Vol. 34, No. 1
Tevet-Shevat 5772
January 2012
An Affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
2012 Main Event Features Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
What do Jena Coen, Andrew
Klein, Staey and Todd Gorelek,
and Seott Menaker all have in
eommon? They’ve all been
touehed by the words of Rabbi
Brad Hirsehfield, speaker for the
2012 Main Event.
Aeeording to Seott Menaker,
eo-ehair of The Main Event, “I
had the privilege to learn and
study with Rabbi Hirshfeld when
he was Seholar in Residenee for
the JCC Assoeiation. He was
engaging, entertaining, and
brought a sense of meaning to his
message that was applieable to our
everyday lives. I am very exeited
that he is eoming to Charlotte and
I know he will attraet a large audi-
enee with his message for Jews
from all walks of life.”
Jena Coen and Andrew Klein,
native Charlotteans and members
of the Bernstein Leadership
Group, reeently had the opportu
nity to study with Rabbi
Hirsehfield, seholar-in-residenee
for their Bernstein Leadership
Retreat held at Wildaeres. “Rabbi
Hirsehfield teaehes the impor-
tanee of an individual’s Jewish
identity as well as the importanee
of a united loeal and worldwide
Jewish eommunity. I was person
ally inspired by Rabbi Hirsehfield
to define what Judaism means to
me and to live a Jewish life that
honors and enriehes that defini
tion. I am exeited that Rabbi
Hirsehfield will be baek in
Charlotte, as the Main Event
speaker, to share his words of tol-
eranee and aeeeptanee with our
entire eommunity,” said Jena
Coen.
Andrew Klein deseribed his
experienee by saying, “When it
eomes to appreeiating one’s
Jewish identity. Rabbi Brad
Hirsehfield taught me more about
myself in 28 hours than perhaps
anything I learned during my 28
years on this planet. As the guest
speaker at our Bernstein
Leadership Group’s Shabbat
Retreat, Rabbi Hirsehfield deeon-
strueted our Jewish identities,
bringing to light the eore values,
traditions, and eolleetive memo
ries that our seemingly diverse
group of Jews has in eommon.
Rabbi Hirsehfield taught me that
we ean ehoose to aeeept everyone
equally, and that a pluralistie view
of Judaism is the right approaeh.
Rabbi Hirsehfield leads by exam
ple, and his love for all Jewish
people, regardless of affiliation or
baekground, is highly eontagious.
He has so mueh wisdom to share,
and the opportunity to hear him
should not be missed.”
Rabbi Hirsehfield was seleeted
as the seholar-in-residenee for the
Bernstein Leadership Retreat and
ultimately The Main Event speak
er beeause of his enthusiastie
endorsement by Staey and Todd
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Goreliek. In Israel last year as part
of a seleet group of young leaders
ehosen by JFNA, Staey and Todd
learned with Rabbi Hirsehfield
who was the seholar-in-residenee
for their week long experienee.
“Our friend. Rabbi Brad
Hirsehfield, ehanges lives. He
ehanged ours. Brad helped us to
think about the world, and our
Jewish plaee in it, in new and dif
ferent ways. He taught us to look
“Rabbi Hirschfield leads
by example, and his love
for all Jewish people,
regardless of affiliation or
background, is highly con
tagious. He has so much
wisdom to share, and the
opportunity to hear him
should not be missed!”
— Andrew Klein
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at every situation, whether thorny
or hopeful, through the eyes and
life experienees of others. We
learned from Brad that differ-
enees, even deep differenees,
when built on shared moral val
ues, ean be the Jewish People’s
greatest strength. If you hear
Brad’s message, you eannot help
eoming away a more thoughtful
Jew and a better person. Brad’s
friendship reaehes our hearts, and
his wisdom nourishes our souls,”
explained Todd.
The most widely attended event
of the season. The 2012 Main
Event, eo-ehaired by Seott
Menaker and Steve Menaker, will
be held on Thursday, January 26,
at 7:30 PM at Temple Israel.
Tiekets are $36 eaeh and ean be
purehased online at www.jew-
isheharlotte.org or by phone 704-
944-6757. A book signing and
dessert reeeption will follow the
program.
Rabbi Hirsehfield will talk on
the topie “Celebrating Diversity
and Creating Unity in the 21st
Century.” Listed four years in a
row in Newsweek as one of
Ameriea’s “50 Most Influential
Rabbis,” and reeognized as one of
our nation’s leading “Preaehers
and Teaehers,” by Beliefnet.eom,
think tank President, talk show
host, interfaith aetivist, and diver
sity expert Brad Hirsehfield is the
author of You Don’t Have To Be
Wrong For Me To Be Right:
Finding Faith Without Fanaticism.
The only rabbi featured on
ABC’s “Nightline UpClose,”
Hirsehfield offers a unique per-
speetive on the Ameriean spiritual
landseape and politieal and soeial
trends to audienees nationwide. A
popular media guest on sueh
shows as “The Dennis Miller
Show” and “Lars Larson,” he has
appeared on CNN, PBS, MTV,
and NPR. He is a regular eom-
mentator for The Huffington Post,
a frequent eontributor to Fox
News Opinion and a eolumnist for
Newsweek/Washington Post.eom
Rabbi Hirsehfield is the
President of CLAL - The National
Jewish Center for Learning and
Leadership, a leadership training
institute, think tank and resouree
eenter eommitted to religious plu
ralism and the healthier use of
religion in Ameriean publie life.
At the Main Event, you will
have the opportunity to make your
pledge to the 2012 Annual
Campaign “Doing a World of
Good.” Every single day the
Jewish Federation saves lives,
builds eommunity and makes the
world a better plaee. With one gift,
you ean make a world of differ-
enee. Please visit our website to
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
Jena Coen, Arlene and Milton
Goldstein, Staey and Todd
Goreliek, Bari and Jeff Goreliek,
Roz and Marty Husney, Jenn and
Miehael Koss, Cary Bernstein and
Alan Kronovet, Randi and Justin
Lan, Alison and Jaek Levinson,
Elise Menaker, Risa and David
Miller, Jill and Ed Newman,
Rhonda and Andy Nieholson,
Wendy and Lee Pake, Susan and
Bemie Sandler, Larry Sehwartz,
Karen and Jeff Turk, Eleanor and
Morton Turk, Debra and David
Van Glish and Judie and Miehael
Van Glish.
The mission of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Charlotte is
to raise and distribute funds to
Rabbi Hirschfield (front row, far left) with the Bernstein Leadership Group.
learn more about the Jewish
Federation of Greater Charlotte.
For more information about the
Main Event, please eontaet the
Federation offiee at 704-944-
6757, Seott or Steve Menaker, or
any of the members of the dynam-
ie Steering Committee: Lee and
Jeff Bierer, Lisa and Barry Blau,
support and enrieh the lives of
Jews loeally, nationally, in Israel
and worldwide. Through eduea-
tion, planning and eommunity
building, the Federation’s mission
ensures that Jewish values, goals,
traditions and eonneetions are pre
served for eurrent and future gen
erations. ^
DOING A WORLD OF GOOD