The Charlotte Jewish News- September 2026- Page 2 Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
From the Editor’ s Desk: The Judaism I Am Still Discovering
For much of my life, the High Holidays could be measured in food. There were my mother’ s horseradish brisket and her sweet-and-sour beets, a dish so beloved it earned a second annual appearance at Thanksgiving. There were apples dipped generously in honey and, of course, the smorgasbord of all my favorite foods including chicken liver pate, everything bagels, lox, plain cream cheese, thinly sliced red onions and the endless bowls of capers, that marked the end of Yom Kippur.
Some traditions, apparently, are hereditary. Lucy eagerly anticipates our annual break fast with friends who have become family, usually announcing in advance precisely how many bagels she intends to eat. And as a self-proclaimed lover of anything with sugar, she approaches apples and honey with focused enthusiasm. By the time she is finished, the apple, her hands and usually a good portion of her immediate surroundings are sticky with delight.
Her understanding of the Jewish calendar remains somewhat less traditional. She is staunchly convinced that Chanukah, not the High Holidays, is Judaism’ s most important holiday. No amount of explanation has persuaded her otherwise. But alas, she is young yet.
I grew up with a strong cultural Jewish identity, but my understanding of Judaism and its many dimensions has deepened considerably over the years. Some of that has come through watching Judaism through Lucy’ s eyes, from her experiences
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But over the past year, another teacher has entered my life: this community. Becoming editor of The Charlotte Jewish News has given me the extraordinary access to countless individuals whose experiences, traditions and perspectives continually challenge me to look at Judaism, and sometimes the world around me, differently.
It has also staunchly reinforced what I envisioned this newspaper could become when I accepted the role: not simply a source of information, but a publication that connects and strengthens our incredible community.
That has been particularly apparent while preparing this High Holiday issue. I have loved reading the reflections our clergy contributed to“ From the Bimah.” While each approaches the season through a different lens, common threads emerge: reflection, responsibility, forgiveness, renewal and the choices we make about how we move through the world.
Their personal perspectives have caused me to stop, reconsider some of my own assumptions and think more deliberately
about the year ahead.
And perhaps that is especially important this year. The world around us can feel divisive, exhausting and, at times, overwhelming. We cannot control all of it. But Judaism reminds us that we are hardly powerless within it.
We can perform a mitzvah. We can help a friend. We can greet a stranger with a smile. We can choose kindness when it would be easier not to. We can be more thoughtful with our words and more generous with our time. None of these acts will single-handedly repair the world, yet each has the potential to transform someone’ s day. And collectively, they can continue to shape the kind of community in which we want to live.
I hope you recognize familiar faces within these pages and discover new ones. I hope you feel proud of what is happening around us, inspired by the people making it happen and motivated to find your own place in what comes next.
As for me, I enter this new year grateful that my understanding of Judaism continues to evolve, for the privilege of telling the stories of our community and, yes, that the High Holidays still taste a little like my mother’ s brisket and sweet-and-sour beets.
May the year ahead give all of us plenty to celebrate, reasons to gather and opportunities to make someone else’ s world a little better. And, according to my Lucy, plenty of bagels.
L’ Shanah Tovah
Elizabeth Johnson Editor The Charlotte Jewish News
The Charlotte
JEWISH
Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Editor Elizabeth Johnson
NEWS
Sr. Communications Specalist Jessica Goldfarb
Social Media Manager Shelby Robinson
Director of Marketing 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.
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CELEBRATING THE HIGH HOLIDAYS ACROSS THE GREATER CHARLOTTE AREA
SEE PAGES 28 & 29 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS
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