Sol ז״ל Levine
Judaism has always played a significant role in my life. I grew up in Bayonne, NJ where my parents owned a grocery/soda shop and made Judaism part of our everyday lives. My grandfather was a rabbi who often took me to services with him. Being with my grandfather and watching him in shul had a tremendous impact on me; he planted the seeds of my lifelong love of Judaism.
During World War II, I was stationed in Goldsboro, North Carolina and met my wife Shirley in Raleigh. We married in 1944, just before I was shipped overseas. After the war, I returned to Raleigh and went back to school to earn my law degree from Duke University. We moved to Charlotte in 1948 to begin my law practice. From the time we arrived in Charlotte, we were involved in building the Jewish community. The development of strong Jewish institutions was very important to us. We contributed our time and financial support to the development of Temple Israel, the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Cemetery, and Federation.
Shirley passed away in 2000 after teaching in our Religious School for over thirty years. The Shirley Levine Religious School Teacher Education Endowment Fund was created to recognize Shirley’s dedication to teaching. Her love of Judaism and her zest for teaching impacted the Jewish lives of the many children she taught, including our three sons, Miles, Eric, and Jon, and several of their children. While our daughter Risa never had the opportunity to learn in Shirley’s classroom, she had the pleasure of learning from a mother who took daily joy in her commitment to Judaism.
I take great pride in having served on the Boards of many different Jewish organizations in Charlotte and was one of the original members of the Amity Country Club. I used to joke that I had served as President of every Jewish organization in Charlotte except Hadassah – and I loved doing it. I am honored to be a lifetime President of Temple Israel and a lifetime board member of the Levine Jewish Community Center.
Judaism teaches us the importance of giving back to the community. I have lived my Jewish values my entire life through my gifts of knowledge, energy, and commitment to the Jewish institutions I wholeheartedly believe in. I want to be sure that these institutions remain strong and are there to serve my children, grandchildren, and future generations of Charlotte Jews.
ז״ל Of Blessed Memory
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