‘Urgency, unity’ heightened in Charlotte Jewish community amid violence
This year, Charlotte’s Jewish community feels closer than ever.
Only three days after a rabbi and three others were held hostage at gunpoint inside a Texas synagogue, the Jewish Federation of Charlotte announced a $5 million fundraising campaign.
Leaders of the local Jewish federation say that a strong, united community is needed now more than ever.
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is more determined than ever to raise funds to strengthen and safeguard the Jewish community from the growing threats of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred that we face locally and globally,” said Sue Worrel, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.
At a Jan. 19 event, which was hosted at Charlotte’s Temple Israel and broadcast virtually, several community leaders spoke out about how the funds directly impact agencies in Charlotte, such as the Charlotte Jewish Preschool and the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center.
According to a press release, local Jewish residents have recently felt a “heightened sense of urgency and unity.”
The campaign announcement came right before International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday, which marks 77 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, one of the most significant and largest concentration camps of the Holocaust.
“It is a challenging time for all of us,” said Main Event co-chair Ana Bonnheim in a press release. “But as Jews, we are used to making it through tough times. The sense of cohesion in the Charlotte Jewish community has never been stronger. Federation is truly the engine behind all of what makes our lives as Jews in Charlotte so enriching.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 11:00 AM.
