The Charlotte Jewish News -January 2008 - Page 13
Reflections at the Start of a Newcomers
New Secular Year
By Phil Warshauer
I’m not one to make New
Year’s Resolutions in January or
the month of Tishri. However,
there is something about a new
year that makes me review the
past and look toward the future. It
has been a little over a year since
my arrival in Charlotte as the
Director for Planned Giving for
the Foundation for the Charlotte
Jewish Community. It’s been a
year of adjustment, challenges,
excitement and change.
The entire community has been
so welcoming. It didn’t seem to
matter if I was attending worship
services, exercising at the Levine
JCC or attending one of the many
interesting lectures that seem to
take place virtually every week. I
Phil Warshauer (right) at the Appy
State-Michigan game with his
youngest daughter.
was told in advance that Charlotte
was a welcoming place and those
who advised me were right. I can
now comfortably say that
“Charlotte is my home.”
I have become familiar with the
area golf courses and have assisted
in the press box at Panthers’ home
football games with their media
relations department. My new
hometown welcomed my alma
mater, Wake Forest, in a bowl
game and in March will host the
ACC and NCAA basketball tour
naments. As you may have deter
mined, athletics are a big part of
my life, along with my family and
our Jewish heritage. So, from cel
ebrating my parent’s 50th anniver
sary and my mother’s Bat Mitzvah
to attending the Appalachian
State-Michigan game with my
youngest daughter, the past year
has been a great one. The next
year should be even better and
begins with my oldest daughter
traveling to Israel.
On a professional note, the
Foundation for the Charlotte
Jewish Community’s year seemed
to parallel my ‘own. Hopefully,
more people know about the
Foundation than they did a year
ago and even more will be able to
speak about it a year from now.
Our Foundation now manages
assets in excess of $40 million and
^Foundation
ffor the
^np-|]ACharlottc Jewish
in 2007 distributed grants through
out the Charlotte Jewish commu
nity in excess of $1.1 million.
While the assets of our Foundation
and the grants that have been dis
tributed should fill each of us with
pride, it still leaves each of our
institutions inadequately
endowed. They each require larger
endowments to provide the type of
programming that we all have
come to expect and require to sup
port the future population. Much
has been accomplished but there is
much work to be done. Future
funding that will be essential for
you, me, your children, and my
children.
Over the past year, the
Foundation for the Charlotte
Jewish Community has strength
ened its relationships with each of
our Jewish community organiza
tions, building upon the strong
foundation that had been estab
lished by those who preceded me.
We are working together with
each of them identify their future
needs and create a strategy for
growing our endowments. These
endowments will help to offset the
costs of the programs that are so
vital to our community. There are
so many professionals and volun
teers who are committed to a vari
ety of Jewish organizations. It’s a
privilege to work alongside each
one of them individually and col
lectively.
I have also had the opportunity
to meet so many individuals
throughout our community who
have established endowments or
added to existing endowments.
They have done so for a variety of
reasons and in numerous ways.
Their gifts range in amounts but
all are equal in that they come
from the heart and the soul of each
donor. It is their way of giving
back.
As we enter the New Year, we
should all do so with excitement
about the challenge and opportuni
ty that confronts each of us. We
can all do our part to strengthen
and preserve the Charlotte Jewish
community. I’ll do my part to
increase the visibility and role of
the Foundation for the Charlotte
Jewish Community. I hope you’ll
take the time to join us in our
efforts and be equally resolved in
making our hometown a special
place.
Phil Warshauer is the Director
for Planned Giving for the
Foundation for the Charlotte
Jewish Community. For more
information or questions, please
contact Phil at 704-973-4544 or
pwarshauer@ffic.org.
“Your trees drink their nil, the Cedars el Lebanon that you
planted; birds make their nests in them, the stork - the Hr
trees are her home. The high mountains are lor wild goats;
the rocks, a reluse lor badgers.”
- Psalm 104:16-18
Welcome to the Barers
What makes people who have
lived in the New York area for all
of their lives uproot and relocate
to Charlotte? Each family has
their own reasons and their own
story, but for the Barers it was
really quite simple. “We wanted to
improve our quality of life,” says
Shellie Barer. “We wanted a more
moderate climate but still wanted
four seasons. We were also
attracted to the substantial and
vibrant Jewish community of
Charlotte.”
Both were bom in Brooklyn,
but Shellie was raised in Queens.
Harvey Barer left New York to
attend law school at Harvard, but
returned and raised his family on
Long Island. Shellie, too, raised
her family on Long Island, and
both most recently hail from Great
Neck.
Harvey and Shellie have been
married for 8-1/2 years and moved
to Charlotte just five months ago,
after Harvey retired from practic
ing law and serving as a Village
Harvey and Shellie Barer
Justice in New York. The first
thing they did when they arrived
in Charlotte? “We sought out the
JCC,” Shellie explains.
Those of us who already live
here know what a challenge navi
gating the streets of Charlotte can
be. “We are eternally grateful for
the GPS we received as a going-
away gift,” the Barers laugh.
While the Barers have gotten
excellent referrals for shopping
areas, doctors, and other things
from their new friends, Harvey
says that he is still looking for a
barber.
But it’s the climate in Charlotte
that has really enraptured the
Barers. “One of Harvey’s favorite
things about Charlotte is the golf,”
Shellie tells us, “and he enjoys all
the outdoor activities that the tem
perate climate allows.”
In addition to the outdoor activ
ities that they can participate in
year-round, the Barers have also
increased their participation in the
Jewish community. “All our
expectations for this phase of our
lives are being exceeded.
“We’ve found the community
to be very warm and welcoming,”
they conclude. To other newcom
ers, they advise,, “Don’t be shy.
Make an effort to get involved.”^
Are you a newcomer to Charlotte?
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