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The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2014 - Page 17 Together We Can: A History of Shalom Park “A meeting was held at the of- fiee of Family Dollar Stores, Ine., on Monday, June 11, 1979, at the invitation of Leon Levine to mem bers of the eommunity interested in the purehase of a 17-aere traet of land on Providenee Road.” So wrote Mark Bernstein, seeretary for the day. It was the beginning of a journey to ereate the world’s first Jewish eampus, Shalom Park. Earlier that year, Sam Lemer and Abe Luski diseovered the 17- aere traet fortuitously loeated ad- jaeent to a 24-aere traek owned by Temple Beth El. Yet Temple Beth El’s eongregation eould not afford to build on their land at that time. The seeond traet was only avail able beeause of a divoree settle ment. Twenty-two men formed a lim ited partnership, purehased the 17- aeres for $310,000 and signed a Letter of Intent to purehase the property with the understanding that, if there existed an opportu nity to ereate a Jewish eampus, the land would be donated to that ef fort. The idea of a Charlotte Jewish eampus had been batted around among eommunity leaders and ehampioned by Morris Speizman and Mark Bernstein sinee the 1960s. “The Charlotte Jewish eommunity in those days was very fragmented. Children of one tem ple never even knew ehildren of the other temple,” explains Leon Levine, founder of Family Dollar Stores, Ine. “We all felt we had to do something ... for the ehildren.” Another major faetor was the state of faeilities amongst all the major Charlotte Jewish institu tions. They all had needs, but to build at the same time would have drained Charlotte’s Jewish eom munity of ineredible finaneial re- sourees. Flarry Lemer, former president of the Jewish Federa tion, reealls, “We needed time to explore the viability of a eampus, but we had to ask the institutions to hold their plans, sometimes on blind faith. One day in late 1979, I literally went from an Amity Club board meeting about eon- stmeting a new gym to a Temple Israel board meeting in Dilworth about their planned $250,000 basement renovation.” Furthermore, Temple Beth El’s board was on the fenee about whether to sell their 24-aeres. Their eongregation was approxi mately half the size of Temple Is rael’s. Instead of selling to outside developers. Temple Beth El sold its property to the new Foundation of Shalom Park for the original purehase priee, $150,000. The other institutions agreed to put their plans on hold and to redireet finaneial resourees. But Shalom Park would not have happened without the sup port of Flerman Blumenthal and Leon Levine. Eaeh would even tually donate one million dollars a pieee to the seven million dollar projeet. Mr. Bernstein reealls Flerman Blumenthal fondly. “Flarry Lemer and I showed him the 17- aere property to engage his sup port. Blaekberry brambles eovered the pareel. We stood by the road, while Flerman traipsed around, and when he finally eame out, he had a big tear in his pant leg,” laughs Bernstein. A1 Levine, also a signifieant donor to Shalom Park, said a few years after the groundbreaking, “These eommunities are going to be here long after we are gone. If you want to perpetuate Jewish life, you have to have a strong in- frastmeture ...” Even with this generous sup port, the Couneil of Presidents, a group of Charlotte Jewish lay leaders, would meet regularly for the next three years to develop the Joint Venture Agreement, signed on January 6, 1984. Issues the Couneil diseussed ineluded shared spaee, Jewish holidays, and the Kashmt poliey. The Couneil named Mark Bernstein, a lawyer at Parker Poe, to eonvene and me diate these diseussions, a task for whieh he was superbly suited, both in terms of edueation and temperament. The major donors did not die- tate how the Park would look or funetion, but rather, they stepped baek to let the Couneil deeide. Communieation and perseveranee among the institutions’ eommu nity leaders were the keys to sue- eess. Former Foundation of Shalom Park direetor, Marvin Bi- enstoek, says, “The people who eame together had an ability to share, to listen and to understand. Together they developed a eom- mitment to ereating something very speeial for the Jewish eom munity.” Mr. Bienstoek wrote a book ealled Together We Can: A His tory of Shalom Park, whieh, along with personal interviews, provides mueh of our historieal reeord for these CJN artieles about Shalom Park. The book was edited by the reeently departed Louise Bern stein. For more information about ereating a legaey gift for the Foun dation of Shalom Park, please eontaet Kevin Levine at hk- levine@shalomeharlotte.org or 704-944-6840.^ Teen Programming at the LJCC in January By Jessie Cohen, Teen and Group Services Coordinator Many of you know that we have a thriving summer eamp for teens at the Levine JCC every summer, but we also have fun and exeiting aetivities during the sehool year as well. At the JCC, we ereate a fun and safe haven for the teens in our eommunity to eome and enjoy eaeh other as well as partieipate in a variety of great aetivities and programs that have gained a tremendous following over the past few years. Between trips to sueh as the Sports Connee- tion or just ehillin’ in the Teen Lounge, the LJCC is the soeial spot to be. This month is no exeeption. We have a lot planned for our 6th-8th graders in January. We have Jammin’ at the J, a time for teens to hang out, danee, and play basketball with their friends. Mitzvah Madness (MM) projeets to earn Community Serv- iee hours and learn more about the eommunity in whieh they live. We also have two Teen Extreme pro grams when sehool is out. We will be going to Jump Sky High one day and just relaxing, playing games and watehing a movie in the Teen Lounge the other. We also have a Teen Soeial at the end of the month, whieh will be fol lowed by a Teen Advisory Group meeting, TAG. TAG is an opportunity where the teens eome in and meet with me for an hour onee a month to help me ereate, plan, and imple ment programs that they want to see happen here at the LJCC. This group gives me their ideas along with suggestions on eurrent pro grams and trips. It is an awesome opportunity for me to get feed- Teens do a variety of fun activities at the LJCC. baek from the teens about what they really want. Here is a listing of our upeom- ing teen events in January: * 18th - Jammin’ at the J, 7-11 PM * 19th - a Mitzvah Madness (MM) projeet for 2 hours of Com munity Serviee * 20th & 21st - Teen Extreme, a sehool’s out program * 26th - Teen Soeial and Teen Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting We provide a fun variety of ae tivities to engage all of our teens in our eommunity. I am looking forward to our 2014 aetivities and to Summer Teen Camp. Like us on Faeebook - Levine JCC Teens « How Healthy Is Your Relationship? Do you feel controlled by your partner? Do you constantly experience insults, humiliation, threatening acts or gestures, bullying? Does your partner control the finances, isolate you from friends and family, treat you like a servant, make everything your fault. Is there violence? Up to 25% of all Jewish women, teens, and even some men are currently in abusive situations. Shalom Bayit-NC is working to end domestic abuse in our Jewish community by raising awareness, offering education and providing services to people suffering at the hands of intimate partners. Call 704-756-9209. Ballantyne Country Club OntHooks I8tk (fmal Longview Providence Downs You might not need a luxury real estate agent today, but you may know some one that does. I specialize in Ballantyne area homes, including Lake Front Property and Fine Country Club Homes Go with someone you know and trust to help you sell or buy your next Charlotte Luxury home. Call me. Eli Magids LUXURfCHARLOTTEHOMES.coM TEL: (704) 620-0060 KELLER WILLIAMS BALLANTYNE REALTY ^ iiii.liUj.jl 1.1 XUIJLLLt Yours IVuly Needlepoint and Knitting Handpainted Needlepoint Canvases All New Canvases — Free lessons — Unique Gift Ideas — New and Old Customers Very Welcome Best Selection in Charlotte Ail Proceeds Go to Local Charities 3802 Columbine Circle 704-366-6765 Open Thursdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 1, 2014, edition 1
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