Charlotte Jewish News - February 2016 - Page 13
Community News
Legacy Profile
Nancy and Sam Bernstein
Nancy and Sam Bernstein are
among the 322 individuals and
families in our community who
have created 659 unique legacy
gifts to support its future. Please
take the time to read their story
and thank them for their generos
ity. It is our hope that you will be
inspired and encouraged to help
sustain our Jewish community by
creating your own Jewish legacy.
By Nancy Bernstein
Sam and I saw our parents and
grandparents set high standards
for us to follow. Growing up, our
Jewish experienees were mueh
different than our daughters. I at
tended a small temple in Shreve
port, LA, where there were only
about 200 Jewish families. We
were aetive in our eommunity as
my Dad was a member of the
Temple Brotherhood, and my
mom served on the boards of both
the Temple and its Sisterhood.
Both of my parents were also ae
tive in the Northwest Louisiana
Federation. Shabbat was always
spent with my family. After high
sehool, I attended the University
of North Carolina and met Sam in
Chapel Hill. We met at a UNC
basketball game in January 1984,
while I was a student and Sam
was working in Charlotte. We
were married eleven months later.
Sam grew up in eastern North
Carolina where his parents were
leaders in their eommunity. Sam’s
father has been president of three
different synagogues while his
mom has led three different Sister
hoods. They eontinue to be aetive
in their eongregation today. Sam
grew up with a large extended
family and all were aetive in their
respeetive eommunities. Sam at
tended East Carolina University
and then moved to Charlotte.
Growing up in small southern
towns, we learned from our par
ents and grandparents that every
one has to do their part to get
things done. Seeing that same at
titude here in Charlotte has made
it easy for Sam and me to get in
volved in a variety of Jewish or
ganizations. Sam is a past
president of several organizations
ineluding the Federation and Tem
ple Israel. He eurrently serves on
the Boards of Foundation of
Shalom Park and Foundation for
the Charlotte Jewish Community.
My experienee ineludes serving as
President of Temple Israel’s Sis
terhood and on the Boards of
Levine Jewish Community Center
and Jewish Family Serviees.
We have enjoyed working with
others to make sure that Jewish in
stitutions are there to support our
ehildren. We see the good work
that is taking plaee and want to
sustain this. Today, people express
their Judaism differently than
when we were kids, and all Jewish
organizations will need to eon
tinue evolving to meet their needs.
With our lifetime and legaey gifts,
we are helping to sustain Jewish
life. And even if our daughters’
should settle elsewhere, it is our
hope that others will do the same
for them in their eities as we are
happy to do in ours. ^
Create
Uou^ewish
C/)Usac\)
An FCJC program
lERlNlE'S
BBQ for
your next
event?
Absolutely
yes!
* B’nai Mitzvah
* Beef, Lamb, Poultry
♦ Holidays & Parties
♦ Exotic Game & Seafood
♦ Kosher & non-Kosher
♦ Vegetarian
We Teach BBQ and Outdoor
Cooking Classes
Call Charlotte’s Jewish grilling expert for details
Robert “Ernie” Adler, Smokemaster
704-577-1777 emie@emiesbbq.com
“If it was living or growing Vii grill it”
That’s exactly what we’ve done!
See for yourself - call our Admissions Office
or visit our web site to schedule a
personal tour and for more information.
American Hebrew Academy
rTi An International Jewish College Prep Boarding School
Greensboro, NC • 336-217-7070 • 855-855-4334
www.americanhebrewacademy.org