The Charlotte Jewish News - May 2002 - Page 10
THE FOUNDATION OF SHALOM PARK
Connecting families
Sustaining Tradition
The Campaign to Expand and Endow Shalom Park
GROUNDBREAKING!
Shalom Park Expansion and Renovation
April 21, 2002
Hundreds of members of the Jewish community wit
nessed a series of history-making events on the Shalom
Park campus on Sunday, April 21. Culminating in a cere
mony marking the groundbreaking for the Shalom Park
expansion and renovation, the day was filled with programs
that commemorated Israel Independence Day (Yom
Ha’Atzmaut) and those that celebrated the community spir
it of Shalom Park.
The groundbreaking was led by members of the Levine,
Sklut, Gorelick and Blumenthal families, who lifted the
first ceremonious shovelfuls of dirt in honor of their gen
erosity and commitment to the Park expansion project. The
entire community participated in this initial breaking of
ground on the next phase of Shalom Park development with
dozens of childien digging in with their shovels as well. Hal
Levinson, President of the Foundation of Shalom Park
directed the afternoon events that included the ground
breaking of the next phase of Shalom Park, dedication of
the Barbara L. Levine Indoor Pool, as well as the dedication
of the Ostrow Family Athletic Fields.
“It’s incredible that the Charlotte Jewish community has
had this kind of commitment to create such an exciting
. facility that will continue to be a warm and dynamic center
of Jewish life in Charlotte
for years to come,”
declared Hal Levinson,
President of the Foundation
of Shalom Park.
While the Campaign to
Expand and Endow Shalom
Park is continuing to seek
new pledges to ensure that
we can build and endow the
new facilities as quickly as
possible, site and utility
work will begin in May to
prepare the property for the
new buildings and parking
lots. This work is in prepa
ration for the new JCC
Health and Recreation
facilities, new education
facilities for Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, the Charlotte
Jewish Day School and the Charlotte Jewish Preschool as
well as new program areas and new and renovated offices
for the Federation, Jewish Family Services and other park
agencies.
The JCC will feature a new family pool, splash zone and
baby pool, new gymnasium, fitness and wellness center,
aerobics studio as well as new Teen Center, Senior Center
and Family and Children’s area. The new facility will com
bine the functions of the Speizman Jewish Library and
CAJE (Carolina Agency for Jewish Education) into a new
and expanded Jewish Learning Center.
Leon Levine
The Levine, Sklut, Gorelick, and Blumenthal familes were privileged to dig the first
shovels of dirt.
Master of Cermeonies.
The Ostrow family ivu'j' on hand for the dedication of the Ostrow
Family Athletic Fields.
Photos courtesy of
Andrea Mellen
Photography
Leon Levine, Howard and Julie Levine,
Lori and Eric Sklut.
Dozens of children participated in the ground-breaking with their own shovels.
Nearly 300 people participated in Yom Ha'Atzmaut Walk for
Israel coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater
Charlotte and the Foundation of Shalom Park,
The backhoe
began the formal
job of moving
earth for
construction.
“Shalom Park is unique, there is virtually nothing like
this cooperative auangement anywhere in the country
where so many institutions share land and space. It has been
challenging for the Shalom Park expansion team to volun
teer for so many years to get to today, but at the same time
it is extremely rewarding to know that we are securing the
future for generations to come,” declared Eric Sklut, mem
ber of the Shalom Park Expansion team.
“It’s so nice to see this project progressing. We’re dig
ging earth today and people will soon begin to see major
construction happening. All the time and
energy everyone has committed to this
project has been worthwhile,” asserted
Jeff Gorelick, member of the Shalom
Park Expansion team.
According to Bill Gorelick, one of the
founders of the original Shalom Park and
active on the Shalom Park Expansion
team, “There’s now a realization that the
dream will come true. This groundbreak
ing shows the community that this next
phase of construction is a reality. The
greatness of what we have and will have
is the result of compromises reached in
an effort to build community. L’Dor
V’Dor, from Generation to Generation. I
see Shalom Park as the center of Jewish
life for present and future generations.”
Eric Sklut remarked, “This next step is a
monumental one for the growth and expan
sion of Shalom Park, and for the community
in general. By beginning construction on
these next phases, we begin the next chapter
for the Jewish community. The Jewish
Community Center will soon be able to
accommodate more participants and mem
bers, as will the new education buildings and
the agencies contained within them. This
campaign and this project are testament to the
growth of the community, and the accompa
nying needs that come with such growth. All
of the agencies at Shalom Park should be
and
proud to be part of this.” ^