Federation's Annual Meeting Includes Major Announcement for 2023 Campaign

By Shira Firestone

Stakeholders in the Charlotte Jewish community gathered for the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s (JFGC) annual meeting on May 15. Representatives from local agencies, Federation donors, and interested community members came to hear a review of the year’s past accomplishments, plans for the upcoming year, and to vote on the slate of incoming board members.

President Risa Miller reviewed some of the most notable accomplishments in the past year, not only by the Federation, but in the Jewish community as a whole — acknowledging that none of the successes would be possible without the collective efforts and commitment of organization leaders, the Federation board, volunteers, staff, and generous donors.

With antisemitism at the forefront of the minds of many, Miller specifically highlighted the impact of Federation’s Outshine Hate initiative, launched in 2022. She shared that in its first year the initiative has led to: workshops and trainings for clergy, educators, professionals, lay leaders and community members to navigate and stand up to antisemitism; media outreach that has reached a combined estimated audience of 3.5 billion people; and professional development for educators and professionals from multiple Jewish agencies to assist them in incorporating Israel into their organizations’ programming, curriculum, and culture.

Sue Worrel, JFGC CEO, acknowledged the loss to our community in April with the passing of Leon Levine, who has served “as an anchor for so much of Jewish Charlotte over the decades.” She noted the legacies Levine left behind in the fields of medicine, social services, the arts, education, and more, but especially in the vibrancy, diversity, and advancement of Charlotte’s Jewish community.

However, the annual meeting is as much about looking forward as it is reviewing the past, so with great humility and pleasure Miller announced Federation’s first-ever $1 million gift from The Leon Levine Foundation. This $1 million gift stands alone as the largest single unrestricted operating grant that The Leon Levine Foundation has ever made, and the largest ever received by Federation.

This gift, Worrel noted, demonstrates The Leon Levine Foundation’s growing investment and confidence in Federation to ensure a continued upward trend for Jewish life in greater Charlotte. “This donation, and all the others before it, represents Leon’s legacy and his gift to all of us. It is his forever commitment to future generations of Jews and Jewish families, even while knowing that it will be one that he himself will never see fulfilled. It gives us great pleasure to know that Leon Levine will live on in the memories yet to be created here at Shalom Park and in Jewish spaces and experiences across our region.”

The annual meeting concluded with the evening’s featured guest speaker, Dr. Daniel Gordis, who joined via video presentation from Israel. Dr. Gordis is a Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. The author of thirteen books, he discussed his latest book, “Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders’ Dreams?.” Gordis provided a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country’s original aspirations and how it has fallen short.

The discussion reflected Federation’s strategic objectives of passionately educating the community about and connecting with the State of Israel. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit jewishcharlotte.org.