The Charlotte
JEWISH Vol. 43, No. 11
NEWS
Cheshvan-Kislev 5782
November 2021
Behind the Badge of Shalom Park Security: Security Fund Supports Comprehensive Program By Shira Firestone A well-planned and implemented security program and well-trained security team are critical to the health and vitality of any Jewish community of any size. But for a large, multi-building campus like Shalom Park, the challenges, efforts, and cost are greater than with most. A 54acre campus that serves as the center of Jewish life in Greater Charlotte, Shalom Park is the largest Jewish communal environment in the country. The Foundation of Shalom Park is the nonprofit agency that owns and manages the properties and facilities for most of the organizations that are located on Shalom Park, including the Levine Jewish Community
Center, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, Jewish Family Services, Charlotte Jewish Day School, Charlotte Jewish Preschool, and many more, and provides security and safety support and training for Temple Israel and Temple Beth El. Each year at this time, the Foundation asks for the support of the community it protects to contribute to the Shalom Park Security Fund. To meet the security needs of such a large complex, Shalom Park Security has developed a professional security team comprising retired (CMPD) officers, military veterans, and corporate security professionals. They are visible whenever you visit the Park — for work, school, recreation, or worship. But to ap-
Director of Safety and Security Michael Philbeck and Security Supervisor Officer Merrill Hunter
preciate the significance of their impact and the importance of the security fund, it is necessary to
understand the unseen responsibilities and efforts of the security team — a look beyond the uni-
forms and badges. There’s no doubt that the physical safety of everyone on the Park from outside threats is a critical piece of what they do. This is particularly challenging as incidents occur with little or no warning and at non-standard times. For this reason, they coordinate closely with the Charlotte Mecklenberg Police Department (CMPD), Department of Homeland Security, Joint Terrorism Task Force, and FBI, staying abreast of potential threats and gathering intelligence. They also provide bomb threat, hostage, and active shooter training to all agencies on the Park. (Continued on page 3)
JCRI’s 4th Annual Welcoming the Stranger to the Table Will Focus on Local Afghan Resettlement by Amy Lefkof A perfect storm: a pandemic, a shortage of low-income rental housing, and the arrival of evacuated Afghans needing a place of refuge. In the coming months, Charlotte will be one of six North Carolina cities to resettle Afghans, many of whom are coming under the umbrella of “humanitarian parole” rather
than with refugee or SIV status. And many of these Afghans at the time of lease signing will be unable to show proof of income three times the rent and will have no credit history and no social security number. Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency (CRRA), a local affiliate of HIAS (formerly known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid
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Society, established in 1881), one of nine national resettlement agencies in the United States, has over the last 25 years resettled almost 5,000 individuals here in Charlotte and supported thousands of other new immigrants. Now CRRA will have the Herculean task of quickly resettling between 20 and 25 Afghan refugee families (its counterpart, the Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, will have a similar caseload) during a pandemic and shortage of low-income housing. (Continued on page 3)
A family evacuated from Afghanistan is led through the arrival terminal at Dulles International Airport in the Washington, D.C., area to board a bus that will take them to a refugee processing center, Aug. 25, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/ Getty Images)
Look Inside...
For a RecorD BreAkinG CamPaIgN 2 21 Unite With Light & Music Charlotte Jewish Unity Concert Page 14
Community Hanukkah Calendar Page 20
Jewish Federation 2021 Donor Listing, Begins on Page 21
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