The Charlotte Jewish News - October 2009 - Page 17
The Book of Life
Stan Greenspon
By Phil Warshauer
Donors are often asked, “Why
did you make a gift?” At a recent
seminar a nationally recognized
speaker provided a group of
planned giving professionals with
the most common answer to this
question: “I want to make a dif
ference” - a rather simple answer
to a rather simple question.
Most of us want to make a dif
ference, but how many of us actu
ally do? You can identify “differ-
ence-makers” by the hours they
spend volunteering and by the
charitable gifts they make. They
are selective, giving time and
money to organizations that share
their commitment to making a
difference. It can be said that
“difference-makers” attract “dif-
ference-makers.” Fortunately,
our Charlotte Jewish community
is blessed with a variety of organ
izations and individuals that
made a difference in years past,
are making a difference today and
will continue to make a differ
ence in the future.
Stan Greenspon has been an
involved member of our commu
nity, serving in leadership roles in
many organizations. I have
enjoyed our conversations, which
have often been filled with pas
sionate discussions about his
commitment to improving the
lives of others and the satisfac
tion this has provided him. He is
a quintessential “difference-
maker.” As a member of The
Book of Life Society, he has
committed to making Charlotte
and its Jewish community a bet
ter place for future generations.
We all want to make a differ
ence. It requires commitment but
it’s easier than you might imag
ine.
For more information on how
you can make a difference and
become a member of The Book
of Life Story please contact Phil
Warshauer at 704-973-4544 or
pwarshauer@charlottej ewish-
foundation.org. ^
Making a Difference
Stan Greenspon
My family and I have lived in
the Charlotte area for over 40
years. During that time I have
been fortunate to witness and
experience the fantastic growth
and all of the positive things that
have come with it.
My first volunteer role in the
community was to serve as an
Assistant Chairperson for the
Israel Bonds Campaign. This led
to my chairing the campaign in
the mid-70s. During this time I
vividly recall honoring Leon
Levine for this event and success
fully selling over $200,000 of
bonds. The tremendous satisfac
tion I gained from this campaign
and working with a strong com
mittee and dedicated individuals
fueled my passion to do more for
the Jewish community. In the
early 80s, I joined the Jewish
Federation and I served as
Allocations and Major Gifts
Chairperson. Through this work I
achieved great personal growth
and appreciation for high level
organizational work.
Twenty-five years ago
Charlotte and the Jewish commu
nity were much smaller, but the
dynamics of leadership and vol-
unteerism were exceptional. It
was then that my good friend
Aaron Gleiberman insisted that I
take on the role of president of
the Federation. He convinced me
it was my duty and responsibility.
It was truly an experience and
honor to be in a position during
such exciting times, with Russian
immigration and the placement of
many Israelis into the Charlotte
community. We also started the
Jewish Times newspaper and cre
ated the Social Services Agency.
There were many challenges,
including the planning of Shalom
Park, but a strong commitment
from a community working
together helped us to reach our
objectives.
All of this work has strength
ened my belief and determination
to assist charitable causes
throughout our community. This
applies not only for the Charlotte
Jewish community but for the
greater Charlotte community. I
am proud to have served on
the original Board of Directors
for the Juvenile Diabetes
Foundation. My former wife,
Roslyn, started the Charlotte
Chapter and was recognized for
its early success. The chapter is
now raising over two million dol
lars per year
It is obvious to me that many
of us in the Jewish community
feel the same way about making
Charlotte a better place. Many of
us gained valuable leadership
experience within our Jewish
community and have worked
hard to ensure that future genera
tions will reap some of the bene
fits of our hard work. ^
'Foundation
'for the
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— \Commiinity
HIAS
(Continued from previous page)
good teachers. Therefore they
sought educated Bhutanese to
teach their children. With the older
boys working outside the camp,
the remaining family had more to
eat. The boys were also able to
buy clothes and other necessities
for the family. They returned to
the camp every three to six
months.
While acknowledging the prim
itive conditions in the camps,
Ngana says, “We were the luckiest
refugees in the world.”
Myin Aung would not say that.
An uneducated Karen (a large eth
nic group) farmer from Burma
(Myanmar) running from his
country’s oppressive regime, he
and his family fled to the Umpium
refugee camp in Thailand in 1984.
Myin was given wood and bam
boo to build his house. Unlike
Ngana’s camp, no one was
allowed to leave to work outside.
With their rations of cooking oil,
rice, salt and beans, Myin’s wife
Minge fed their family of six.
They were allowed to raise live
stock—pigs and chickens—^which
they could sell or trade or use for
the family itself
They had candles for evening
light. Myin said they suffered in
the cold—^two shared a blanket.
The rainy season brought floods
and mud. They lived this way for
21 years. For so many years they
lived without hope. The UNHCR
called for refugees to register for a
Used Book Sale to Benefit Hadassah
Are you moving?
Are you cleaning out your house for the New Year?
Are you cleaning out the lids rooms now that they have ieft for school?
We will gladly take these books off your hands. The proceeds of our sale will go to Hadassah
and all of the wonderful programs that they have in Israel and right here in the USA.
SAH
When: Sunday October 25, 10 AM-2 PM
Where: Camp Mindy Rec. i-iall
Donate your gently used children’s books, cookbooks, book club books,
Judaica ... anything goes. Drop the books off at 2608 Flintgrove Road any
time until October 25. Leave them on the side porch in a bag or box.
Questions? dkapustin@carolina.rr.com
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photo ID, the first step toward
applying to leave the camp. That
was in 1999. Myin was untrusting
and did not believe they would be
safe so he did not pursue the
option until 2008, when the family
was approved to come to the U.S.
We are lucky to be able to
remember our ancestors who
dwelled in huts this holiday sea
son. Truly, we can be grateful for
the “clouds of glory” that surround
us as Jews in the U.S.
HIAS NC has resettled these
two men and their families in
Charlotte. You can help these and
other refugees with a donation to
HIAS NC, 5007 Monroe Rd.,
Charlotte, NC 28205. To donate
furniture and house wares or to
volunteer for HIAS, call 704-535-
8803. ^
Experience, Knowledge & Commitment
Three Important Qualities of Our Team
13526 Johnston Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
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704.779.5859
mickey au@aol. com
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704.905.6175
rcroskind@aol.com
www.GoldRoskindHomes.com
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FUNERAL Service & CRSvtATORY
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James Wilkins, John Tallent, III
Locally Owned & Operated
Full Service Funeral Provider
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Privileged to Serve the Jewish Community
for Over 20 Years
1937 Sharon Amity Road
704-567-1500
(located across from Sharon Memorial Park)
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