The Charlotte Jewish News- May 2026- Page 16
Mitch Rifkin and the Work of Teaching the Holocaust in North Carolina
By Elizabeth Johnson
Mitch Rifkin did not grow up learning about the Holocaust. Not in synagogue, not at home, not in school.
He grew up in Aiken, South Carolina, part of a small Jewish community of roughly 35 families, many of whom had emigrated from Russia in the 1930s. He became a bar mitzvah at Aiken’ s 102 Adath Yeshurun Synagogue and came of age in a segregated Southern town. When asked what kind of prejudice he experienced as a Jewish child, his answer is direct:“ None.”
He recalls a childhood filled with friends, school activities, and parents who taught him to“ understand and respect everyone.”
It was not until his sophomore year of college, in a World History class, that he first encountered the full scope of the Holocaust. The realization stayed with him. Over time, he came to understand why that history had been absent.
Mitch and Tilda Rifkin point to his grandfather, Effron, on Aiken’ s Jewish Merchant street sign, a tribute to the Jewish merchants who helped shape the city.
By Billie Anderson
Every bud that blooms this spring is like a love letter from the past, transporting joy through generations.
Few actions transcend time the way stewarding our Earth grants future gifts. This delight in life is contagious, spreading through our communities and the world in a way only accomplished by the first day of spring, the crunch of fall leaves, or the stillness that follows a North Carolina snowstorm.
As Rabbi Shira Stutman writes in“ The Jewish Way to a Good Life,”“ joy comes from being connected to all that is larger than you in the world”( 57).
When we plant trees, tend to the community garden in Shalom Park, participate in river cleanups, lobby for stronger environmental regulation, compost at both Temple Israel and Temple Beth El, and celebrate environmental joy, we are connecting with this omnipresent desire to ameliorate the world.
As Jewish mores are passed down l’ dor vador, from generation to generation, it is incumbent upon the teachers to demonstrate the myriad ways Jewish values and traditions are applied to all aspects of life, including the environment.
The application of bikur chalim, the mitzvah to visit and extend aid to the sick, seems especially salient in these times, when our Earth is experiencing climate change and environmental disasters. Visiting those who are sick takes one sixtieth of their illness away, yet never promises to heal them; so, too, our environmental actions can help take some of the Earth’ s illness away, even if it never fully recovers.
When we visit our community members who are ailing, we may offer comfort, sustenance, and relief. Likewise, we can apply these practices to environmental action:
● Extend our Earth comfort by returning places to their natural state, such as ceasing to remove the leaves in the yard during the fall, which gives natural species an opportunity to flourish.
● Provide sustenance by pouring resources into areas of need, such as adding natural woodchip mulch around the bases of trees to ensure the root systems are supported and water is properly dispersed.
● Demand less of our environment, such as collecting litter while on walks, to decrease the strain on natural waterways.
While none of these individual actions will absolutely heal the Earth, they can take a portion of the illness away. As teachers for the next generation of Jewish leaders, it is imperative to demonstrate the wide array of ways that Jewish principles can be applied.
Consider joining community-wide conversations to learn about creative discussion topics that may spark reflection. Anyone can visit the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library to read about the intersectionality of Jewish values with various subjects or, quite simply, participate in Shalom Green events to gain a new perspective.
Many of the Jewish families who settled in Aiken did not speak about what they had endured. Their focus was on building a life, earning a living, and providing for their families.
That absence would later shape his sense of responsibility.
Today, Rifkin serves as chairman of the North Carolina Holocaust Foundation, an organization founded in 1981 to bring the history of the Holocaust into North Carolina public schools and to confront antisemitism, racism, and bigotry through education.
He has held the role for the past nine years, following decades of leadership within the Jewish community, including more than 40 years as a member of Temple Beth El and a term as its president.
His introduction to the Foundation was straightforward. He was invited to join the Council by then-Gov. Mike Easley. The quarterly meetings in Raleigh offered a convenient reason to visit his daughter, who was then a student in Chapel Hill. But the work itself quickly took hold.
“ In my lifetime, I have been on many committees where I observed little progress or passion,” he said.“ Not so with the Holocaust Foundation.”
What he found was a group of volunteers, educators, and Holocaust survivors united by a clear purpose: to teach“ the values of diversity, pluralism, and inclusion.” He was, as he puts it,“ all in.”
Rifkin does not separate past from present. He acknowledges the persistence of antisemitism and the criticism of Israel and sees education as the most effective response. When he hears,“ You don’ t look Jewish,” his reply is immediate:“ Well, what does a Jew look like?”
Moments like that, he believes, are opportunities.“ We should all do our best to educate and stand up against discrimination of any kind.”
Over the years, it is the survivors who have left the deepest impression. Their perspective, he says, is marked by an enduring“ appreciation for life, the great American flag, and their dignity.”
When asked what the Foundation can do for them, their answer is consistent:“ Teach the children.”
And for Rifkin, that directive has become both a mission and a measure.
“ Today counts, tomorrow matters, and yesterday is understanding one’ s responsibilities to learn,” he said. He believes the lessons of the Holocaust, and of history more broadly, come down to a simple obligation: to do good and not to destroy one another.
In June 2026, Fred Valfer will succeed Rifkin as chair of the Foundation. A second-generation Holocaust speaker and current president of Temple Beth El’ s Brotherhood,“ Valfer,” Rifkin said,“ brings both capability and commitment to the role.” He hopes the community will offer him the same respect and support.
As he prepares to step away from the role that has held such significance for him, Rifkin expresses gratitude to those who have played instrumental roles in the work along the way.
“ To all my family, friends, donors, and organizations that have supported the Foundation’ s work and stood beside me across the years, I thank you deeply,” he said.“ And as I like to say, Shalom, y’ all.”
Bal Tashchit and Beyond: Environmental Action Embodies L’ Dor Vador
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