The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2009 - Page 27 JFS Touches Many Lives (Continued from page 26) the religious schools, our children and adolescents are learning and practicing the best teachings of tzedakah. It speaks volumes about a community when its youngest members blend giving to others into the natural fabric of their young lives. Todah to the Sandra and Leon Levine The dominoes are falling. The economic crisis is hitting every neighborhood in America and our own Jewish community is by no means immune. Jewish Family Services is seeing an influx of people who used to be able to make ends meet and now cannot: people who have never asked for help before. At a time when others have cut back or even shut their doors, we are here for the commu nity, with our doors open wider than ever. Jewish Family Services along with so many others have long benefitted from the generosi ty of Sandra and Leon Levine. We now owe an even greater debt of gratitude to this magnanimous family as one of the recipients of their recently formed million dol lar emergency fund. Those open doors are made possible by such unprecedented levels of generosity as this grant conveys. We are thankful for the gift and for the inspiration it brings to others to stretch a bit in their giving espe cially this year to ensure that Jewish Family Services is always here - in good times and bad - to help all those in need. What tremendous things we can accom plish as a community. On behalf of the troubled children, unem ployed breadwinners, survivors of domestic violence, those disabled, the frail and the elderly who will be helped, we thank you. ^ Mitzvah Maker It’s the Mah Jongg Cooks for November 2008 Fundraiser! Ann Abel, Come help support the Charlotte Jewish Day School’s Ein Gedi Special Needs Classroom! Linda Babich, Penny Eisenberg, Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009 Donna Emerson, Time: 9 AM-12 NOON Iris Friedlander, Where: Gorelick Hall in the Levine JCC Ruth Goldberg, Cost: $ 18 for breakfast and to play or leam how to play. Katherine Goldstein, All levels are welcome! Linda Isser, Please send in a check payable to CJDS by Claire Krusch, Friday, January 9 to Linda Levy, CJDS Roberta Malickson, Attn: Cheryl Slane Anita Shapiro, P.O. Box 79180 Marcia Stern, Charlotte, NC 28271-7059 Any questions, please call Cheryl Slane at 704-543-4271 Judi Strause JEWISH FEDERATION HONORS MAJOR DONORS The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte honored its major donors on Thursday, December 11th at a reception and dinner held at The Westin Charlotte Hotel. Linda Seigel, chair of the Major Gift Campaign, welcomed the guests and introduced the evening by saying, “Tonight we are here to kickoff our 2009 Campaign. The goal of the 2009 Campaign is $3,500,000 - a goal that the federation leadership feels is reflective of community needs in these difficult times. We know that we can only achieve our goal with the continued and generous support of our major donors.” The theme of the 2009 Annual Campaign is “You Are the Jewish Federation: Making the Personal Connection.” Speakers Julie Lemer Levine and Kevin Archer shared their personal stories as donors to the Jewish Federation and special guest speaker Andrew Klein, a native Charlottean who served in an IDF infantry unit, thanked the majors for their investment in him as a future leader of the Jewish community. Rabbis Cantor, Groner and Schindler all participated in the evening’s program. Major donors are those who contribute a minimum of $10,000 to the Annual Campaign. In 2008, 72% of the campaign dollars raised were contributed through the generosity of major donors. To leam more about how you can become a major donor, please contact Sue Worrel, Executive Director, or Sue Littauer, Development Director, at the Federation Office. Gail Baron and Stacy Gorelick. Alan Kronovet and John Baron Wayne and Amy Gould Guest speaker, Andrew Klein, with his parents, Paula and Richard Klein. Todd Gorelick and Rich Osborne Linda Seigel, Major Gifts Chair, speaks at the event. JEWISH^ FEDERATION 5 OF 5neATEn charlotte Local, Global, Eternal For more Federation news, see pages 2-6.