The Charlotte Jewish News - February 2015 - Page 13
J Street Comes to Charlotte
Over the past six years, J Street
has emerged as a national voiee
advoeating in Washington for the
United States to support a strong
and seeure Israel based on a two
state solution to the Israeli-Pales-
tinian eonfliet. Now J Street has a
presenee in the Charlotte region.
Leading the initiative to establish
that presenee is David de Groot.
In the 1970s and 1980s, David
lived in Israel during whieh time
he served in a tank unit in the IDF
and was ealled to a month of re
serve duty every year. David has
lived in the Charlotte area sinee
1991, with a two year interval
baek in Israel from 2001-2003.
“It was during my tours of duty
in the West Bank, ineluding the
towns of Flebron and Ramallah
and the surrounding villages that
I realized that a separation be
tween Israelis and Palestinians is
neeessary for the future of both
peoples,” he told an audienee re-
eently at Temple Beth El’s “The
Situation in Israel and What We
Can Do About If’ leeture series.
Beeoming aetive in J Street is a
natural ehoiee for David and those
who share his views, given J
Street’s eore prineiples:
1. We support the people and
the state of Israel and their right to
live in seeurity and peaee and to
defend themselves against those
who would harm them.
2. The future of Israel depends
on aehieving a two-state resolu
tion of the eonfliet with the Pales
tinian people.
3. The resolution of the eonfliet
requires serious and sustained US
leadership.
4. Israel’s supporters have not
only the right but the obligation to
speak out when we think the poli-
eies or aetions of the Israeli gov
ernment are hurting Israel’s and
the Jewish people’s long-term in
terests.
5. Vibrant and respeetful debate
about Israel benefits the Ameriean
Jewish eommunity and Israel.
6. It is both possible and neees
sary to engage in a warm relation
ship with Israel and to remain true
to the values we hold most dear as
Jews and as Amerieans - and on
whieh Israel was founded.
Of equal importanee is J
Street’s strong opposition to the
anti-Israel BDS (Boyeott, Divest,
J Street 7^
Sanetion) movement.
From its founding in 2008, J
Street now represents more than
180,000 online supporters, 8000
students, and 700 National Rab-
binie Cabinet Leaders.
Seott Broekman, J Street’s
Southern Regional Direetor was
in Charlotte twiee this fall to sup
port the regional initiative. The
first visit was a parlor meeting in
a private home with a eirele of
people wanting to advanee J
Street’s presenee in the region.
Among the dozen partieipants
were several Israelis now residing
in Charlotte, ineluding a veteran
of an elite IDF infantry unit; eom
munity leaders of Jewish organi
zations, ineluding Federation and
several eongregations; and aeade-
mieians. Seotf s seeond visit was
a presentation at Temple Beth El’s
leeture series where he deseribed
J Street’s history, ideology, and
plans for the future.
On the horizon is the J Street
annual eonferenee in Washington,
DC from Mareh 21-24. The list of
speakers ineludes Knesset
members, distinguished
seholars, and representatives
of Palestinian organizations
promoting peaeeful eoexis-
tenee.
The loeal organizers are plan
ning more eommunity-wide
events for the eoming months and
weleome suggestions and feed-
baek. Please eontaet David de
Groot (ddegroot0512@gmail.
eom) or visit the organization’s
web site, jstreet.org, if you want
further information or wish to get
involved. ^
25 Years of
Serving the
Carolinas with
High Quality
Storage and
Marina
Properties
uuujuj.m5tarproperties.com
Expanded and Upgraded Shalom Park
Conference Space Appeals to Area
Businesses
Business-minded event plan
ners now have more reasons to
seek out Shalom Park for their
next eonferenee, retreat or train
ing. The Foundation of Shalom
Park now is offering two new
eonferenee rooms, D117 and
D118, as additional spaee for
elasses, workshops, and meetings.
Eaeh of these rooms, whieh are
loeated in Building C, down the
hall opposite from the Levine-
Sklut Library entranee, is approx
imately 400 square feet, and will
aeeommodate approximately 20
people board style, 25 elassroom
style, and 30 auditorium style.
Both rooms also have dry erase
boards.
The Foundation also reeently
upgraded the FSP Board Room,
loeated off the Main Lobby in
Building A. This room seats ap
proximately 24 people board
style. A new 80” LCD HDTV al
lows direet laptop eonneetions for
PowerPoint presentations, thereby
eliminating the need for a separate
projeetor. Movies on DVD or
Blu-Ray dises may also be
viewed using the eonneeted Blu-
Ray Player. Users also may wateh
regular TV programs through the
eable TV eonneetion, as well as
eonneet to the internet. A wireless
mouse and keyboard make users’
presentations all the more profes
sional as the laptop no longer
needs to be direetly on the board
room table.
For events large and small, the
Foundation of Shalom Park sets a
high bar for faeilities serviee.
Says Buddy Layman, of the
Springs Village Homeowners As-
soeiation, “Based upon what I’ve
seen, your faeility is the best of its
kind in Charlotte. You do an
amazing job.” And that eommen-
dation is seeonded by numerous
area businesses, assoeiations and
edueational institutions, ineluding
Capital Business Solutions,
Medtronie, Ine., The Hartford,
Carolina Business Coaeh, Myers
Park High Sehool, North Carolina
Governor’s Sehool, Assoeiation
of Fundraising Professionals,
University of North Carolina Ae-
ademie Serviees, Charlotte Tennis
Assoeiation and many more.
For more information or to
sehedule your group’s rental of
eonferenee rooms or halls at
Shalom Park, please eontaet Jay
Parton, Operations Manager, at
704-944-6842, or jparton@
shalomeharlotte.org. Jay will
share with you the many Shalom
Park amenities available to make
your upeoming event a sueeess.
In addition to these faeility up
grades, the Foundation of Shalom
Park is proud to announee a new
24-hour dedieated Campus Seeu
rity Report Line. This line will be
manned by a Foundation seeurity
offieer on duty, and will be avail
able for on-Park seeurity issues.
During normal business hours,
please eontinue to eall the main
eampus number, 704-366-5007.
The 24-hour number is 704-287-
0527, and may be used to report
any unusual or suspieious aetivity
outside of normal business hours.
The mission of the Foundation
of Shalom Park is to manage the
faeilities and resourees of Shalom
Park on behalf of the eommunity.
Our staff we leomes your inquiries
and values your support. ^
Meg D. Goldstein
Attorney-At-Law
Estate Planning,
Estate and Trust Administration,
Pre-Marital Agreements,
Charitable Planning and Entities,
General Corporate and Tax Law,
Business Succession Planning
5960 Fairview Road, Suite 400
Charlotte, North Carolina 28210
Tel: 704.523.2202 ♦ Fax: 704.496.2716
MG0LDSTEIN@MG0LDLAW.COM ♦ WWW.MGOLDLAW.COM
Stick To Your
New Year’s Resolution
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Shalom Park
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