The Charlotte Jewish News - January 2024 - Page 11
Shalom Park DEI Committee Sponsors “Charlotte in Black and White” History Tour By Howard Olshansky, JFS Exectuive Director On November 3, close to 50 members of the Charlotte Jewish community participated in the program, “Charlotte in Black and White.” Sponsored by the Shalom Park DEI Committee, the experience is a program of Community Builders Initiative (CBI). CBI’s mission is to give people and organizations the knowledge, skills, and courage to fight bias, remove barriers to opportunity, and build a more equitable and just Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Since its inception in 2011, the CBI Bus Tours have offered an innovative, interactive method to illustrate Charlotte's history and explore how our past influences our present and future. Facilitated by Tom Hanchett, known as Charlotte’s community historian and author of “Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class and Urban Development in Charlotte,” the program included a presentation of the history and development of Charlotte through a racial lens followed by a bus tour of a historically racially divided city. Hanchett’s presentation and tour highlighted the laws and policies that led to Charlotte’s racial divisions, segregation, and lack of economic
sored by the Shalom Park DEI Committee including a program by Rabbi Minna Bromberg: “Belonging for Every Body: Fat Torah Workshops for Building Inclusive Spiritual Community.” Join Rabbi Bromberg from Israel via Zoom on February 4 as she guides us through fat liberation
Jewish Family Services Tributes November 2023 Tom Hanchett explains some of Charlotte’s racial history before leading bus tour around the city.
mobility. He also acknowledged ongoing progress, especially regarding affordable housing access. While the program covered well-known policies like redlining, it also unveiled lesser-known aspects. For example, the construction of Charlotte's highways created physical racial divisions, and the once predominantly Black community of Brooklyn in Uptown was demolished for urban development. These insights highlighted elements contributing to institutional racism in Charlotte and the nation. The tour also shared lighthearted details, such as the reason Charlotte's downtown is
Greenspon Center (Continued from page 8)
when people turn to hate, and urged the audience to check in with their friends, family, and acquaintances often. Following the presentations, participants enjoyed a light dinner and conversation about how they can each be an important piece in the puzzle to eliminate antisemitism. The discussion encouraged participants to understand and recognize that every single one of us plays a role in combating hate of all kinds by being intentional, recognizing our shared identities, and stopping the spread of false rhetoric. Sophie and Chava say the conference exceeded their expectations. “Our dream came alive that night in ways we couldn’t imagine,” said Sophie. “Almost every guest came up to us afterward to share how impressed and moved they were.” The most resounding feedback was “Don't stop here, keep researching, keep presenting, keep feeding this momentum.” Chava and Sophie plan to heed those words, and envision presenting their findings at an undergraduate political science conference and publishing their research in research journals.
in Jewish life. If you have ideas for the committee, contact Howard Olshansky at howard.olshansky@ jfscharlotte.org.
Chava and Sophie emphasized that their research findings go beyond statistics and include the human element. “Our research is not just about numbers; it’s about humanity,” said Chava. Attendees were offered stickers as mementos of the evening, each bearing empowering mantras such as 'Collaborate to eliminate hate,' 'Anti Hate Club,' and 'Be an upstander, not a bystander.' Sophie and Chava emphasize that combating hate demands collective action from everyone. They advocate that effective change doesn't necessarily require extreme activism; rather, it involves a readiness to embrace diversity and engage with people different from you. “We could not be prouder of Chava and Sophie,” said Judy La Pietra and Rabbi Judy Schindler, associate director and director of the Greenspon Center, respectively. “They have set the bar high for future Greenspon Fellows. The centerpiece of our organization is building capacity for combating hate. Chava and Sophie exceeded all of our expectations. We are excited for future Fellows to follow in their footsteps!”
termed "Uptown" because it is literally up a hill and early settlers going to Charlotte’s center would reference going “up to town.” This program is just one of many being sponsored by the Shalom Park DEI Committee. With representatives from many of the organizations on Shalom Park, the committee’s goal is to create a welcoming environment for everyone entering the Shalom Park campus. This can only happen if we introduce programs that create an understanding of diverse populations whether gender, disability, religion, race, or other differences. Look for future programs spon-
For a speedy recovery of Aimee Greenspon Stan Greenspon Keith Greenspon Stan Greenspon Fred Hirsch Stan Greenspon Fran Lyons Stan Greenspon Happy Anniversary Julie and Howard Levine Paul and Lynn Edelstein Happy Birthday Michael Goldberg Ruth Goldberg Steven Langman Ann Langman Harry Sparks Larry and Sara Sparks In Appreciation of Jill & Mike Dinerman Jackie Stutts Todd and Stacey Gorelick Stan Greenspon
In Honor of Rachel Green’s wonderful work Edwin Green and Barbara Pomer Harry Sparks Kevin and Amy Olson In Memory of Richard “Dick” Dunn Stan Greenspon Elliot Martin Eisenstein Dan and Nancy Coblenz Pola Goren and Family Philip and Lauren Stark and Hanna Adler Sydelle Farber Paul and Lynn Edelstein Stan Greenspon Gary Silverstein Zaydee Lopez-Ibanez Ruth Goldberg Elisheva Rose Ida Lubin Paul and Lynn Edelstein Richard Miller Stan Greenspon Cecilia Sharpe Eugene and Bonnie Musicus
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