Vol. 40, No. 9
Tishrei-Cheshvan 5779
October 2018
A Taste of Israel: A Special Event with Jewish Federation’s
Women’s Philanthropy
Thursday, October 18 at 7 PM in
The Sam Lerner Center for Cul
tural Arts at Shalom Park
2017 James Beard Foundation
“Outstanding Chef’ Michael Sol-
omonov and James Beard award
wiiming restaurateur Steve Cook
put Israeli food on the American
culinary map. As they launch
their brand-new cookbook, Israe
li Soul, they’ll join us for a savory
conversation about their path to
success, how they choose to give
back, and, of course, how they
landed on the perfect hummus
recipe.
Enjoy wine and light hors
d’oeuvres from their latest cook
book, which will be available for
sale that evening, while learning
more about the impact of Wom
en’s Philanthropy in Charlotte.
Tickets are $36 and can be
purchased online at www.jew-
ishcharlotte.org. To learn more
please contact Tair Giudice, Di
rector of Education and Engage
ment, at tair.giudice@jewishchar-
lotte.org or 704-944-6759. ^
Michael Solomonov and Steve
Cook.
wp
;;^WOMEN’sH
W PHILANTHROPY
Inspired by our tradition of
tzedakah(righteousness/charity)
and tikkun olam (repairing the
world), the Jewish Federation’s
Women’s Philanthropy is dedicat
ed to the continuity, connectivity,
and thriving future of our Char
lotte Jewish community, Israel,
and the Jewish people.
Ten Years of Soaring to New Heights
As the Levine JCC Butterfly
Project reaches its 10th aimiver-
sary milestone year, its achieve
ments and goals for the future
continue to soar higher. We will
celebrate our success on Sun
day, October 14 and will feature
Charlotte Ballet choreographer
Jeanene R. Perry’s ballet, “Good
night Day,” which was inspired by
our workshop. We hope that you
will be able to join us, enjoy the
performance, and hear Jeanene’s
story of how her son’s profound
reaction to the workshop he at
tended through school motivated
their family to learn more about
the Holocaust and ultimately in
spired Jeanene to choreograph
the ballet - performed by dancers
who subsequently participated
in a Butterfly Project workshop
themselves. Note that seating will
be limited, so we strongly encour
age you to register early for this
free event.
During the 2017-18 school
year, we celebrated the comple
tion of the Margaret and Lou
Schwartz Butterfly Garden Holo
caust Memorial with an inspiring
film event, initiated a multi-year
effort to create a streaming, virtu
al workshop offering for schools
too far from Shalom Park to at
tend a traditional on-site work
shop, and continued to provide
impactful educational workshops
to almost 6,000 participants aimu-
ally. Over the past ten years, we
have educated just under 35,000
participants - 17% of the world-
ON BHOldVHO
soil #J.midBd
aivddovisod sn
aisidsdd
pejsenbey eoiAjeg eflueno
9ZZ8Z ON ‘sHOIJBMO
21,1,# aims ‘peoy eouepiAOJd Z009
wide project’s total.
However, statistics oifly
scratch the surface of our story.
The Butterfly Project’s real suc
cess is in the depth of the im
portant lessons we provide and
the heartfelt, insightful reflection
cards that our participants write.
Reflections such as from 14-year-
old Sasha, who wrote, “Through
this trip, 1 have learned to open up
more to acceptance, because even
though 1 am different, 1 some
times can discriminate. 1 will,
from now on, never discriminate
on another solely on who they are.
This experience has changed me
greatly. Thank you.” And, from
13-year-old Josh, who wrote, “1
thiiik that even though we live in
a world full of hate, evil, and vi
olence, somewhere in the eye of
this great hurricane, there is hope,
joy, and love for everyone. The
problem is getting there. And the
Butterfly Project is bringing us a
step closer.”
The Levine JCC Butterfly Proj
ect began in 2008 with a small
group of dedicated and passionate
volunteers who had learned about
the worldwide project begun by
the San Diego Jewish Academy.
The project’s goal is to paint 1.5
million ceramic butterflies world
wide in memory of the 1.5 million
children who were killed during
the Holocaust. During the next
few years, om volunteers took
butterflies and some short lessons
into Charlotte area classrooms
and other community organiza
tions. In May of 2011, the Mar
garet and Lou Schwartz Butter
fly Garden Holocaust Memorial,
containing approximately 2,800
ceramic butterflies, was dedicat
ed on Yom HaShoah - Holocaust
Remembrance Day.
In November of 2011, the
greatly enhanced Levine JCC
10|
YEARS
2008-201S
The Levine JCC
Zlkaron v'TIkvah
Remembrance and Hope
Butterfly Project Workshop was
brought home to Shalom Park.
Multiple days a week, busloads
of students from public and pri
vate schools in Mecklenburg and
surrounding counties attend a
two and one-half hour field trip.
During that time, the students
hear the experiences of Holocaust
survivor Suly Chenkin or Irving
Bienstock, participate in an inter
active, multimedia exercise using
the Anti-Defamation League’s
Pyramid of Hate, paint a ceramic
butterfly memorializing a specific
child who perished in the Holo
caust, and visit the Margaret and
Lou Schwartz Butterfly Garden
Holocaust Memorial.
Our effectiveness has not gone
mmoticed. Teachers have been
re-emolling their schools for the
coming year at an unprecedented
rate, and we have received ex
tremely positive teacher
feedback and touching
student reflections. The
Butterfly Project has also
been fortunate to receive
grants from the Jewish
Federation of Greater
Charlotte and the United
Way of Central Caroli-
nas.
The Levine JCC But
terfly Project is so very
grateful to all who make
this effort possible. These include
the teachers who bring their stu
dents to us, our approximately 50
active, dedicated volunteers and
staff who work countless hours
to produce the workshops, and
our wonderful donors without
whom we could not achieve these
outstanding results, all of whom
should feel tremendous pride in
what we are accomplishing to
gether.
To ensure your spot at our free
10-year armiversary celebration
on October 14, please register at
the LJCC Customer Service Desk
at 704-366-5007. For more iirfor-
mation about the workshops or to
volunteer, please contact Lori Se-
mel. Butterfly Project Supervisor,
at butterflyproject@charlottejcc.
org.
Jewish Federation
,,, fir ^11 jcwisii xciacimiuii .u
OF GREATER CHARLOTTE
^T^ederation surpasses goal an
ACHIEVES HIGHEST ANNUAL CAMPAIGN EVER!!
Thanji YOU to all our donors for your continued su^m
Together, we are powerful! ^ ‘ ''
for the Jewish Federation’s Annuai Listing of Dofi^'rs