Donald L. Jacobs & Susan Sachs-Jacobs
While I was growing up, the happenings in the Charlotte Jewish community were always one of the main topics of table conversation at family gatherings. Long discussions about the temples or the Amity Club kept all the adults captivated. They talked about B’nai Brith, Men and Women, Hadassah, Federation, Sisterhood and the Men’s Club, the Temple Israel rummage store, the kosher butcher and every other aspect of Jewish life in Charlotte. I do not ever remember a time when the center of my world was anything other than what was happening on a daily basis in all of these organizations. This might sound like it would be dull and a burden, but nothing could be further from the truth.
I was so proud of my grandparents' and parents' involvement in our community. I loved to tell people that I was Blanche and Ben Jaffa’s granddaughter or Ben and Florence Jaffa’s daughter. They were dedicated to so many Jewish organizations and determined to make a difference by volunteering their time and leadership skills. They also pledged their resources to insure that their children and grandchildren would have the benefit of all of these agencies in the future.
Their efforts have paid off. The Charlotte Jewish community is thriving and remains stronger than ever. My parents, grandparents, and their generation helped to create a vibrant community and now my generation and future generations must join them to preserve and build upon it.
My life was blessed when I married Donald, a native of Detroit, Michigan, who immediately embraced all things Jewish in Charlotte and welcomed the opportunity to volunteer his own leadership skills and enthusiasm to many organizations in our community. Together, we have pledged our own time and resources to make sure that our children and grandchildren will continue to live in a thriving Charlotte Jewish community. For us, this means establishing endowment funds to supplement our annual giving. This will enable our gifts to work in the Jewish community in perpetuity when we are no longer here.
Our children will tell you that the family table talk at Shabbat, holidays or family gatherings has not changed much over time. It is our hope that they will take pride in their Jewish community and tell future generations of their family the importance of preserving and maintaining it for generations to come.
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