In Hebrew, each letter corresponds to a number. The letter bet represents the number two which is the anniversary the Stan Greenspon Center is celebrating this Fall. The Hebrew letter bet has great symbolism. It is the first letter of the Torah as in the word bereishit meaning “in the beginning.” It is the first letter of the word brachah which means “blessing” and opens most words of Hebrew prayer.
Two weeks ago, the Stan Greenspon Center celebrated its second anniversary. We are taking this fall to reflect on our beginnings and to reflect on our blessings. We have learned a lot and grown over the past two years, and we are looking forward to an incredible year ahead.
This is also an opportunity for us to thank all of you who have supported us during our inaugural years. We could not have achieved this success without you.
In the spirit of our second anniversary, I would like to highlight two remarkable programs and initiatives that go hand in hand.
On December 13, 2018, we will be hosting a reading of an original play written by Charles LaBorde, directed by Dennis Delamar and produced by Three Bone Theater – all luminaries of the Charlotte theater community. The script, adapted from Dr. Susan Cernyak-Spatz’s autobiography Protective Custody PRISONER: 34042, captures riveting experiences of her Auschwitz-Birkenau internment as well as the eventual liberation of this well-known Charlotte Holocaust survivor. The evening will celebrate all of our Charlotte community’s more than three dozen Holocaust survivors and the successes of our first two years. Please save the date and plan on joining us for refreshments following the reading. The second anniversary celebration is made possible through the generosity of Pinnacle Financial Partners and the support of Jewish Family Services of Charlotte.
As we know, sadly, we are losing many of our survivors—and with them, we are losing the firsthand recollections of their experiences. It is our responsibility as a community to capture their testimony and become their voice when they are no longer with us. Time and time again we hear from our educators that the most impactful programs involve hearing from a witness. Short of not being able to hear from the survivors themselves, we are creating an opportunity to hear from their descendants, of which I am one. All four of my grandparents are survivors.
The Stan Greenspon Center, in partnership with the Museum of Jewish Heritage, A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, is thrilled to offer their Heritage Testimonies® Program here in Charlotte starting in November 2018. With the trained help of the Greenspon Center staff, participating second and third generation descendants will create presentations that can be used to help school groups and other audiences connect with the history and messages of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel said, “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” The Greenspon Center is honored to be part of keeping the message of the survivors alive for future generations. For more information, or to apply to this program for second and third generation descendants, please contact Talia Goldman at goldmant@queens.edu. Space will be limited and there will be an application process.
Comments
I would like to make a reservation for the Dec 13th event. Please contact me to confirm a reservation.
Susan Weiss
Ffirst@aol.com
704-817-8565
Thank you
Hi Susan,
To register, you can visit https://connect.queens.edu/attend/GreensponCenterAnniversary?fbclid=IwAR3M4sJ83HnVizDIXetHzvWeAsFsdsix1Gqypjqag9sQXSRWa0Qa97k6nVY If you need further assistance, please email me at tarneyd@queens.edu