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The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2019 - Page 13 Why Not the Cemetery? By Jill Blumenthal “Why would I join the Hebrew Cemetery board?” That’s the first thought that popped into my head when Kev in Levine invited me to join the board of the Hebrew Cemetery Association of Charlotte in 2007. I was in my early thirties and, frankly, I was not thinking too much about the Cemetery - I barely knew where the Cemetery was located. But now a member of the Charlotte Jewish commu nity that 1 respected was asking me to commit some of my limited time and resources to this institu tion I’d barely thought about. But I didn’t dismiss the invi tation either and not just because 1 was flattered. (Although 1 was. Thanks, Kevin.) I knew that my grandparents, Anita and Herman Blumenthal of blessed memory, had supported the Cemetery and were buried there. I suspected Charlotte was where I would live for the rest of my life, and where else would I want to be buried but close to my family? And my grandparents, along with my parents, had instilled in me the idea that, since I had benefited throughout my life from the Jew ish institutions created and nur tured by the people before me, it was my responsibility to steward them going forward. My grand father Herman often spoke about how his own father had told him, “If a community is good to you, you have to be good to that com munity.” I felt I could not “opt ouf ’ of Jewish life if I wanted it to continue. I think I also sensed that a cem etery was an important institution that every Jewish community re quires. I soon learned that estab lishing a burial space - a sacred place to honor the dead - is the first task of a new Jewish commu nity. (This also explains why the Cemetery is the oldest Jewish in stitution in Charlotte, formed by the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1867.) So, after a little reflection, I realized I needed to reframe that original question that had popped into my head: Why wouldn’t I join the Cemetery board? I called Kevin back and accepted the of fer; obviously the Cemetery has not been able to get rid of me yet. After joining the board in 2008, I was honored to serve and learn more about the Cemetery. However, it took me a while to And a way that I could contribute other than attending our quarter ly meetings, helping out at the registration table at our Annual Memorial Service (held on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), and generally acting as an ambassador in the community. I found my niche a few years later when the Cemetery joined the new Create Your Jewish Leg acy (CJL) program initiated by the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community. As someone who didn’t have a lot of extra in come to make large charitable do nations, I was excited to learn that I could designate the Cemetery as a partial beneficiary of my em ployee retirement plan. After my death (hopefully a long time from now so the magic of compound ing interest can get to work), the Cemetery and a few other Jewish nonprofits I care about will re ceive significant donations that will allow me to give back to the Charlotte Jewish community that supported me during my lifetime. I was honored to become one of the early members of the Cem etery’s Legacy Society. Over the last few years, I have become passionate about introducing the benefits of legacy giving to oth ers. I love sharing that anyone, with a little thought and planning, can And a way to support the nonprofits and causes they love and value. Our Director and I are always happy to speak with any one about legacy giving. To learn more about the Cemetery in gen eral, how to become a member, or the possibility of supporting the Cemetery with a legacy gift, please contact Director Sandra Goldman at director@hebrew- cemetery.org or 704-576-1859.^ Hebrew Cemetery of Greater Charlotte Josh Rubin’s Plumbing, LLC LICENSED - BONDED - INSURED COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Layouts for slabs - Rough-in and Finish Water Heater Repairs and Replacement Kitchen/Bath Remodeling Toilets, Tubs, Faucets, Sink, and Disposal Repairs/Replacement ~ 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE - A/C State Lie. #29197 SC State Lie. #M110508 704-517-4918 Charlotte Airport Chaplains Needed The non-profit, inter-faith Air port Chaplaincy at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is expanding and seeking caring in dividuals who would enjoy serv ing the traveling public as well as airport and airline employees. Our mission is to care for trav elers and the airport community by offering personal, emofional and spiritual support, providing a comforting “ministry of pres ence.” Ministry leaders and lay people are welcome to join our team of volunteers, and we are particularly seeking volunteers of the Jewish faith. Training is pro vided. Chaplains typically serve inside the airport on four-hour shifts, the same day and time each week that is convenient for them. Shifts are available from 6 AM to midnight, any day of the week. Contact George Szalony at gszalony@msn.com or David Reiser at reiserd@hotmail.com if you are interested in exploring joining the team.^* Business Brokers Mt-RT.rRS A ACi'MIlSITIONS Selling a Business? VR has sold more businesses in the world than anyone.'^ Adam PetricofF VR Charlotte 9301 Monroe Road, Suite L Charlotte, NC 28270 704-360-8898 office 704-905-8658 cell apetricofF@vrcharlotte.com WWW. vrcharlotte .com Greater Charlotte Jewish Genealogical Society Chapter Being Formed You are invited to join a group of interested members of our community in the preliminary discussion of creating a formal Greater Charlotte Jewish Gene alogical Society Chapter. There are already approximately 30 people who have signed up and a lot of interest is being generated very quickly. The organization encourag es participation from beginners who want to pass on family his tory to experienced family his torians who can be contributors and help others. Those (includ ing non-Jewish) who are looking for lost Jewish heritage or still searching for extended families of Holocaust survivors may And additional resources through this organization and support from others with similar interests. The organizer, Elissa Boyet, is an experienced local research er with a lot of passion to share her knowledge about what this organization has to offer. At the November meeting, there will be a brief introduction, a question naire to determine levels of in terest and experience, and a short presentation on what tools the Jewish Genealogical Society has to offer. Forming a formal genealogical organization will also open the doors for guest speakers. As a Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, Temple Sole! of South Carolina has offered to sponsor the first speaker coming to Char lotte. “We are very grateful for this opportunity. Jewish Geneal ogy fits in with our educational focus of pass on Jewish tradition and culture within our commu nity and families,” said. Temple Sole! President, Shelley Pawlyk and member, Helaine Yancy, who is also experienced in gene alogy research. Please RSVP directly to Elissa Boyet at niftee@msn.com or call her at 203-731-1882 to receive confirmed dates and times of the upcoming meetings. ^ PERRY’S DIAMONDS & ESTATE JEWELRY 6525 Morrison Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28211 Perrys Jew/elry.com ff) PerrysSouthPark 704.364.1391 800.339.0734
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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