. ^ ; \ ..................................XV ' '■ . f ' * v‘-" m »* < < Zichroynis — Memories Page 7-THE NEWS-January 1993 An Evening of Lilting Yiddishkeyt By Marvin Bienstock Sook You could tell it was a special A im evening the moment you stepped By Rita Mend confined to the domestic realm, into Gorelick Hall. It was fifteen are now moving into the labor minutes to the scheduled start of Surviving Salvation: The Ethi­ force—these are but a few of the the program, but, instead of the opian Jewish Family in Transi­ whirlwind of wholesale changes usual milling around, the audi­ tion, Dr. Ruth Westheimer & confronting the Ethiopian Jews ence had hurried to claim seats Dr. Steven Kaplan. New York in Israel. as there was a capacity crowd University Press. 170 pages. 50 Combining Dr. Ruth’s in­ of over 300. photographs. $24.95. sights and experiences with Dr. Kaplan’s expertise, this book, is There was a buzz of excite­ On May 25, 1991, a Boeing the tale of their struggle and the ment, an anticipatory tension of 747 packed with eleven hundred emotional saga of their experien­ the kind usually seen when Ash & Fuhrman in a skit. Rose Luski introduced the program. Ethiopians left the besieged ces in the Promised Land. children are eagerly awaiting the capital of Addis Ababa for Ben The photographs are excellent start of a birthday party. Only Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. and depict the Ethiopian Jews, this time it was adults who were In the next 36 hours, 13,000 of all ages, in Ethiopia and in busy swiveling their heads to see more Ethiopians were to depart their new home, Israel. and greet friends and turning to for Israel in what became known The book was inspired by the report their sightings to their as “Operation Solomon.” After PBS Special, of the same name, immediate neighbors. Snatches of Russian and the occasional generations of praying and years which is airing nationally on laughter of children inter­ of diplomatic wrangling, Ethio­ PBS. Dr. Westheimer is also mingled. pia’s Jews were at last going to executive producer of the doc­ the Promised Land. umentary which was filmed by Then it began, the experience But this is not a book about Academy Award winning and for which we had all come. Rose the journey of the Ethiopian eight-time Emmy award winning Luski came to center stage to Jews, rather it is a chronicle of documentary filmmaker Mal- introduce the event in the most their experiences once they com Clarke, and narrated by logical way — in Yiddish. For reached their destination. In Raymond Burr. Check with the next two hours each of us Ethiopia they were united by a your local PBS station for airing A capacity crowd attended the performance. Photos/Berta SIraz was transported in our minds to shared faith and a broad net­ time. other times and other places. We possible Dream” from “Man of The evening passed too quick­ work of kinship ties that served Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Ho­ were awash in waves of melody La Mancha.” The second was ly in a mixture of humor, as the foundation of their rural locaust survivor, emigrated to and dialogue that brought nos­ “Zichroynis,” a translation into warmth and an occasional tear. communal society. They ob­ Israel as a 17-year-old orphan. talgic images of family, friends. Yiddish by Chayale Ash of the It was the evocation of Yiddish­ served a form of religion based She is an Adjunct Associate Second Avenue Theater, gather­ song “Memories” from “Cats.” keyt — a summing up of all the on the Bible that included cus­ Professor at New York Univer­ ing around the radio for The There was appreciative applause emotions that constitute our toms such as the isolation of sity. She is widely known as “Dr. American-Jewish Caravan... the at the conclusion of the first of identification with a very special women during menstruation, Ruth” and appears frequently on Yiddish Institute at Wildacres. the two pieces. There was a peoplehood. long abandoned by Jewish com­ television and radio shows. ripple of astonishment as he For the Jews of Charlotte, munities elsewhere in the world. Dr. Steven Kaplan is Senior The magicians who created began the second, but it quickly Yiddish is not just remembrance Suddenly transplanted, they Lecturer in Comparative Reli­ this time machine were Chayale changed to murmurs of delight of times past. A performance of are becoming rapidly and ag­ gion and African Studies and Ash and Avrum Furman. No and an ovation at its finish. this quality is a high point in an Chair of the African Studies strangers to Charlotte, this ongoing experience. The Char­ gressively assimilated. Gender Yiddish dynamic duo created a The “orchestra” for the eve­ lotte Yiddish Institute, through roles are being continually rede­ Department of Hebrew Univer­ stage full of characters drawn ning was Dimitri Zlotnikov, a its monthly Vinkl (club) and its fined, often resulting in marital sity o f ' Jerusalem. He is the from the pages of Sholom Alei- recent emigrant from the former annual Wildacres Retreat, af­ crises; parents watch with a author also of “The Beta Israel chem, the streets of the lower Soviet Union. When he took the fords each of us the opportunity growing sense of alienation as (Falasha) in Ethiopia: From East Side and the Eastern Eu­ spotlight to play a medley of old to keep Yiddish alive and vibrant their children become “Wester­ Earliest Times to the Twentieth ropean pioneers who built Israel. Russian melodies, there was for ourselves, our children and nized;” women, traditionally Century.” our children’s children. You do With the simplest of props — silent appreciation as each piece began and then, as recognition not have to be an accomplished a shawl, a stage beard, a certain dawned, his performance was Yiddishist to participate — rank kind of cap — they moved accompanied by the humming beginners are equally welcome. between the years and the con­ and soft singing along of the Your ticket to this wonderful tinents. Chayale alternated audience. world is your desire to fan the among the personas of accom­ spark of Yiddishkeyt within you Rarely plished, sophisticated perform­ Audience participation was into a flame that will illumine er, shrewish restaurant owner, both planned and spontaneous your life. henpecking wife and a bubba, a with Chayale and Avrum. • grandmother of incalculable Rhythmic clapping often created Ed. note: Marvin Bienstock is D qesFin eA kt age. Avrum matched her pace a pulsing drum beat, and, when a former executive director of for pace, character for character. their songs were familiar, eve­ The Charlotte Jewish Federa­ ryone present joined in and tion. He now resides in Colum­ Not for them, the slow vocal became a deep voiced choir. bia, SC. G o Q n S^le cadence of southern speech. Their Yiddish rocketed forth with machinelike intensity. Any­ one who had come for leisurely Sm ile ! H10T0GIUII1IY listening soon picked up their Yo u 're abo ut pace and heads moved forward, anxious to catch every word and To Save $10. every nuance. Subtlety and The Gu m o u r S hots^ verbal slapstick vied for the EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: honor of creating new kinds of • A glamourous, waves, waves of laughter which complimentary makeover broke over the audience. and hairstyling • Four exciting wardrobe s ^ v * ■ But it was the music which and accessory changes dominated the evening. Faced • A fun 15 pose with the demanding regimen of photo session • Instant viewing of your their performance, the voices of color video proofs Second Annual Inventory Reduction Chayale and Avrum seemed to • Portraits back in featuring works by Neiman, Erte, Luongo, Sahal, Agam, grow stronger and richer as the about a week. evening progressed. On ballads Santiago, Sipos, Chemiakan & Azoulay they softly blended their tones. Eastland Mail at Savings of up to 40% off. 532-0002 At other times they produced the Carolina Placa brassy, buoyant, marching-band 544-0036 intensity that characterizes and underscores the flavor of Israeli favorites. n, How OnlvS19.95* Gdl Kff an appoiatneiit today! ARTEHNO GALLERY Avrum made two radical de­ *Po(treits addibaMl. Satistaction gwantecd. 119 EAST SEVENTH STREET CHARLOTTE, NC 29202 partures from traditional Yid­ Open 7 days a week. TELEPHONE 704 372-3903 dish repertoire. The first was an FAX 704 375-8621 English rendering of “The Im-.