The Charlotte Jewish News- November 2026- Page 2 Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
From the Editor’ s Desk: Getting to Know a Community, One Deadline at a Time
By Elizabeth Johnson There is an unusual way to get to know a community intimately: edit its newspaper.
Each month, stories arrive in my inbox from nearly every corner of Jewish Charlotte. Some announce something new. Others document traditions that have been carried forward for generations. Some tackle difficult subjects. Others introduce us to people doing work their neighbors may never otherwise know about. Some offer recommendations for books to read, dishes to prepare or stories I should be covering. Others come with vibrant photographs I can’ t wait to publish across the pages of our paper.
My job requires me to read all of them. That sounds obvious. Of course, an editor reads every story. But there is a difference between reading individual stories and seeing them accumulate month after month. After a while, patterns begin to emerge. You notice things.
One of the first phrases I picked up when I moved to Germany more than 20 years ago was“ Pass auf,” or“ pay attention.” I heard it not in a classroom but while walking the two miles along the Rhine River to and from work each day in Düsseldorf. I had not yet acquainted myself with Germany’ s extensive cycling infrastructure, which meant I had an unfortunate habit of wandering into the bike lane.“ Pass auf!” a frustrated cyclist would call from behind, quickly alerting me that while I was taking in my surroundings, I had strayed into their path. There are more conventional ways to learn a language. Few, however, are
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Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Editor Elizabeth Johnson
Communications & Multimedia Manager Jessica Goldfarb
Marketing Operations & Social Media Manager Shelby Robinson
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Dylan Vander Velde
5007 Providence Road, Suite 101 Charlotte, NC 28226( 704) 944-6765 www. charlottejewishnews. org elizabeth. johnson @ jewishcharlotte. org
The Charlotte Jewish News strives to be the leading source for news and features of special interest to the local Jewish community, to highlight the voices and stories that reflect the diversity of Jewish life in Charlotte, and to communicate the mission, activities, and accomplishments of Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and its partners.
The CJN does not assume responsibility for the quality of kashrut of any product or service advertised. Publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate, political party or position by this newspaper, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, or any of its employees. Articles submitted by individual agencies bearing their logo are reflective of the opinion of that agency.
Published monthly except July
NEWS as effective as repeatedly being told what the ignorant American is doing wrong. But the phrase stuck and I began to pay attention.
I’ ve had an eye for detail since I was a little girl. I suspect I inherited it from my mother. She likes to tell the story of how, at 2, I could recall what she had worn for her last dinner party, what she had cooked and who had been there. I like taking things apart, asking questions and identifying what others might overlook. I find myself doing a different version of that now. So much happens in Jewish Charlotte without great fanfare. A neighbor spots something that needs doing and quietly steps forward. A congregation tries something new. A teacher finds another way to reach a student. Someone turns a personal experience into an effort that helps others. Organizations with sometimes very different missions find themselves working together toward a common goal.
You also observe the harder things. Antisemitism is no longer an occasional subject in these pages. Neither are conversations about Israel, security or the challenges facing Jewish institutions. A community newspaper should not turn away from those stories. They are part of the record, too. Yet they are not the whole story. That may be what has struck me most during my time as editor of The Charlotte Jewish News. No single story, organization or event can capture Jewish life in greater Charlotte. You must read the individual accounts closely, then step back to determine what they reveal together.
There are rabbis and educators in our publication, but also artists, students, business owners, volunteers, florists, travelers, cooks, book lovers, musicians, gardeners, children, parents and grandparents. We feature couples and friendships that began on this very campus. There are people who have lived here for generations and others who have just arrived. There are stories rooted deeply in Jewish tradition and some about people finding their own ways into Jewish life. We mark major moments and preserve the smaller ones that might otherwise disappear.
When I took on this role, I wanted The Charlotte Jewish News to help readers get to know the people around them. That meant looking beyond event announcements and asking more questions. Helping people tell stories they might not know how to put into words has been one of the most gratifying parts of the job. Teaching myself InDesign through YouTube tutorials so I can lay out the paper each month has given me a whole new appreciation for the minutiae. But that is a story for another day.
Preparing the editorial calendar is work I especially relish. I love nothing more than reaching out to contributors with a theme and hearing what it brings to mind for them. Their responses often take the paper in directions I hadn’ t anticipated. I also draw on my years in public relations and communications to seek out stories, interview people, and write pieces of my own. Sometimes a passing comment is enough to make me think,“ There’ s a story there.”
I have come to appreciate how that work also creates a record of who was here, what mattered to them and what they chose to build. Years from now, someone reading these issues will know what Jewish Charlotte was talking about in 2026. They will understand what concerned us and what we celebrated. They will read about the organizations we built, the questions we wrestled with and the people who gave their time and talent to this community. They will find page after page of proud, smiling faces.
And they will see things we probably do not recognize as history yet. That is one reason I believe the smaller stories matter as much as they do. Not every contribution to a community comes with a title. Not every act of service happens on a stage. Not everything worth remembering feels momentous while it is happening. Sometimes you only see it when you put all the stories together.
I spent 22 years in corporate America, much of that time working in executive communications, and for years, the work felt like what I was supposed to be doing. The past year and change as editor of The Charlotte Jewish News has introduced me to an unexpected calling. At least for this chapter of my life, telling the stories of greater Charlotte’ s Jewish community is exactly where I am meant to be. I am fiercely proud of what The Charlotte Jewish News has become and the stories we are telling.
Leading this newspaper gives me the privilege of paying attention every day. I get to see Jewish Charlotte through dozens of organizations, schools, workout classes, events, congregations and people. And perhaps those German cyclists were onto something: Pass auf.
The longer I do this job, the more I find myself drawn beyond the submission in front of me. A quote makes me want to call someone and hear more. A photograph reveals a detail I might otherwise have missed. Someone pops into our office to say hello and asks,“ Elizabeth, did you know …?” Those treasured discoveries help shape the stories we publish.
This November, I am especially grateful for this work, the people I am getting to know through it and the loved ones I get to share my life with. Above all, there is my darling daughter, Lucy, who has her own way of keeping me on my toes and making sure I’ m paying attention.
As I shared last month, we spent her fall break in New York. When I asked where she wanted to go, her answer was immediate:“ Girls Weekend 2026 in the city.” And how could I argue with that?
Walking some 23,000 steps a day, we visited her go-to playgrounds in Madison Square Park and Little Italy. For breakfast, we ventured to our beloved spot in the West Village to pick up everything bagels loaded with schmear and lox. Around snack time each day, we stopped for a hot, cheesy slice. Per her orders, we found gelato somewhere downtown every day. We also took the train to Williamsburg one afternoon to have her ears pierced.
But the moments that stayed with me arrived, surprisingly, when we stopped walking. Lucy is learning to read in first grade, and there were words everywhere: street signs, subway advertisements, storefronts. We paused while she sounded them out. When she was uncertain, her little hand reached for mine, squeezing it three times to say,“ I love you.” I have visited New York more times than I can count, but this was my favorite adventure yet. I loved exploring the city with her and seeing it through her bright, curious eyes. And I loved those pauses even more.
Wishing you and yours a November filled with the very best of company and halcyon moments worth remembering.
Elizabeth Johnson, Editor The Charlote Jewish News