab-baton are free and open to thepublic. For more information,please see our website www.tem-plekolamisc.org or contact us [email protected].
Temple Kol Ami is very thank-ful to the Federation for this op-portunity to carry out theirmission of bringing “impactfulprograms and services that sup-port and enrich the greater Char-lotte Jewish community.” We lookforward to building stronger rela-tionships with the Charlotte com-munity and helping to continue tocontribute to the growth and sus-tenance of the York County Jew-ish community. Y
Temple Kol Ami Awarded FederationImpact Fund Grant
Rabbi Bruce Aft
Each January, Temple Beth Elpartners with a local and vibrantAfrican American Church fortheir celebration of the Shabbatkicking off the Martin LutherKing Weekend. On January 15 at7 PM, Reverend Amantha Barbeewill deliver the MLK sermon.Rev. Amantha L Barbee is the pas-tor at Statesville Avenue Presbyte-rian Church (USA). She was aVocal Performance major at Ap-palachian State University and
University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Her love of music led her to 20years of service as a church musi-cian prior to seminary studies atUnion Presbyterian Seminarywhere she earned the E.T. GeorgeAward for excellence in Homilet-ics and Worship and received herMaster’s Degree in Theology/Theological Studies. As part of theexchange, Rabbi Schindler will bepreaching at Statesville Avenue
Presbyterian Church at 11 AM onSunday, January 17. Y
Reverend Barbee, Pastor of StatesvilleAvenue Presbyterian Church to DeliverMLK Shabbat Sermon at Temple Beth El
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 7
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Admissions Mini-Tours:Friday, September 11, 8:30 - 9:30 am Monday, September 21, 8:30 - 9:30 am
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Tuesday Evenings January 26 -March 1, 7-9 PM, Temple BethEl
Temple Beth El’s ComparativeReligion Committee invites theentire Charlotte community to at-tend the 19th Annual ComparativeReligion Series, “Politics and Re-ligion: Where is the Line?” FromJanuary through March, the serieswill examine current and histori-cal perspectives regarding reli-gious beliefs and politicalactivities and whether religiousviewpoints have any role in ourpolitical debate. Religious leadersrepresenting several Charlottearea faiths; politicians sharingconservative, moderate, and lib-eral viewpoints; and legal coun-selors providing various legalperspectives on religion and poli-tics will discuss how religious in-stitutions have approachedpolitical issues within their con-gregations, what key judicial de-cisions have set the boundaries forthat political involvement, andhow the legal lines have changedacross the decades. Our guest lec-turers will provide compelling an-swers to such questions as: Howcan religious institutions be effec-tive in creating political and socialchange within the confines of thelaw? What judicial decisionshave had the most impact on reli-gious institutions? Should per-
sonal religious beliefs of electedofficials influence their behaviorin carrying out their duties?
Rabbi Judith Schindler, SeniorRabbi of Temple Beth El, willprovide an introduction to the Se-ries on January 26 which willdeepen our understanding of thecourse of study, and will encour-age us to engage in thought-pro-voking discussions with our guestlecturers.
The series will take place atTemple Beth El (5101 ProvidenceRoad, Charlotte, NC 28226). Ses-sions will run from 7-9 PM on sixconsecutive Tuesday evenings,beginning January 26. Educatorsand religious leaders representingJudaism, Buddhism, ConservativeProtestantism, Liberal Protes-tantism, Roman Catholicism,Islam, and Baptist faiths will offertheir points of view. Throughoutthe course of the six week series,they will be joined by panels ofguests who will add journalistic,political, and academic assess-ments in response to your ques-tions on the topic “Politics andReligion: Where is the Line?”
For a full schedule of speakers,visit http://templebethel.org/events/comparative-religion-series/
The series is offered at no costto the public by the Temple BethEl Comparative Religion Com-
mittee through the Ted and M.E.Hessberg Endowment which sup-ports community outreach pro-grams and the Sandra GoldWeinstein Hospitality Fund whichprovides refreshments for com-munity-wide programs.
The annual Comparative Reli-gion Series was established 19years ago with the intent to edu-cate our community, promote un-derstanding and respect for allfaiths, and reveal the commonali-ties in our differences. For moreinformation, please visitwww.templebethel.org or callTemple Beth El at 704-366-1948.Y
Temple Beth El Presents its 19th Annual ComparativeReligion SeriesPolitics and Religion: Where is the Line?
With the help of theJewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte, ourthird summer season isoff to a great start.
Our camp is part ofthe fastest growing net-work of Jewish daycamps in the world.Camp Gan Israel enjoys a well-earned reputation as a trend setterin Jewish camping with innova-tive ideas and creative programsbeing introduced continuously.Your child will wait all year tocome back to camp. Campersenjoy a wide range of exciting ac-tivities and field trips in a warm,caring environment, cultivatingpride and love for the Jewish her-itage.
The mission of CGI is to instillJewish values in children of allJewish backgrounds and all levelsof observance. Our camp programand activities are imbued withJewish ambiance and culture.
Challah baking, sto-ries, Israeli dance,drama, Jewish and He-brew songs, group dis-cussions, and beautifulJewish crafts, combineto create an atmos-phere of joy, fun andspirit in each child that
attends. This is all part of theunique Gan Israel experience. Wehave brought it all here. Allowyour child to experience themagic. This summer, enroll yourchild in Camp Gan Israel.Four weeks of non-stop fun: June27 - July 22
Sign up for single weeks or allfour and save. Mini CGI (Preschool) Ages 2-5Junior CGI Rising K - Rising
3rd GradeSenior CGI Rising 4th - Rising
6th GradeVisit www.CGIBallantyne.com
for more details and information. Y
Summer 2016 - FourWeeks of CGI BallantyneA Jewish Summer Camp Conveniently LocatedRight Near You in Ballantyne
Jews always have questionsand Judaism offers many tradi-tions and customs that leave uswith the question of “Why?” Whydo we place a pebble on a head-stone? Why do we say MazalTov? Why are Jews singled outfor persecution?
The Jewish Course of Why
spans a diverse range of topics,from fun, light, and off-the-beaten-track questions, to morecomplex and controversial issues.Enjoy a fun and dynamic learningexperience, encounter rational in-sights into the most intriguing as-pects of Judaism, and give yourJewish knowledge a boost. Sign
up today for an unusually enlight-ening experience. Please visitchabadnc.org or myjli.com to reg-ister.
The six week course begins onFebruary 9 with the eveningcourse and February 10 with themorning course. The eveningcourse will meet six consecutive
Tuesdays at 7:30 PM and will beled by Rabbi Yossi Groner. Themorning class will meet on sixconsecutive Wednesdays at 11 andwill be led by Rabbi ShlomoCohen.
Participants will be providedwith artful text books and usefultools to continue their quest forknowledge. Fees for the JLI: $99per person, $180 per couple. Youcan call our office for more infor-mation 704-366-3984.Most Frequently Asked Ques-tions
To develop the course and toselect the most frequently won-dered-about questions, JLIreached out to its student base andasked them to submit their mostperplexing questions about Jewishculture and religion.
In a style that allows for easyconversation and in-depth discus-sion, the highly acclaimed courseendeavors to tackle fifty “why”questions about Judaism. Thecourse is not about the “what?”and “how?” It is about exploringthe scholarly and sophisticated ra-tionale behind mysterious Jewishbeliefs and practices. Debunkingcommon misconceptions and in-troducing little known but vitalfacts, the course will surprise, in-trigue, and equip students with anarsenal of ideas about the rich-ness, relevance, and scope of theirheritage. Starting a Deeper Discussion
There are few questions aboutJudaism whose answer can bepackaged neatly in a nutshell anddeclared the answer. The coursetherefore strives to a differentgoal: to share perspectives, sparkcuriosity, deepen the conversation,shed light on oft-wondered-aboutbeliefs and practices, and let par-ticipants decide on the answers forthemselves. The goal is for stu-dents to walk away from The Jew-ish Course of Why with anunderstanding that Judaism con-tains a vastness of knowledge andthat it is waiting for them to dis-cover its deep mysteries.
Some of the fifty questions inthe course:
Why have the Jews outlasted somany other groups of peoplethroughout history? Why werethere tribes that were “lost”? Andwhy were they never found? Whyis the Star of David a Jewish sym-bol? Why do some Jews say theyare the “chosen people”? Is thisnot chauvinistic? Why is the Landof Israel important to the Jews?Why would anyone want to re-main Jewish after so much suffer-ing throughout the ages? Whydoesn’t Jewish law have provi-sions for someone who desires toconvert out of Judaism? Whydoesn’t Judaism seek converts?Why are eggs pareve, when thechickens that make the eggs arenot? Why aren’t vegan foods au-tomatically kosher? Why is Ju-daism caught up with details?Why does the Talmud prescribedifferent requirements for menand women? Why does Judaismplace emphasis on praying with acongregation? Shouldn’t prayer bea personal experience? Why dowe pray? Doesn’t God know whatHe is doing? Do we think we canchange His mind? Why am I re-sponsible for my actions if Godknows what I will do in advance?Why are we born with inclinationsthat we are forbidden to act upon?Why don’t Jews accept Jesus?Why does the Bible instruct us to“fear” God? Isn’t fear a negativeemotion? Why did Moses have astutter? Why does the Bible callfor animal sacrifice? Isn’t it inhu-mane and violent? Why is slaverysanctioned by the Torah? Why doJews follow a lunar calendar?Why do some Jews eat gefilte fishand cholent? Why do we placepebbles on a headstone? Why dowe light candles on a yahrtzeit?Why do some people hold up alittle finger when the Torah islifted? Why do Jews toast with“L’chaim”? Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 8
Charlotte Prep understands children are inherently hungry to learn. Our child-centered focus and innovative approach to education ensures that each one of our children reaches their full potential.
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A LIFETIME OF LEARNING BEGINS WITH A WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS.
Does someone important in your life:w Appear to listen but not hear?w Have difficulty understanding with
background noise?w Have difficulty following
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Congregation Ohr HaTorah in-vites all within the Charlotte Jew-ish community to an inspirationalFriday night dinner honoring TubiShevat – New Year for treeswhich falls this year on MondayJanuary 22.
Tu biShevat is one of the excit-ing holidays observed in Israeleach winter as the Talmud desig-nated it as the Rosh Hashanah fortrees. In Israel new trees areplanted on this day and many Jew-ish communities in Diaspora cel-ebrate by eating from the fivefruits with which Israel is praisedin the Torah.
Ohr HaTorah will host is mid-winter Shabbaton on Friday, Jan-uary 22 at 5:20 PM with afabulous Shabbaton dinner andexciting program for children andadults.
Join friends and family for anuplifting evening with deliciousShabbat cuisine, featuring anarray of delightful Israeli wines aswe explore the deeper meaning ofthe Tu biShevat holiday. Learnabout the significance of this ex-citing holiday and its rich ritualsand why we people celebrate aNew Year for trees.
The Shabbaton will begin withcandle lighting at 5:23 PM. Fol-lowed by a Shabbat service at5:30 and Shabbat Dinner at 6:30PM. Cost of Shabbaton is $20 perperson - $54 per family. To re-serve, visit the payment page atwww.chabadnc.org or mail acheck to 6619 Sardis Road, Char-lotte, NC 28270. For more infor-mation, please call 704-366-3984or email: [email protected]
Jewish Learning Institute Introduces a Fascinating New Course This FebruaryThe Jewish Course of Why
Pre-Tu BiShevat Shabbaton Dinner on Friday, January 22
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 9
BBQ foryour next
event?Absolutely
yes!
We Teach BBQ and Outdoor Cooking Classes
We Teach BBQ and Outdoor Cooking Classes
w B’nai Mitzvah
w Holidays & Parties
w Kosher & non-Kosher
w Beef, Lamb, Poultry
w Exotic Game & Seafood
w Vegetarian
Call Charlotte’s Jewish grilling expert for details
Robert “Ernie” Adler, Smokemaster704-577-1777 [email protected]
“If it was living or growing I’ll grill it”
First Ever Public Menorah Lighting inUnion County
Steve Maher, the new Mayor of Waxhaw was honored withlighting the Shamash. He is seen above with Rabbi YisroelLevin. At right, over 150 people attended.
At Stonecrest, aunique balloonmenorah waserected and lit.
“Integritysimply meansa willingness
not to violate one’s
identity.” –Erich Fromm
JFS extends a special thanks toour sponsors SouthState Bank andNorman Steinberger, and to all ofour volunteers for this event, in-
cluding Monty Bennett, RuthBrandt, Bill Cassell, Andrea Cron-son, Terry and Jaryd Dubin, LauraMilgrim, Jennifer Collman, Carol
Connors, Myra Diuguid, RobFriedman, Gail Halverson, MattLuftglass, Dale Polsky, HarrySparks, Marcia Stern, Robin
Taback, Kelly Markiewitz, Alli-son Winshel, Lisa Wielunski,Moishe House staff (Jason, Jena,Jen, Laura, Rachel).
Thank you for makingChanukah special.
Jewish Family Services wishesto thank all of you who made thisyear so special for our families.We know we can always count onour community members to bringthe joy of Chanukah to the peoplein our community who need a lit-tle help over the holidays.
Thank you to the families from
Charlotte Jewish Preschool,Hadassah of Lake Norman,Levine JCC, Moishe House, Tem-ple Beth El, Temple Israel; em-ployees of Hilton Charlotte CenterCity; the Pickett and Wernicofffamilies, who donated over 200gifts for JFS clients for Chanukah.
*Please note, this article waswritten 12/1/2015 in order to meetthe CJN deadline. If you were notmentioned in this article, pleaseaccept our apologies. We will ac-knowledge your generosity in theFebruary issue. Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 10
Jewish Family ServicesCommunity Celebrates Our Seniors at the 12th Annual SeniorChanukah Party
Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 11
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Thank you to everybody whoparticipated in Jewish FamilyServices annual online auction.
All of our auction items weredonated by businesses and mem-bers in our community and 100%of the proceeds benefit our agency.The auction results were amazing,raising almost $3,000 to benefitJewish Family Services. Pleasevisit the following businesses thatdonated items for the auction andthank them for their support.
Action Plus; Blumenthal Per-
forming Arts Center; CharlotteParenting Solutions; CharlotteRunning Company; College Ad-mission Strategies; James Corey,CPA; CVS/Pharmacy; Dick’sSporting Goods; Disney; Dresslers;Garrity & Gossage; Harris Teeter;HomeGoods; J-Force at LevineJCC; Maid Brigade; Midas Fab-rics; Perry’s; Publix; RiverbankZoo and Garden; Gary Rosenthal;S&D Coffee; Start 2 Finish;TCBY; TinyPrints.com; WindowGenie Y
JFS Online Auction a Success
Jewish Family Services re-ceived the following donations forTribute Cards in October 2015.Thank you for allowing JFS tohonor your friends and lovedones.
IN MEMORY OFYour mother, Miriam Aizem-
man, to Ben Aizenman from Mar-vin Barman and Sharon Taubman,Bill Cassell and Ruth Brandt,Alan and Ruth Goldberg, Samueland Linda Levy
Your loving husband, Marc, toRuth Ben-Joseph from KeithGreenspon
Your daughter Leslie Bern-stein, to Bobbi and Donald Bern-stein from Colin and ElaineCigler, Carol Gorelick, Annetteand Richard Gross, David Kro-novet, Michael and Heidi Rotberg
Dotty Girard, to Maxine De-whurst from Myron and LynnSlutsky
Rose Weisman to Elaine Diner-man from Abe and Bette Bober,Carol Gorelick, Myron and LynnSlutsky
Your husband, Stan, to AnitaGrey from Celia Mandel
Sandra Lynn Kornstein fromDavid Kronovet
Irma Mayer to Dale Sklow andthe Mayer family from Jon andTeri Karlin, Eleanor Goldman
Your mother and sister, JudyNicholson, to Ellise and SandyNicholson and Sam and OlliePolk from Jack and Vera Mendel,Edwin and Jill Newman, Larryand Dale Polsky, Marvin andAnita Shapiro, Leonard and JudiStrause, Sandra Weinstein, DavidKronovet, Diane Peery
Alan Shanen to Billy and FranSchwartz from Gary and JanieLevinson
Leonard Slesinger to M.L.Slesinger from Abe and BetteBober
Your Mother to Ken Stern fromBarry and Laura Reich
Ian Michael Stutts to Terry andJackie Stutts from Swooz Brazzell
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TORosalyn Mann from Abe and
Bette BoberElise Menaker from Gloria
GoldbergGideon Ze’ev’s to Gabe and
Nancy Kaunitz from Chris andTair Giudice
IN HONOR OFJerome Olinger from Marvin
Barman
MAZEL TOV ONYour granddaughter’s Bat
Mitzvah to Sam and Ollie Polk onyour from Edwin and Jill New-
manYour Bar Mitzvah to Sam
Schulman from Janet Baldinger,David Banks, Bob and PatBerman, Bennett and Sara Card-well, John and Judy Cedarholm,Jeffrey and Betsy Cohen, FemiCole, Arnold and Jean Dobbins,Christopher Dobbins, JenniferDobbins, Charles and Kelly Fer-guson, Charlene Galanti, DavidGilbert, Mr. and Mrs. LawrenceGordon, Andrew and CynthiaHorwitz, Cole Jessey and Family,James Kirwan, Jena Krieger,Adam and Kim Levy, ChristinaLitterello, Sherry Makenson, An-gelo Manna, David and RisaMiller, David and Judy Miller,Sally Nussman, Lowndes andCynthia Quinlan, Nicola Rivera,Marc Rosenthal, Eugene andDorothy Sangmuah, Todd andStacey Schanzlin, Bob and HarrietSelverstone, Melissa Sicard,David and Shelly Spiegel, JeanneTappy, Jessica S. Tornek,Lawrence Tornek, David andDebra Van Glish, Lisa HarrisZalis
Your marriage, to Jeff Addyand Joel Blady from Herman andBarbara Ziegler
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TOSimon and Mary Wojnowich
from Gloria Goldberg Y
Volunteers: Jennifer Collman,Andrea Cronson, Sheryl Effren,Mel & Caren Frank, Robert Fried-man, Gail Halverson, BeccaHorner, Tara Hubara, Bob Jacob-son, Karen Knoble, Frada Mozen-ter, Margaret Musa, Barbara Rein,Jenny Rosenthal, Janice Shubin,Harry Sparks, Jeff & StacyStrauch, Amalia Warshenbrot,Mike Weinberg
Hadassah Cooks: BarbaraAbrams, Bonnie Berman, IleneCantor, Sharon Cavanaugh,
Gladys Cherny, Aleen Epstein,June Hirschmann, Fran Kaplan,Judy Kaufmann, Penny Krieger,Shelley Leibman, Andrea Mc-Cleary, Phyllis Romaine
Food Pantry Donations: Tem-ple Israel and Temple Beth ElCongregants, Sheryl Effren, JudyKaufmann, Fern Sanderson, Tal-mud Torah, Gideon Zev Kaunitz
Food Drives: JCC TennisTeam, JCC Soccer Leagues, CJDS4th grade, Havurat Tikvah congre-gants, Mitzvah Munchkins at CJP
& Jewish Preschool on SardisSpecial Recognition: Thank
you Abby Adams and JillianArena for helping assemble Mitz-vah Munchkins materials; thankyou Moishe House staff for sort-ing food drive donations.
Simcha Centerpieces: Inhonor of Marcus Kirschner’s BarMitzvah, Alex Sherr’s Bar Mitz-vah, Annie Le Baron’s Bat Mitz-vah, Sammy Baumstein’s BarMitzvah, Hannah Strauss’ BatMitzvah Y
JFS Donations in October 2016
Thank you to the following people who contributed theirtime to Jewish Family Services in October.
“If you want people to think you are wise,agree with them.”
–Yiddish Folk Saying
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Wishing you a New Yearof peace and prosperity.
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The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 12
Levine-Sklut Judaic LibraryLevine-Sklut Judaic Libraryand Resource Centerand Resource Center
By Debby Block, director,Levine-Sklut Judaic Library andResource Center
Recently, a parent came intothe library and said that her chil-dren had collected their tzedakahmoney over several months andwould like to donate theirtzedakah to the Library. As the Di-rector of the library, I was verytouched by the thoughtful gesture- and even more touched thatthese children thought of donatingto the Library — but honestly, Iwas expecting the children tobring in a handful of coins. A fewweeks later I received a plasticbag with the tzedakah moneyfrom Natan, Alex, Ben, andNaomi Bixen. When I opened it, Ifound $60! To say that I was as-tonished is an understatement.
A big thank you to the Bixen
children. Your generous donationwill provide the Library with atleast five new children’s books for
the library. We hope other chil-dren that enjoy the Library will beinspired by the Bixens and under-stand that even kids can make adifference. Y
Kids Can Make a Difference
The Bixen kids.
Twitter, Instagram, and Face-book, oh my! There is a wide va-riety of ways to communicatethrough social media and, formany of us, the options and thetechnology seem confusing, scaryor just off-putting. But socialmedia is here to stay and even ourpresidential candidates are turningto social media more and more. Sonow is the time to hop on boardand learn how you too can getcomfortable with social media.
With the guidance of skilledexpert, Tamar Raucher, we will
explore the types of social mediaand how to safely join and partic-ipate in several forms of socialmedia.
Date: Monday, Februray 1 Time: 7:30 PM Where: Levine-Sklut Judaic
Library, 5007 Providence Road,Suite 107
Cost: Free, but space is limited.Reservations: Required,
please contact Debby Block 704-944-6780 or [email protected]
Social-Media Challenged: Join our Class
Tamar Raucher
The Levine-Sklut Judaic Li-brary and Resource Center wouldlike to thank the following indi-viduals and families for theirgenerous support during the lastmonth.
Publisher - $500 and upBarbara and Jerry Levin Charitable Foundation
Editor - $250-$499Daniel and Janice BernsteinRoss and Nance LevinRichard OsborneEd and Debora Pizer
Author - $100-$249Robert Haber and Shannon
CrystalDavid and Debby BlockStuart and Lynne CojacSeth and Carrie FeitLewis and Janice FisherLeonard and Shelley FriedmanEdie Gelber-BeechlerChuck and Dale GlickBurt and Donna GreensponMichael and Beverly GreyRichard and Paula KleinJaime and Elise KosofskySteven and Polly MenakerAdrian and Andrea MesoznikEd and Jill NewmanIlya and Chantal RubinDan and Toby RudaEdwin and Leslie RusgoRobert and Stacey SelkinPaul and Marcia Simon
Marc and Shari SokolowiczNorman SteinbergerKenneth and Marcia SternMark and Amy Vitner
Poet - $50-$99Michele BarerMichael and Elaine DenenbergRobert and Leigh JacobsonEdward and Sue KantermanJanet LevyDavid and Risa MillerAllan and Marcelle OxmanSteven and Melissa RaphaelLeon and Mary RutmanSusan StaffordRobert and Marsha SticklerRobert and Anne Yudell
Book Enthusiast – up to $49Keith and Debbie AgisimAnonymous (2)David and Bonnie BornsteinJulie BradlowBernice Bramson
Richard and Susan BrophyLoren GelberPhil and Marci GoldbergAndrew and Dana KapustinEugene and Ali KavadloNancy KersteinCheri MartinGregory and Margaret MusaLee and Wendy PakeShelley PawlykGerald and Barbara SchapiroMorris and Lynne ShefferRichard and Janis SilvermanRuth SilvermanRobert SolowHarry and Laurie SparksMichael and Tal SteinRon and Janice WeinerBarnet and Harriett Weinstock
The February issue The Char-lotte Jewish News will feature thecomplete list of the “Friends ofthe Library” donors.Y
“Love the Library” Donors
By Lisa GarfinkleLet me share a guilty secret.
Despite my commitment to envi-ronmentalism and my position asShalom Green project manager, Ihave always found it difficult tomuster enthusiasm for Tu biShe-vat, the “New Year for the Trees,”which falls this year on January25. As a Southern girl with a deepaversion to cold, the thought ofcelebrating trees and nature at atime of year when days are shortand typically freezing, and, let’sface it, nature is not at its mostbeautiful, has never been incredi-bly appealing. The timing of theholiday seems better suited forwarmer climates, say, that of Is-rael, while the secular Earth Day,which falls on April 22 is moresuited to my internal thermostatand seasonal preference.
However, my experience overthe past year working on ShalomGreen has led to an attitude ad-justment. The knowledge I’vegained about Judaism’s profoundconnection to the natural world,combined with a renewed appre-ciation for the dedication of thosewho make Jewish environmental-ism a priority in their lives, and ahumbling awareness of just howlittle I know about natural cyclesand the effect of our human activ-ities on them has convinced methat every day should be a day forcelebrating nature. Thus, any hol-iday dedicated to such a celebra-tion is worthwhile.
Our Jewish ancestors were wayahead of me on this, perhaps be-cause in their time, living in har-mony with nature was a moreimmediate matter of life or deaththan it is today. Knowing when to
plant, what to plant, when to har-vest, and how to keep the land fer-tile meant the difference betweeneating and starving. And from thebeginning, Judaism has appreci-ated trees as important symbols ofthe essential role of nature in sus-taining life. In Deuteronomy, forinstance, the Torah forbids usfrom cutting down fruit trees,even during wartime. Accordingto the Midrash, the Jewish peo-ple’s first act upon entering theHoly Land was to plant trees. Andthe Torah, itself, is known as “thetree of life.”
In modern times, our connec-tion to the earth is more remote.The results of actions that impactthe environment may take years oreven decades to become evident.However, Jews in Israel continueto plant trees on Tu biShevat, andthroughout the year, supported bydonations from Jews across theworld, in an effort to renew theland. As a result, Israel was one ofthe only countries in the world toenter the 21st century with a netgain in the number of trees. Thiscontinued dedication to preserv-ing the earth is critical, becausewhile the effects of living out ofharmony with nature — cancer,lung disease, contaminated water,soil and air — may become evi-dent more slowly today than theydid in ancient times, they are noless devastating.
Over the past year, ShalomGreen has worked to make the en-vironment and sustainable livinga priority for the Shalom ParkCommunity. We have obtainedenergy audits on all Shalom Parkbuildings and put in motion plansfor reducing our community’s car-
bon footprint. We built andplanted the Shalom Park Commu-nity Garden, which will serve asan environmental learning hub forall ages, allowing communitymembers to experience directlyplanting, nurturing and harvestingcrops. The Shalom Green Chal-lenge has enrolled more than sixtyfamilies in an effort to promotesustainable living at home, andShalom Green continues to workto raise awareness about environ-mental issues across Shalom Park.
As we enter our second year,Shalom Green needs your help tocontinue and expand these efforts.So on this Tu biShevat, plant atree in Israel or at home, host orattend a Tu biShevat Seder, eat thefruits mentioned in the Torah -pomegranates, figs, grapes, olives,and dates, start seeds for yourspring garden, but most impor-tantly, join Shalom Green andcommit to caring about the earthevery day - not just on environ-mentally themed holidays. Hereare ways for you to get involved:
* Volunteer to help in theShalom Park Community Gardenor join the Garden Committee
* Join the Shalom Green Steer-ing Committee to help move theEnvironmental Initiative forwardin year two.
* Get involved in efforts to re-
duce the carbon footprint of yourShalom Park agency or institution.
* Help plan environmental fo-rums and educational activities forthe Shalom Park Community.
* Participate in the ShalomGreen Challenge and work to livemore sustainably at home.
For information, email [email protected]
Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 13
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You’re Never Too Young toGarden!J-Tots, Charlotte Jewish Preschool, and Charlotte Jew-ish Day School 3rd Graders Enjoy the Shalom ParkCommunity Garden
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 14
By Jonathan Berger with KellyReed Keeling
Many services now have beenheld at the Mindy Ellen LevineMemorial Chapel in the MemorialBuilding at the Hebrew Cemetery.Visitors are enveloped in theChapel’s warmth and beauty.Light bounces off the woodenclad columns and the creamy mar-ble. The Memorial Wall is filledwith names of loved ones, remem-bered, regardless of where theyare buried. The atmosphere is in-timate and peaceful. At the far endof the Chapel stands the formerTemple Beth El ark, made ofveined white marble, completewith its resplendent golden lions.Suspended above the Ark is abeautiful bronze Ner Tamid, aneverlasting light.
But how did the HebrewCemetery come to have such abeautiful lamp in its chapel? Itspresence is thanks to the family ofJonathan Berger of Temple Israel,who donated this family heirloom.Jonathan shares the lamp’s historyand how it came to grace Char-lotte’s Hebrew Cemetery:
The Ner Tamid was purchasedin the late 1800s by Baruch andRebecca Neu, my great grandpar-ents. They lived in Lengfeld IMOdenwald Germany. Baruch andRebecca had three children: Jen-nie, Hugo, and my grandfather,Alfred. Rebecca died in 1926. Al-fred married Carola Berberich,and they had one child, mymother – Renate (b. 11/23/1930).
In 1928, two of thethree siblings, Jennie andHugo, immigrated to theUnited States. Jewishfamilies were persecutedin Lengfeld, however,Alfred and his familymanaged to move toFrankfurt, and then im-migrate with Baruch tothe US in 1939. Baruchbrought the lamp withhim. The family lived to-gether in New York City.In 1942, Baruch died,and shortly thereafter, Al-fred, Carola, and Renatemoved to Vineland, NJ,where they purchased achicken farm. The familyinherited the lamp anddisplayed it in a very spe-cial place in their home.
Renate Neu marriedmy father, Stefan Bergerin 1953. They had twochildren, Michael andme. My mother’s parentspassed in close succes-sion. Carola died in 1969; Alfreddied in 1970. My mother inheritedthe lamp, and my parents alwaysdisplayed it in a special place intheir homes in Erie, PA.
In 2006, my parents, Stefan andRenate, moved to Charlotte to becloser to my family. They lived atSunrise across the street fromShalom Park. The lamp, onceagain, found a special place intheir home.
My mother cherished the lamp
and its history. It brought backfond memories of her parents,grandparents, and life in Vinelandand Germany. Her goal was tofind a special place for the lamp tobe where many people could ap-preciate its beauty and history for-ever. She approached a couple ofmuseums and synagogues, butwas unable to find the specialplace for which she was looking.
My father, Stefan, died inCharlotte on April 27, 2013, and
my mother, Renate, died inCharlotte on August 6, 2013.They were soul mates, verymuch in love and very de-pendent on one another.They are buried side by sidein the Hebrew Cemetery inCharlotte, very close to thenew Cemetery building.
I inherited the lamp andcontinued the journey to finda permanent home for itwhere people could enjoy itsbeauty and history. As thenew cemetery building wasbeing constructed with itsbeautiful ark, I noticed thatthere was no Ner Tamid(everlasting light) in front ofthe ark. I approached theteam that was designingand building the building,showed them the beauti-ful lamp, and told themits story. They felt itwould be a great addi-tion. Today my mother’sshabbat lamp is beingutilized as the Ner
Tamid for everyone to enjoyin the building, hanging infront to the Ark.
I can see my parent’ gravesfrom the entrance of theCemetery Building. It bringsa smile to my face and a tearto my eye, having the lampon display in a special placeso close to where my parentshave been laid to rest. I amgrateful that the HebrewCemetery has adopted this
meaningful artifact and is caringfor it the way my mother wished.
The continual care of theCemetery is the responsibility ofour Jewish community. To make ameaningful financial gift, to pur-chase a memorial plaque ($1000each) or to preplan a funeral,thereby saving your family thou-sands of dollars and making thetransition easier, please contactDirector Sandra Goldman at 704-576-1859 or [email protected]. Y
Berger Family Ner Tamid Finds Permanent Home
The Berger family with the ner tamid.
Michael Berger at his parents’ graveside.
Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 15
This year’s Annual Meetingwas immediately preceded by areception for Levine JCC LegacyDonors and Distinctive members.The Lerner Courtyard was com-pletely transformed with beautifullights and seating to thank thesemembers for their generosity tothe Sandra and Leon Levine Jew-ish Community Center. Theevening was also an opportunityfor our new CEO, Peter Blair, tomeet these committed members ofthe LJCC Family and introducethem to his beautiful family.Everyone was charmed by Peterand his lovely wife Traci, as wellas their sons Hudson and Cohen.
Peter spoke briefly at the recep-tion, thanking the attendees forwelcoming his family so warmlyand for their generosity and dedi-cation to the LJCC. He shared hisbelief that the relationships builtupon the support of our J commu-nity are the foundational strengthof our Charlotte Jewish commu-nity. He recognized that the finan-cial contributions made by somany of our LJCC members havebeen the key to our success andwill ensure the continued successof our organization’s mission.
As a part of our LJCC Distinc-tive Member Circle, you ensure
that we are able to provide mem-bership and camp scholarships forthose in our community who areless fortunate. Our Distinctivemembers also support the LJCC’sSenior and Social action program-ming. If you would like more in-formation about The LevineJewish Community Center Dis-tinctive Member Circle, pleasecontact Susan Lerner, Member-ship Manager at 704-944-6741 [email protected].
When you create a JewishLegacy and designate the LJCC asa sole or partner recipient, youhelp to ensure that the LJCC con-tinues to flourish, allowing ourchildren and their children to havethe vibrant and nurturing commu-nity that exists today. For more in-formation about the Create YourJewish Legacy program, pleasecontact Shellie Barer at 704-944-6744 or [email protected].
The evening, catered by PlatePerfect, began with passed andplated hors d’oeuvres along withselected wine and beer. It was theperfect opportunity for our guests- long standing members, newmembers, new and seasonedmembers of the 2015/2016 LJCCBoard – to mingle. Y
JCC Legacy Donors andDistinctive Members Honored in a Private Reception
Annie Lord, Michelle Perlmutter, George Cronson, JackLevinson, Staci Mond, Glenda Bernhardt
Michael Sinsheimer, Scott Menaker, Pam Menaker,Roni Fishkin
David Krusch, Claire Krusch, David Cohen, TraciWalker Blair, Peter Blair
Michael Van Glish, Mark Lerner, Susan Lerner, Lynn Edel-stein, Eric Lerner, Paul Edelstein
L’dor V’ Dor, three generations of the VanGlish/Per-lin family enjoy the Distinctive Member event: DebraVan Glish, Jordan Van Glish, Mark Perlin
2016 LOCAL BENEFICIARY AGENCIES
Israel and Overseas Meets the needs of Jews in Israel and world-wide through the
ISRAEL AND OUR GLOBAL FAMILY
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER CHARLOTTE ALLOCATES $3,651,420*
Steve CohenStepanie Gitlin
Adrienne GossettDeidre Grubb
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*total amount net of campaign shrinkage and reserves2016 FEDERATION CAMPAIGN ALLOCATIONS $3,651,420*
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The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 18
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 19
Mazel Tov & Congratulations
Mike Littauer has again beennamed a 5-Star Professional byCharlotte Magazine. Mike is partof a select group representing lessthan 1% of insurance profession-als in the Charlotte area. 5-Starprofessionals satisfy objectivecriteria that are associated withproviding quality services toclients. Award recipients are iden-tified through nominations re-ceived by consumers. To receivethe Five Star Home/Auto Insur-
ance Professional award, ahome/auto insurance professionalmust satisfy objective eligibilityand evaluation criteria that are as-sociated with home/auto insur-ance professionals who providequality services to their clients,and hold required North Carolinainsurance licenses in good stand-ing. You can view the award inthe December issue of CharlotteMagazine.Y
Mike Littauer Wins 20155-Star Award
Each year, Make-A-Wish®
Central and Western North Car-olina’s W.I.S.H. Society honors anelite selection of local women forthe inspiring professional andphilanthropic roles they play. Uti-lizing their talents, compassionand leadership qualities, honoreesin the Charlotte and Triad com-munities join forces with Make-A-Wish® to raise funds to grantthe wishes of local children withlife-threatening medical condi-tions. Among the honorees, thewoman who raises the most,granting additional wishes, isnamed the W.I.S.H. SocietyWoman of the Year.
This year Sharon Lachow-Blumberg was chosen to be one ofthe 2015 W.I.S.H Society hon-orees. The W.I.S.H. Society cele-brates local women, recognizing
them for their career success, sig-nificant contributions to the com-munity and their personalcommitment to philanthropy.
The first time she volunteeredfor Make-A-Wish® America wasback in the early 90s right aftershe moved back to NYC fromLA. She was given the privilegeof granting a wish for a young girlsuffering the ravages of terminal
cancer. Her wish was to meet hermusical idol, Bobby Brown, whoat the time was with Bell BivDevoe.
She has been supporter eversince, and her husband Mark isalso a contributor.
Make-A-Wish® grants thewishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions toenrich the human experience withhope, strength and joy. Our localCharlotte chapter grants morethan 260 wishes each year at anaverage cost of $6,000 per wish.
As a W.I.S.H. Society Honoree,Sharon is collaborating withMake-A-Wish® to adopt a localchild’s wish. See more at:http://ncwishsociety.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1135662&supid=425118431#sthash.rqRTirwJ.dpuf. Y
Sharon Lachow-Blumberg Honored byMake-A-Wish Foundation
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The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 20
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Emma with a picture of her mishpacha.
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By Brooke Amo, Director of Edu-cation
How does one go about findingan all-in-one curriculum that is sodynamic that it fits their school,teachers, students, philosophy,and mission statement? How doyou take the beautiful momentsthat the children experience ineach day and fit them into a littlebox or teacher manual? The truthis you can’t. In early childhoodeducation, curriculum involvesand integrates each aspect of thechild’s day. Each experience,whether it is completely organicor purposely designed by ateacher, can be used to achievelearning goals. Although so muchof what children learn can some-times “just happen,” it is essentialto have an educational frameworkto use as a guide. This will helpeach child construct knowledgeand lead them towards reachingtheir potential.
Curriculum development is aprocess that is ever changing.Staying up on current research,trends, and practices is importantto ensure children receive a qual-ity balanced education. Theprocess to create and implementeffective curriculum begins withtheory, then planning, followed byimplementing/execution, andlastly assessment and reflection.
The theoretical aspect of cur-riculum mostly examines intelli-gence, theory, and curricularcontent (Hirsh, 5). Intelligencehas been defined by many, how-ever Howard Gardner best ex-plains it as “a biopsychologicalpotential to process informationthat can be activated in a culturalsetting to solve problems or createproducts that are of value in a cul-ture.” (Gardner, 1999, p. 34)Gardner sees intelligence as vari-ous entities: social, linguistic,kinesthetic, artistic, mathematical,body, and musical. At CJP, weembrace this theory as well asmany others to create a well-bal-anced environment that fosters thegrowth of the whole child. Weknow that children not only learndifferently, but at different sched-ules. We base a lot of our dailystructure around Gardner’s theory.Our teachers know the importanceof providing an environment thatfacilitates all of the students’ in-telligences. Areas in our class-room are designed to facilitate themultiple intelligence experience.Each day children experience cen-ters that are artistic, cognitive,kinesthetic, mathematical, etc.These areas are student-centeredand provide children with learn-ing opportunities that are engag-ing and multi-disciplinary toreach the whole child.
Our content is organized intonine domains: social, emotional,physical, literacy, language, math-ematics, science, cognition, andJudaica. Within each of theselearning domains, there are spe-cific learning goals that helpteachers guide their students andset them up for learning.
How do we get there? Creativ-ity, hard work, careful planning,and engaging execution is what ittakes. Every teaching team at CJPhas a planning session once a
month with our Director of Edu-cation. We come together with allof our knowledge and ideas toshare best practices and marrythem to developmentally appro-priate and stimulating activities.This kind of regular planning pro-motes consistency and teamworkthroughout the school. Teacherstake the goals and skills that theyneed to teach and weave thoseskills into our themes.
CJP uses thematic units formany reasons. A common themekeeps student learning focused ona broader concept while touchingon specific goals and skillsthroughout. Teaching thematicallyis motivational for both childrenand teachers. A common themeallows both teachers and childrento delve into a content area, mak-ing it more exciting for teachers toteach and students to learn. Ourdelivery through themes inte-grates content areas in ways thatmake sense to children. This inturn provides them with a more
rich understanding of a subjectand has more meaning. Further-more, teaching thematically hits astudent’s multiple intelligences,linguistic, logical-mathematical,naturalist, spatial, bodily-kines-thetic, musical, and interpersonal.Teachers are given the opportu-nity to showcase their natural abil-ity to differentiate their instructionfor the class. This approach en-sures we provide an optimal wayto help all children reach their po-tential and have a meaningful im-pact on their learning.
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 21
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(Continued on page 24)
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 23
By Mariashi Groner, directorCharlotte Jewish Day School
Speaking to the candidates whodidn’t receive enough votes to winin our Student Council election isone my least favorite things to do.It is so hard to see the disappoint-ment register on their face, and thesurprise that after so much work,and so much effort, it still did notyield the hoped-for results. In fact,each year, I have a weak momentwhere I decide that we are notdoing this anymore. It’s so hard tosee the kids hurt so much.
Then, I change my mind be-cause the children show me thatthey are stronger than we know,that they learn from tough timeseven better than from the goodtimes. They learn what behaviors,comments, and actions are hurtfulor supportive. I also see kindness,generosity of spirit, and humilityfrom the students that did get thevotes they needed. The students inthe school use the cheers and ap-plause to congratulate but also tocomfort. Some of the winningcandidates turn to their counter-parts to be their “campaign man-agers.” Others, appoint them to betheir “advisors.” The mitzvah inthe Torah of “Loving your fellowas yourself” is not an easy one,and yet the students keep trying tofulfill its requirement. This iswhere we see the lessons that aretaught playing themselves out inreal life.
The speeches, campaignposters, campaign giveaways,demonstrate thought, creativity,
and marketing savvy. Some slo-gans on the posters were:
Vote for Em and you will be agem!
I’m not ice, so vote me for vice!Don’t think twice, vote Laya for
vice!“… and so I mustache you to
vote for Matthew!
Our students are serious whenthinking about their platform.Some of the following excerpts ofspeeches are just a taste of whatthey hoped their constituents(Kindergarten through FifthGrade) would care about:
… I have had a lot of experi-ence with leadership. I am on asoccer and swim team. On mysoccer team I am one of the lead-ers. I play middle defender so Ican basically see the whole field.This means I often help my team-mates out where they need to be.I am also one of the oldest on myteam so a lot of people look up tome. I have also been on StudentCouncil before. I know what it is
like to be a class rep. … I think if I become
vice president I can talk toRabbi Vorst to get differ-ent foods for lunch.
… I have a reputationfor getting along witheveryone even when wemight disagree, whichmakes me a great candi-date. I will always be opento ideas and will treateveryone with courtesyand respect.
… Maybe if the Panthers winwe can have a surprise dessertday. My main idea is to get morepeople involved. I look forward tohearing your great suggestionsand ideas.
… These are a few of the rea-sons you should make me yourVP. As Albert Einstein once said,“We cannot solve our problemswith the same thinking we causedthem with.”
… Everyone loves no home-
work so that’s where I come in. Ifeel that on Rosh Chodesh and onyour birthday we should have nohomework because it is a day ofrejoicing.
… This is our last year at CJDStogether. In a year, Iwon’t see the same frontdoors open every day[or] everyone’s smile atthe beginning of the day.Those days go by so fastand this is our last yeartogether. We need tohave as much fun as wecan before time runs out.
This little microcosmof elections that happensat CJDS is truly inspiringbecause we know thatthis life experience is what pre-pares the children for the real“elections,” “competition,”“losses,” and “wins” that they willexperience throughout life.
This year, one of our first gradestudents took it a step further. She
was disappointed thatkindergarten and firstgrade do not have aclass representative.This was a decisionmade years ago. I triedto explain to her thatstudents in kinder-garten and first gradewere possibly tooyoung to take on thechallenge of runningand winning or losingan election. And, wewere also not sure ifthey could sustain their
position on the Student Councilwith all of the meetings and re-sponsibilities. I wasn’t persuasiveenough. Because the next day, shepresented me with a petition thathad four pages of signatures from
students and teachers requestingthat first grade should have a classrepresentative. She won. Weworked on a compromise and al-lowed the students to vote on amonthly representative to the Stu-dent Council.
The students at CJDS experi-ence all that life has to offer, thedifficult and the easy, and we arethere to hold their hand as theyfigure it all out. Y
Student Government at Charlotte Jewish Day School
A first grader seeking represenation.
Lined up at the voting booth.
Eden’s campaign poster.
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 24
JIE tickets are on sale now, andthey won’t last long!
At the event, you’ll learn:1) One of the top keys to sup-
porting your children to becomesuccessful adults
2) Powerful tools for helpingyour kids (and yourself) be hap-pier and healthier
3) Easy tips you can use rightaway for decreasing drama andmeltdowns
The topic of this year’s Joinedin Education is Mindfulness andSelf-Regulation. It’s a topic everyparent, teacher, and human beingneeds to know about becausemindfulness is at the heart ofknowing how to navigate lifewithout worry and anxiety. Wewant your children to not onlyknow how to be successful butalso (just as important, if notmore), we want them to knowhow to be happy.
Don’t wait to save your spot forthis informative and transforma-tional event. Get your [email protected]. Y
Mindfulness and Self-RegulationJoined in Education Two-Day Symposium
How do we measure thegrowth and developmentalprogress of our children? We usevarious methods of informal as-sessments and portfolios to helpthe teachers gauge learning styles,strengths and weaknesses of eachstudent. Portfolios are perform-ance based, and are an instruction-ally appropriate method ofdocumenting and exhibiting stu-dent progress, achievement, anddevelopment in one or more areasover time. Our teachers can utilizethis tool to communicate studentprogress to parents in an organ-ized manner touching on contentknowledge, skill, and overall de-velopment. When students areinvolved in their portfolio devel-opment they are taking ownershipfor their learning, reflection andthinking.
As previously stated, theprocess to create and implement ameaningful curriculum beginswith theory, then planning, fol-lowed by implementing/execu-tion, and lastly assessment andreflection. Curriculum is a pieceof what it takes to educate andraise a child. Our parents, teachersand members of our communitytogether provide our children withopportunities to learn, grow, andconnect. Y
Charlotte JewishPreschool Curriculum Development(Continued from page 21)
The Charlotte Chapter ofHadassah presented the 2nd An-nual Israeli Products Fair on Sun-day, November 22. The event wasco-sponsored by the Greater Char-lotte Jewish Federation, theLevine JCC, and Ayelet Travel.Hadassah also wishes to extend ahuge thank you to the Foundationof Shalom Park. Hadassah ispleased to report that the eventraised over $10,000 for the SarahWetsman Davidson HospitalTower at Hadassah Hospital in Is-rael. We had over 25 vendors, in-cluding Sababa Israeli Jewelry(from Baltimore), Sabra Style(from Alabama), Limor (from Is-rael), as well as participation fromour local Temple gift shops. Theevent also featured a large varietyof Israeli made products thatHadassah was able to purchase di-rectly from Israel and Israeli ven-dors.
An extra toda raba to ourspeaker, Jeff Epstein, Chief Oper-ating Officer, NC Department ofRevenue, who gave a great talk on“The Impact of North Carolina orIsrael’s Economy.” The event alsoincluded a raffle featuring over 15raffle prizes donated by a varietyof local vendors, Israeli food by
Izzy’s Catering, an Israeli traveltoom, children’s programming,and our highlight, a raffle for aHadassah mission to Israel. Weare pleased to announce that thewinner of our Hadassah Missionto Israel is Cary Shookoff of Char-lotte, NC. Congratulations, Cary!
A huge thank you to the com-mittee who worked so hard in put-ting this together, to all ourcommunity partners and sponsors,and to all of you who attended andsupported this fantastic commu-nity event. Don’t forget to save thedate, next year’s event will be No-vember 20, 2016, and promises tobe even better.
Thank you to our sponsors –see ad on page 31.Y
Second Annual HadassahIsraeli Products Fair Wasa Huge Success
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Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 25
By Deborah Fineblum/JNS.orgIsraelis know that each and
every tree is precious. When thepioneers of the Jewish state firstcast their eyes on the PromisedLand, it was barren. There wereno natural forests to be had. Andnow, just consider: Israel is theonly country in the world thatended the 20th century with moretrees than it started with. In justsix decades, Israelis have literallysunk down roots.
Of course, Israel did not ac-complish this alone. DiasporaJews have grown up droppingcoins into little blue-and-whitepushkes (tin cans), coins ear-marked for planting trees in Israel.Many lucky enough to travel to Is-rael in their youth recall stickingslippery little saplings into theground, knowing that each onemade the fledgling Jewish statethat much stronger.
Each sapling and coin has doneits part to “green” the Jewish state.Since 1901, the Jewish NationalFund (JNF) has planted more than240 million trees indigenous tothe Middle East, such as nativeoaks, carob, redbud, almond, pear,hawthorn, cypress, and the exoticAtlantic cedar. JNF has also de-veloped more than 250,000 acresof land and 1,000 parks.
Tu biShevat—the Jewish NewYear for trees, celebrated January25 this year—grew out of thetithes (the amount Jewish law re-quires to be donated) that Jews
take from the produce grown inIsrael. The date when new fruitsare officially assigned to the NewYear is the 15th of the Hebrewcalendar month Shevat, hence theholiday’s timing.
Today, Jews around the worldmark Tu biShevat by eating fruit,particularly the kinds mentionedin the Torah as Israel’s naturalgifts: grapes, figs, pomegranates,olives, and dates.
But in Israel, where trees arenothing less than a relatively re-cent miracle, Tu biShevat isn’tjust a passing nod to our leafy-boughed friends. It’s a real liveholiday marked by countless tree-planting ceremonies, ecologicalconsciousness-raising programs inschools and communities, andSeders for young and old alike—minus the matzah. It is in manyways a holiday ahead of its time,says one Israeli rabbi.
“Tu biShevat is really the cele-bration of spring time, yet it is inthe middle of the winter, becauseit’s really the festival of faith, andparticularly faith in the land of Is-rael,” Rabbi Binny Freedman,Rosh Yeshiva of Orayta Yeshivain Jerusalem’s Old City, tellsJNS.org.
After all, it was in Israel that17th-century Kabbalistic masterRabbi Yitzchak Luria of Tzfat andhis disciples instituted the Tu bi-Shevat Seder, modeled after thePassover Seder. Here, each of thefruits and trees of the Land of Is-
rael were given symbolic mean-ing, including fruits with hardshells, inedible pits, and those thatare completely edible.
In addition, four cups of wine(or grape juice) are drunk in a spe-cific order and in varying shadesof red, pink, and white, represent-ing the cycle of life and seasons.
For many years, the Tu biShe-vat seder was an important eventfor the children in the elementaryschool in Kfar Saba, where IsraelLenchner was principal. Theywere among Israel’s poorest kids,the majority of them fromEthiopian families. “Five hundredyears ago, the rabbis of [Safed]would eat 34 fruits and vegetablesthat night, telling their stories andspeaking of their love for EretzYisrael (the land of Israel),”Lenchner, who is now retired, tellsJNS.org. “That’s why, for all theyears I was the principal, we al-ways had the Seder of Tu biShe-vat.”
But Lenchner didn’t do it forthe children alone. “As importantfor them to know the stories, thewisdom and the traditions thathave been handed down to usabout the land, it’s just as impor-tant for us that they know it, thatthey truly love this land and thispeople,” he says. “That’s whyevery year we made sure theyheard it, so they could grow up ap-preciating what they—and we—have been given here.”
The tree planting was an Israeli
tradition even before JNF got inon the act. On Tu biShevat in1890, Rabbi Ze’ev Yavetz led hisstudents on a first planting outingto Zichron Yaakov. The traditionwas embraced in 1903 by the JNFand taken up in 1908 by the Jew-ish Teachers Union. A few yearslater, JNF devoted the holiday toplanting eucalyptus trees in an ef-fort to drain the swamps and haltthe malaria that had attacked thecommunities in the Hula Valley.In honor of the tradition of thisholiday of new beginnings, thelaying of the cornerstone at theHebrew University of Jerusalemtook place on Tu biShevat in1918, as did those of the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology in1925 and the Knesset in 1949.
These days, more than a mil-lion people each year attend JNF’sTu biShevat planting ceremoniesin Israel’s largest forests. But treeshave proven not to be immune toviolence. In 2006, after the de-struction of 10,000 acres of forestby Katyusha rockets, JNFlaunched Operation Northern Re-newal to begin replacing much ofthe topsoil that had been burnedaway and replant the forest.
“Through 2,000 years of exilewe never stopped believing thatone day, we would come home,”says Rabbi Freedman. “Which iswhy this Jewish festival is beingrediscovered in Israel, becauseanywhere else in the world it is bynecessity missing something. Acelebration of coming homemakes the most sense… when youare home.” Y
Bringing It All Back Home: Tu biShevat in Israel
Two-year-old Hagai, and his parents Ofra and Eyal, choose plants in anursery in Eshtaol, Israel, in celebration of Tu biShevat on Jan. 19, 2011.Credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90.
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 26
By Mollie Katzen/JNS.orgWinter fruit might seem less
spectacular than the much moretime-valued offerings of summer,but oranges and pears in particular,while quiet and “common,” can bethe unexpected stars of simple sa-vory dishes.
This is perfect for Tu biShevat,the Jewish New Year for trees,which is a relatively unsung holi-day. Sparkle up your Tu biShevatSeder with an easy but surprisingsweet potato-pear soup, whichgoes perfectly with a winter saladfeaturing crunchy, colorful leavesrefreshingly coated with orangesections and a yogurty-orangevinaigrette, and exuberantly dottedwith pistachios (also from trees).Finish the meal with an old-fash-ioned cake brimming with applesand walnuts, and studded withcranberries.
Cranapple Walnut CakeServings: about 8
Back by popular demand fromthe original “Moosewood Cook-book,” this recipe now appears,adapted slightly, in “The Heart ofthe Plate.” You will likely want toserve this a la mode with some ex-cellent vanilla ice cream. If youanticipate this need, be sure tohave the ice cream on hand beforeyou begin. The cake is quite sweetas is. If you are going to serve itwith the ice cream, you mightwant to reduce the sugar a notch or
two—maybe to 1½ cups. If youbuy extra-fresh whole cranberriesin season and freeze some, youcan enjoy them year-round. No de-frosting necessary. Use nonstickspray.Ingredients:1-¾ c. (packed) light brown
sugar½ c. grapeseed or canola oil2 lg. eggs1 t. vanilla extract2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
(also called “white whole wheat”)
1 t. baking powder1 t. cinnamon½ t. nutmeg½ t. salt2 med. apples (about ½ lb.),
peeled and thinly sliced½ c. chopped walnuts (chopped
Sparkle Up Your Tu biShevat Seder
(Continued on page 30)
Mollie Katzen
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CharlotteJewish News
By Diana Burmistrovich/JNS.orgA simple way to celebrate Tu
biShevat, the Jewish New Year fortrees, is to grow a plant or eatsome fruit. But those seeking adeeper experience with the holi-day may choose to take part in a“Tu biShevat Seder” — not to beconfused with the Passover ver-sion.
“Tu biShevat needed a majorritual, and the Seder provides uswith that,” entrepreneur, educator,and blogger Rabbi Jason Millertold JNS.org. “Based on the Sederof Passover, this is an educationalforum and symposium in whichwe can discuss and also recommitourselves to the environment.”
Kabbalists from the northernIsraeli city of Safed in northern Is-rael created the ritual of the Tu bi-Shevat Seder to celebrate the ideathat even God’s smallest cre-ations—be they tree, pomegran-ate, or date—are all equal withinnature’s grand web. The initial rit-ual was outlined in “Peri EtzHadar” (Fruit of the Goodly Tree),part of an anthology of Kabbalis-tic customs called the “HeindatYamun.”
While Tu biShevat is widelycelebrated in the Jewish world asthe religion’s counterpart to ArborDay, fewer Jews employ the Sederritual on this occasion. Many Jewsare troubled by the Seder’s appar-ent roots in the texts written byfollowers of the 17th-century false
messiah known as Shabbatai Zvi. Like the Passover Seder, the Tu
biShevat version relies on therecitation of blessings and thedrinking of wine, with a greateremphasis on fruit. Each group offruit eaten at the Tu biShevatSeder represents different waysthat trees provide for us. Beforeeating each kind of fruit, a bless-ing is said and a spiritual questionrelated to that kind of fruit isasked.
To fully appreciate nature’sbounty, Kabbalists matched up Is-rael’s regional fruit to symbolizethe four physical elements: air,earth, water, and fire.
* Assiyah, or earth, is symbol-ized by fruits or nuts with an outershell and fruit within. This in-cludes walnuts, pomegranates,pistachios, and coconuts.
* Yetzirah, or water, is symbol-ized by fruits with edible outerflesh and inedible cores. This in-cludes cherries, apricots, olives,and plums.
* Briyah, or air, is symbolizedby fruit that is entirely edible. Thisincludes apples, pears, figs, andraisins.
* Atzilut, or fire, is not symbol-ized by fruit but by things thatrepresent God’s presence allaround us. This can includesmelling something natural likepine, cedar, or spices.
It is no coincidence that thefruits included in the Seder don’t
fall far from the tree. The constantimagery of trees is intended to in-voke our connection to the earthand our Jewish responsibility asits stewards. Looking from theroots at the bottom to the fruitsamong the leaves acts as a re-minder that when everything isconnected, each small action by ahuman reverberates throughoutthe universe.
“Trees are so important in Jew-ish thought that the Torah itself iscalled ‘a tree of life.’ Perhaps thisTorah wisdom can help us thinkmore wisely about using these re-sources carefully and living in a
more sustainable way,” write Dr.Akiva Wolff and Rabbi YonatanNeri in their article “Trees, Torah,and Caring for the Earth” as partof Jewcology’s “Year of JewishLearning on the Environment.”
Though the origins of the TubiShevat Seder may be hazy, theintention to deepen our connec-tion with nature and assure thepreservation of its bounty has leadto environmental activism’s in-creased relevance within the con-text of celebrating the Tu biShevatholiday.
“We are living in God’s cre-ation, which makes us equal to
one another and makes us allequal in what we need and whatwe share equitably,” SybilSanchez, director of the Coalitionon the Environment and JewishLife (COEJL), told JNS.org. “TheSeder is an important time to ritu-ally recognize our values, but it isalso a time to take action.”
For Tu biShevat last year,COEJL called for Jewish commu-nity leaders to sign its “Jewish En-vironmental and EnergyImperative,” which asked Jews toreduce their energy use by 14%.More than 50 Jewish leaderssigned the pledge.
Honoring the theoretical foun-dations of Tu biShevat, the Israelicompany SodaStream developedCO2-infusing products to createsoda and sparkling water at home,in an effort to help the public re-duce waste from bottles and canspurchased at stores. According tostatistics from the U.S. RecyclingInstitute, more than 80% of bottlesin the U.S. do not get recycled andend up in landfills.
Incorporating environmentalmindfulness can easily becomepart of Tu biShevat, according toSanchez, who suggests checkingwhether your family is using lo-cally sourced fruit, ecologicallyminded dishes and dining ware,installing energy-efficient lightbulbs, and turning off applianceswhen not in use. Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 28
Originating in Kabbalah, Tu biShevat Seder Transforms into Conduitfor Environmental Activism
Dried fruit and nuts on a platter, traditionally eaten on TubiShevat. Credit: Gilabrand via Wikimedia Commons.
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to the size of peanuts)½ lb. fresh (or frozen) whole
cranberriesDirections:
Lightly spray a 9” X 13” panwith nonstick spray. Heat the ovento 375 degrees. In a med.-lg. bowl,beat together the sugar, oil, andvanilla. Add the eggs, one at atime, beating well after each. In a2nd bowl, combine the flour withthe other dry ingredients till thor-oughly blended. Add the dry mix-ture to the wet, stirring tillcombined, folding in the fruit andnuts as you go. The batter will bevery thick. Patiently spread the
batter into the prepared pan (takeyour time spreading it in place)and bake in the center of the ovenfor 40-45 min., or till the cakepulls away from the sides of thepan, and the top surface is springyto the touch.
Winter Salad with Radicchio,Oranges, Pistachios, and Yo-gurty-Orange VinaigretteServings: 4
Romaine and arugula joinforces with radicchio and fresh or-ange sections, and an orange-lacedyogurt dressing coats the leaves,allowing a scattering of pistachiosto adhere at random. If you chooseto form a bed of couscous or extrayogurt underneath each serving,you will be rewarded with an extralayer that both absorbs the deli-cious trickle-down juices and alsoboosts the volume of the dish,herding it into light main-dish ter-rain. You can wash and spin thesalad leaves (keeping them coldand very dry), prepare the vinai-grette, and section the orangeswell ahead of time. Dress and fin-
ish the salad immediately beforeserving. The tangy vinaigrette,free-standing, will keep verywell—for weeks—in a tightly cov-ered container in the refrigerator.Shake well, or stir from the bot-tom, before using.Vinaigrette ingredients:1 heaping T. finely minced
shallot1 t. agave nectar or honey3 T. orange juice1 T. cider vinegar¼ t. salt (rounded measure)¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil¼ c. plain yogurt (regular or
Greek)Salad ingredients
½ lb. very fresh radicchio A handful of small arugula
leavesAbout 6 perfect, crisp romaine
leaves2 oranges, sectioned1/2 c. lightly toasted pistachiosOptional Enhancement: Spread abed of yogurt and/or couscous onthe plate underneath the salad, asa bed to catch the dressing (andto make this more of a light maincourse).Vinaigrette Directions:
Combine the shallot, agave orhoney, orange juice, vinegar, andsalt in a small bowl, and whisk tothoroughly blend. Keep whiskingas you drizzle in the olive oil,keeping up the action till it is com-pletely incorporated. Stir/ whisk inthe yogurt and mix till uniform.Cover and refrigerate till use.Salad Directions:
Have the cleaned, dried saladleaves in a large-enough bowl.Break them into bite-sized piecesas desired. Add about 6 T. of thevinaigrette, tossing as you go, tothoroughly coat all the leaves. Addthe orange sections toward theend, mixing them in gently so theydon’t break. Sprinkle in the pista-
chios with the final toss, and servepronto.
Sweet Potato-Pear SoupServings: 5-6
Fresh pears and sweet potatoesare puréed together and finishedoff with touches of cinnamon andwhite wine. This unusual combi-nation is slightly sweet, slightlytart, and deeply soothing. My orig-inal version (published in “StillLife with Menu”) included milk orcream. This version is vegan-friendly, using oil instead of butter.Use any wine that you enjoydrinking. And perhaps serve therest of the bottle with the soup. Besure to use the moist, orange vari-ety of sweet potato (not the drier,starchier white type).Ingredients:2 med.-sized sweet potatoes
(1 lb.)4 c. water1 3” stick cinnamon1-½ t. salt3 lg. ripe pears (any kind but
Bosc, which are too grainy)1 T. unsalted butter or grapeseed
or canola oil¼ c. crisp white wine1 to 2 T. fresh lemon or lime
juice Cayenne or white pepper
(optional)
Directions:Peel sweet potatoes, and cut
into sm. (about ¾”) pieces. Placein a lg. saucepan with water, cin-namon stick, and salt. Bring to aboil, cover, and simmer till tender(about 10 min.). Remove the coverand let it simmer an additional 5min. over med. heat. Remove anddiscard the cinnamon stick, and letthe sweet potatoes rest in theircooking water while you fix thepears. Peel and core the pears, andcut them into thin slices (about¼”). Melt the butter (or heat theoil) in a heavy skillet over med.heat, and swirl to coat the pan. Addthe pears, and cook, stirring often,for about 5 min., or till quite soft.Add the wine, cover, and simmerabout 10 min. longer over lowestpossible heat. Transfer the pearmixture to the sweet potatoes-au-jus, then purée everything togethertill smooth with an immersionblender. You can also use a standblender in batches, and then returnit to the pot. Add lemon or limejuice to taste, plus a touch ofcayenne or white pepper, if de-sired, and serve the soup hot. (Itreheats well, if necessary.) Y
With more than 6 million booksin print, Mollie Katzen is listed bythe New York Times as one of thebest-selling cookbook authors ofall time and has been namedby Health Magazine as oneof “The Five Women WhoChanged the Way We Eat.” Hernew book, The Heart of the Plate:Vegetarian Recipes for a NewGeneration, was published in Sep-tember 2013 by Houghton MifflinHarcourt.
The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 30
Mollie Katzen’s Tu biShevat Seder(Continued from page 26)
Winter Salad with Radicchio, Or-anges, Pistachios, and Yogurty-Or-ange Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato-Pear Soup
Cranapple Walnut Cake
Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 31
Editor’s Note: The opinions ex-pressed are those of the author.By Lloyd Scher
What is happening in Americawhen people who are fleeing awar torn country and are pre-vented from seeking safety fortheir family? My grandparentstold me how several of our rela-tives tried to flee Germany in the1930s only to die in concentrationcamps in Europe. All they wantedto do was to take care and protecttheir family. Even here duringWorld War II we locked up Japan-ese Americans but let Germansand Italians roam the streets of thecountry. My mom taught theHolocaust for 31 years at TempleIsrael and the Hebrew High andshe reminded us of the problemsJews had in seeking a safe place.
It is the same today as it wasthen.
I believe in an America that isa beacon of freedom to the world.I believe that the American peoplewill do what is right. I believe inthe Constitution of the UnitedStates. These are the things thatmake America great but what ishappening now is scary.
We have people running forPresident who want to only letChristians into the country. So my
question is: which ones? Do welet just let in Protestants orMethodists or Baptist? Do we doit by numbers? Does the countrysay we are only letting in 21Methodists, 12 Catholics, 22 Bap-tists? What happens to those whohave no faith or are Jewish?
I listen to the talking heads ontelevsion that tell us we must goin with our military to take outISIS? Then what? I would like toknow how many of those youngreporters and commentators everserved in the United States Mili-tary. Do they know what war is re-ally like? I do not think so. WhenWorld War I ended we walkedaway, which allowed for the riseof the Nazi Party.
So their question is do we leavetheir country and let the peoplefight it out for control? That hasbeen tried already in Iraq and wehave seen what the results of thatwere. Everyone says we shouldn’thave ever left Iraq but they forgetwe were asked to leave by thePresident of Iraq as part of anagreement.
I applaud the first PresidentBush for not going into Iraq dur-ing the Gulf War. He knew whatwould happen if Saddam wastaken out and he was right. Just
because we as Americans do notlike a leader does not mean wehave to destroy the world. It is notour responsibility to change gov-ernments in other countries.
Now, I watch as these gover-nors claim they are protectingtheir citizens by keeping therefugees out of their states. But inseveral of those states they al-ready have terrorists living thereand they do nothing about theKKK, Skinheads, and the neo-Nazis. They bury their heads inthe sand and because of that hateflourishes in those states. If Ala-bama, Mississippi, Texas, and ofcourse North Carolina want toprotect all the citizens of theirstates, I suggest that they dosomething about those hategroups.
I remember several years agodriving through Smithfield, NCand a Klan rally was being heldright off of the Interstate. Theyburned their cross and were cir-cled around it and although Icould not hear the hatred I couldfeel it.
If that is what the governors be-lieve is America then we have abigger problem than refugees. Y
Op-Ed: Is the Real Problem Middle Eastern Refugees?
SABENA HIJACKING - MYVERSION - $10Sunday, March 6 - 7:15 PM -Regal Ballantyne
The riveting, untold story ofwhat took place throughout 30hours of nerve-racking captivityaboard Sabena Flight 571 after itwas hijacked by terrorists in 1972.THE MIDNIGHT ORCHES-TRA - $10Wednesday, March 9 - 7:15PM - Regal Ballantyne
The estranged son of a famousmusician returns home and unex-pectedly finds his life transformedby the members of his father’sformer band and his eccentriclocal guide.ONCE IN A LIFETIME - $10Saturday, March 12 - 7:15 PM- Regal Ballantyne
Based on the inspirational truestory about a diverse group of re-bellious students whose lives aretransformed when their no-non-sense teacher enters them into anational competition.A TALE OF LOVE ANDDARKNESS - $10Sunday, March 13 - 3 PM -Regal Ballantyne
Academy Award-winning ac-tress Natalie Portman makes her
directorial debut in this extraordi-nary adaption of Amos Oz’s cele-brated memoir set during the birthof the state of Israel.SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS -Closing Night - $15Sunday, March 13 - 7:15 PM -Regal Ballantyne
A French couple has their livesturned upside down when theirfour daughters marry men fromdifferent races and religions.Additional Programming (notpart of Early Bird or RegularAll Festival Pass)Sundays at Lake Norman
Presented in collaboration withthe Jewish Council of Lake Nor-man. All films will screen 4 PM atOur Town Cinemas in Davidson.
SABENA HIJACKING - MYVERSION - $10Sunday, February 21MR. KAPLAN - $10Sunday, February 28 SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS -$10Sunday, March 13
For more information, pleasesee our ad on the previouspage. Y
Charlotte Jewish Film Festival 2016 Schedule(Continued from page 1)
“Wedding Doll”
“A Tale of Love and Darkness”
Available Online at www.charlottejewishnews.org
or search issuu.com for the latest editionTo receive the online version in place of your mailed copy,contact us at [email protected]
The Charlotte Chapter of Hadassahwishes to thank the following organizations and individuals
for their contributions that helped the 2nd Annual Hadassah Israeli
Products raise over $10,000.Sponsor Donors
Levine JCCJewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Ayelet Travel
Special Thanks to the Foundation of Shalom Park
Friend DonorsStacy and Allen Baum
Bonnie and David BornsteinMeg Goldstein, AttyDebra and Ed Pizer
Hilary and Dan RosenbaumNancy and Steve Schreier
We couldn’t have done this without the following:
- Our vendors for donating 18% of sales- Our generous raffle prize donors
- The Israeli Products Fair Planning Committee and EventVolunteers
- The Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah- The Temple Israel Gift Shop for donating wrapping paper
- Harris Teeter at Stonecrest and Colony Place for donating plastic bags
Congratulations to our Mission to Israel Raffle Winner, Cary Shookoff, of Charlotte, NC.
Don’t forget to save the date for next year’s event, November 20, 2016.
