Temple Solel Appreciates Jewish History

Charlotte Jewish News June 2021

By Shelley Pawlyk

I felt like S.S. St. Louis survivor Sonja Geismar was reaching into my soul when I heard her tell the 7th grade class of South Carolina Gold Hill Middle School, “Be an UPstander not a BYstander.” She went on to provide a recent example: “You can be like the 17-year-old who recorded the video that was used as evidence in George Floyd’s murder trial. She was an upstander. We must be upstanders to change history.”

It was an honor and a privilege for members of Temple Solel to attend this dialogue facilitated by the school with special guest Robert Krakow, creator and producer of the documentary called “Complicit.” Krakow tells the powerful true story of the German transatlantic liner the S.S. St. Louis that sailed from Hamburg, Germany, in May 1939 to Havana, Cuba, carrying 937 passengers, nearly all of them Jewish refugees. The ship was not allowed to land in Cuba , the United States, or Canada. By not accepting those Jews, the film notes, the U.S. and other countries indirectly sanctioned Hitler’s later actions in widespread murders. “Many, many thousands of lives could have been saved,” Krakow said, “had Roosevelt offered the refugees a safe harbor.”

One of the students asked a follow-up question, “What can kids do to stop oppression?” Eva Wiener, also a survivor, answered this way: “Stand up for what you think is right; be against antisemitism, bullying, hate, and prejudice. Everyone who stands up is meritorious. If not, you are complicit, and it won’t make the world a better place. Be aware of history and realize social media can spread false information. Don’t be swayed by propaganda.”

Robert Krawkow stated, “The St. Louis played out before the world, and there are moral lessons and consequences for our actions with far-reaching implications today.” Krakow went on to explain the generations of people affected by what happened, like those murdered upon returning to Europe who could have been saved by the countries that turned Jews away.

Several weeks prior, I received a phone call from Sam Bernstein, chief development and marketing officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, who asked whether I knew about the synagogue that was in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in the 1990s. Neither of us could find more information about it, so I contacted the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina (www. https://jhssc.org/). My contact there did not have history about the synagogue; however, I was invited to attend its South Carolina Historical - Documenting Synagogues meeting.

Sam Gruber described how critical it is for us to tell the story and why the synagogues are important, to get a sense of the place, doing photography, and seeing from the perspective of congregants and the leaders. Another member, a photographer, is scheduled to travel to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and other locations. This will ensure the history of Jews in our state and congregational legacies are documented.

We are also planning to bring in a virtual genealogy speaker as a follow up to one session we sponsored prior to the pandemic. If you are interested, please contact us via our website and direct your inquiry to Helaine Yancey.

I’ve talked about history, but I would be remiss not to mention the present day. Temple Beth El’s organizers did a wonderful job hosting “From Social Distance to Social Justice — Using the Lessons of 2020 to Work for a Better Charlotte,” which had almost 150 temple members who reflected on the events of the past year. The purpose is to bring people together to start the process of healing.

History isn’t just the past; it is present and future. We are the only ones who can remember, protect, listen, and stand up so our Jewish community not only survives, but also thrives. Young students like those at South Carolina Gold Hill Middle School, many not Jewish, as well as the survivors who spoke to them, have set a beautiful path before us. Solel means “pathfinder,” and that’s exactly what we want to be: “Upstanders, not bystanders.” Let’s all set a goal to create change and influence wherever we can — relentlessly, passionately, and by adding kindness to this powerful version of virtual Jewish penicillin, aka chicken soup.

Temple Solel is in the process of gaining approval to start socially distanced services again this summer. In the meantime, Temple Solel holds regular Shabbat services at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of each month via Zoom and hopes to resume services soon at Belair UMC Family Life Center, 8095 Shelley Mullis Rd., Fort Mill, SC 29707. For more information, visit www.templesolelSC.org, write us at info@templesolelSC. org, or call (803) 610-1707.