The Charlotte Jewish News- October 2026- Page 4 Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
A New Center for Israel Takes Shape
Continued from page 1
Noam Buskila performing our community-wide Yom Ha’ atzmaut celebration on April 22
planned for 2027, each offering a different way to experience the country.
In March, JFGC is partnering with Birthright Israel on a volunteer mission for adults ages
30 – 50. Participants will work alongside Israelis on volunteer projects while also spending time in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, southern Israel’ s kibbutzim, the Nova Festival site, and Hadera, Charlotte’ s partner city. The experience is designed to offer a closer look at Israel through both service and the people and communities shaping life there today.
Then, in the fall, an adult-oriented mission will explore Israel through politics, food and wine, arts and culture, history, and firsthand perspectives on recovery and renewal following October 7. The journey will span Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and northern Israel, with conversations and experiences designed to offer a deeper look at contemporary Israel beyond a traditional sightseeing trip.
The timing of the Israel Center’ s launch is significant. Israel remains deeply personal to Jewish Charlotte, through the Jewish people’ s historic and spiritual connection to their homeland, the Israelis who are part of this community, and the many Charlotte families with relatives and friends there.
At the same time, the past several years have underscored the importance of creating opportunities not only to support Israel, but to know it: to encounter its people, understand its complexities, experience its culture, and develop relationships that extend beyond any single moment or issue. That relationship can be shaped by history and faith, but also by a conversation, a friendship, a language, a trip, a celebration, or a new perspective.
The Israel Center will create space for all those connections, making Israel a deeper and more dynamic part of Jewish life in greater Charlotte. With its official launch this fall, that work is only beginning.
For more information about the upcoming event, the Israel Center developments, and our missions please visit www. jewishcharlotte. org, follow @ jewishcharlotte on social media channels, or subscribe to JFGC’ s newsletter.
From Local Impact to Statewide Action: Federation’ s Jewish Community Relations Council to Expand
By Jessica Goldfarb
The challenges and opportunities facing Jewish communities do not stop at city lines. Neither do the relationships, partnerships and collective action needed to address them.
Over the past two years, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’ s( JFGC) Jewish Community Relations Council( JCRC) has seen that play out in real time. From helping advance the Shalom Act to building the N. C. Jewish Coalition and expanding Outshine Hate, some of the JCRC’ s most significant work has depended on communities across North Carolina coming together around shared priorities.
Those successes also pointed toward what could come next.
Federation is now expanding the reach of its JCRC to the state level, creating a more coordinated approach to Jewish advocacy, education and community relations across North Carolina. The initiative will connect Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and Jewish community partners across the state, creating the infrastructure to share expertise, strengthen relationships, coordinate action and respond collectively when challenges arise.
The expansion builds on the foundation established in Charlotte, where JFGC has developed an experienced JCRC and strong relationships with lawmakers, educators, school districts, civic leaders and community partners. This work is made possible in part by our community’ s generous gifts to the Outshine Hate additional giving initiative.
Douglas Greene, who has led JFGC’ s JCRC as Jewish Community Relations director, will take on the newly created role of statewide director of Jewish community relations.“ For years, we’ ve believed that when Jewish communities work together, our reach and our impact multiply,”
ISRAEL CENTER
Douglas Greene, statewide director of Jewish community relations Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte said Greene.“ This new role lets us turn that belief into infrastructure, creating real coordination between North Carolina Jewish communities. Together, we can respond faster, teach more broadly, and speak with one voice when it matters most.”
This first-of-its-kind statewide collaboration structure is about recognizing that what happens beyond greater Charlotte has an impact here too. Stronger partnerships across the state mean more voices behind shared legislative priorities, greater reach for educational efforts, more resources and expertise to draw from, and a stronger network ready to respond to antisemitism and other challenges.
At the same time, Federation is expanding its capacity at home. A new JCRC associate director will report to Greene and focus on greater Charlotte, helping deepen the relationships and local initiatives that remain at the heart of the JCRC’ s work.
What began as collaboration around individual issues is becoming something larger: a statewide network built to make each participating community stronger. For Jewish Charlotte, it means the experience and relationships built here can have an impact across North Carolina, while the strength of communities across the state can, in turn, strengthen the work happening here at home.
JCRC