The Charlotte Jewish News- May 2026- Page 18
Expanding Impact: The Stan Greenspon Center Announces Independence from Queens University of Charlotte
By Mary Eshet
For 10 years, the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center( SGC) has served as a cornerstone of the Charlotte community, operating from its home at Queens University of Charlotte. At this time, the SGC has worked tirelessly to establish a robust Jewish life program at Queens University of Charlotte, advance social justice, provide vital education about the Holocaust as well as antisemitism, and combat hate in all its forms.
Now, in a move that represents both a strategic realignment as well as a historic leap forward, the SGC and Queens University of Charlotte have worked together to establish the SGC as an independent, tax-exempt, autonomous organization.
“ This moment reflects how far the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center has come,” said Stan Greenspon, the SGC’ s founder.“ It will allow the organization to focus fully on Holocaust education and combating antisemitism while pursuing the ambitious goal of establishing a permanent Holocaust Museum of the Carolinas.” A Foundation of Growth
Reflecting on this milestone, Judy La Pietra, Director of the SGC, said,“ As we embark on this historic journey, I am filled with profound gratitude for the donors and supporters whose generosity has fueled our mission from the very beginning. We are deeply appreciative of our partnership with Queens
By Michael Murra
This past winter, Yoav Berman, a 21-year-old Tel Aviv native, was the best guard in the city this side of Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore led Queens University to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament last month after a pair of upset victories in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in Jacksonville.
Berman, who grew up playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, has since entered the transfer portal, but his two seasons in the Myers Park-based campus will be remembered in the city’ s athletic lore.
Other Charlotte area universities have made the NCAA D-I, including UNC Charlotte, Davidson, Campbell and Winthrop. Queens made the D-II Final Four twice before leveling up to Division I four years ago.
University of Charlotte, which provided the crucial foundation we needed to grow. While we value our shared history and ongoing partnership, independence creates new opportunities for the center’ s next chapter. This shift will position us to meet increased demand for our educational resources, dream bigger, reach further, and ultimately realize our vision of a world-class museum for our community.”
This transition is a strategic step, shaped by planning that was already underway prior to the announced merger of Queens University and Elon. It gives the SGC greater flexibility to respond to increasing demands and pursue its mission without institutional constraints. The demand from schools, students, educators, and the community has grown exponentially in the past few years:
• Historically, the SGC offered two to three professional development opportunities for educators per year. Last school year, the SGC hosted 10; this year, they have already hosted 15. Educator reach doubled from 2023- 2024 and has now more than doubled again, from 2024-2025, reaching nearly 1,000 educators in 2025-2026.
• In 2024-2025, the reach of the SGC’ s in-school programming more than doubled and is on track to outpace that reach this year. The SGC now reaches 5,000 students each school year, with demand exceeding the center’ s current capacity.
Queens University opened as Charlotte Female Institute in 1857 and began admitting male students 89 years later when it was Queens College. One of its most famous alumni is Jayson Alexander( the NASCAR driver, not the“ Seinfeld” actor).
Berman chose the Royals over more established programs, such as 2025 Champion, Florida, and Illinois, which made the 2026 Final Four.
As a freshman, he was the team’ s third-leading scorer with 8.2 points per game, despite starting just four of 35 games. He helped the team reach the postseason College Basketball Invitational( CBI) postseason tournament where they defeated Northern Arizona but lost to Cleveland State.
This past season, he earned Second Team All-Conference Honors as the second leading scorer for the Royals( 21-14)
• Graduates of the SGC’ s Certificate in Holocaust Pedagogy program have become increasingly in high demand since its pilot cohort four years ago, with three prominent national institutions using them for fellowship teams this year alone. Next year’ s cohort is already full, with an extensive waiting list.
As an independent organization, the SGC will focus on strengthening its collaborations with esteemed national and international partners, including Brandeis University, ADL, Yad Vashem, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Gratz College, and others to advance its educational mission. The Vision: A Museum for the Carolinas
Central to this next chapter is the goal of establishing the Holocaust Museum of the Carolinas. Independence will allow the SGC to launch a capital campaign dedicated exclusively to this effort, ensuring that every dollar raised goes toward the creation of this community legacy.
The SGC is also doubling down on its commitment to vital programming, such as teacher certifications, school outreach initiatives, and antisemitism education. The demand for these programs has grown rapidly as the center’ s reach expands. Continued Collaboration
Although the formal link between Queens University of
with 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 36 assists while starting 30 of the team’ s 35 games. He scored a career-high 24 points in a game against Eastern Kentucky.
Of the more than a dozen Israeli basketball players playing American college basketball, Berman was clearly among the top five.
Berman played especially well in the conference tournament for the third-place Royals with 13 points and eight rebounds in a 90-83 victory over second-place Austin Peay.
In the conference championship game, Queens took on regular season champion, Central Arkansas, led by a Jewish head coach( John Shulman). Berman finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 98-93 overtime win over the Bears.
The victory in Jacksonville
The Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center team: Katie Cunningham, Director of Education, Terri Eberle Katz, Director of Development, Mary Eshet, Communications Consultant, Judy LaPietra, Executive Director
Charlotte and the SGC will change, the partnership endures. The SGC is positioning its growth to be community-driven, nationally credible, and firmly aligned with its mission to honor history and empower individuals to confront hate in all forms.
Jewish life across the Queens University campus, including a robust Hillel chapter, continues to thrive under the leadership of Andy Harkavy, full-time director of Jewish Life, and the advisory role of Rabbi Judy Schindler. In addition, the Social Justice and Community Organizing certification, which began at the SGC, continues under Rabbi Schindler’ s leadership at Queens.
“ While these programs are no longer under the SGC, we look forward to staying connected
Israeli Helped Queens Make Charlotte Sports History
and partnering in the future,” said La Pietra.“ Together, these parallel paths reflect a shared commitment to education, community, and the enduring work of building a more just and informed society.”
For more information, please visit stangreensponcenter. org. Additional updates about community engagement opportunities will be shared as the SGC moves forward.
Yoav Berman of Queens Univerity dribbles upcourt during game action.
set up a“ Meet Me In St. Louis( Israeli Basketball Version)” Mayer, who looked up to Ber-
Aviv native.
last month as Berman and the man for several years, prevailed 15th seeded Royals faced Big that day as the Boilermakers Ten Tournament Champion Purdue, the second seed, and Purdue 71.
ended the Royals’ season, 104- guard Omer Mayer, a fellow Tel