CJN May 2026_online | Page 2

The Charlotte Jewish News- May 2026- Page 2 Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

From the Editor’ s Desk: The Season of Gathering

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The Charlotte

JEWISH

7:51 PM 7:57 PM 8:02 PM 8:08 PM 8:12 PM

Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

Editor Elizabeth Johnson

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.

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

By Jessica Goldfarb

In Hebrew, the word am( עם) means people. It is a simple word, only two letters long, but it carries one of the biggest ideas in Jewish life.

More than a nation, more than a community, more than a group with shared beliefs, am describes a people bound together by history, responsibility, and a sense that no matter where we live, we belong to one another.

The root of the word does not point to geography or politics. Instead, am is about connection. It describes a collective identity that stretches across generations and continents, linking Jews who may never meet but still see themselves as part of the same story. Throughout Jewish history, this idea has helped our people endure, reminding us that we are never alone.

One of the most familiar expressions of this idea is Am Yisrael Chai – the people of Israel live. These words have been spoken in moments of celebration and in moments of fear, in times of rebuilding and in times of uncertainty.

Another phrase that builds on the same words is Am Echad, Lev Echad – one people, one heart. The power of this expression is not that we always agree, but that we remain part of the same people even when we see the world differently.

The word am also appears in one of the most meaningful lines of Hatikvah, Israel’ s national anthem: Lihyot am chofshi b’ artzeinu – to be a free people in our land.

Taken together, these phrases show the depth of what am really means. A people who live. A people with one heart. A people who seek to live in freedom. Each expression reflects a different part of the same idea: Jewish identity has never been only personal. It has always been shared.

That understanding is at the heart of Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’ s work every day, which exists because we see ourselves not just as individuals, but as part of an am.

When we support Jewish education, strengthen security, stand up against antisemitism, celebrate Israel, or care for those in need, we are acting on the belief that the well-being of one part of the Jewish people affects us all.

The idea of am reminds us that community is not something that happens by accident. It is something we build together.

The word itself may be small,

There was always something on my mother’ s table. Not elaborate, not announced, but there. A bowl of freshly cut papaya with a squeeze of lemon. A pot of tea. A loaf of homemade banana bread, still warm from the oven.

I’ ve come to understand that feeding people is its own kind of language. One I learned without realizing it.

And May, in many ways, is a month built around that same instinct to gather.

It arrives not quietly, but all at once. The days are growing longer and warmer. Gardens are beginning to bloom. Calendars fill. Invitations stack. Caps are ordered, gowns pressed, tables set.

We automatically move from one moment to the next, often without pausing long enough to take in what is actually happening: a season of transition, of pride, of reflection, and, in many ways, of becoming.

In Jewish life, we understand milestones are never just personal. They are communal. A graduation is not simply a student crossing a stage, but the visible expression of years of guidance, sacrifice, and love. A child’ s success also belongs, in part, to parents, teachers, mentors, and a community that showed up, again and again.

Mother’ s Day, too, carries a similar quiet complexity. It is a moment of gratitude, certainly, but also one that holds many layers. For some, it is a day of celebration. For others, it is tender, even difficult. Jewish tradition, with its deep reverence for honoring parents, reminds us to approach the day with both appreciation and sensitivity, recognizing that every story is different.

May is also Jewish American Heritage Month, an opportunity to reflect on the enduring contributions of Jewish individuals and communities across our country.

Here in Charlotte, that story is not abstract. It is living, visible, and ongoing. It is found in classrooms and sanctuaries, on stages and ballfields, around Shabbat tables, and within the countless organizations that passionately sustain our incredible community every day. It is built and bolstered through leadership, philanthropy, and the steady commitment to show up for one another.

And then there is Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder that strength is not measured solely by what we achieve, but also by how we care for ourselves and each other along the way. In recent years, we have begun to speak more openly about mental health, moving away from stigma and toward understanding. That shift matters. It allows space for honesty. It encourages connection. It reinforces something essential: that no one should have to navigate life’ s challenges alone.

What ties all these moments together is a single, enduring idea: We do not move through life in isolation. Our lives are shaped, supported, and at times carried by the people around us.

This issue of The Charlotte Jewish News reflects that truth. It captures a thriving community in motion, celebrating its graduates, honoring its mothers, telling its stories, looking out for one another, and continuing to build a future rooted in both tradition as well as care.

As always, thank you for being part of it.

Elizabeth Johnson Editor The Charlotte Jewish News

The Power of Words: Am

but its meaning is vast. Wherever Jews gather, wherever we support one another, wherever we say am with pride, the same truth is being expressed: we are part of one people, with one shared past, one shared responsibility, and one shared future.