The Twelfth Annual Spring Lecture sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte was held on Thursday, April 22nd and featured Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein, authors of Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited.

The event was chaired by Amy Augustine who led a very talented and dedicated team of volunteers which included Jill Dinerman, Debbie Freedman, Jill Halverstam, Dana Kapustin, Linda Seigel, Aviva Stein, Roz Snyder and Robin Zimmerman. The committee not only worked on the overall planning of the event, but also on engaging corporate and individual sponsorships.

Many thanks go to our Corporate and Individual Sponsors. $2500 Sponsors:
Plate Perfect Catering
Reid’s Fine Foods

$1500 Individual Table Sponsors:
Amy Augustine and Liz Winer
Dana Meiselman and Jenny Meiselman
Linda Seigel
Aviva Stein

$1,000 Sponsors:
Greeenfield Integrative Healthcare, PLLC
REACH – Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte

$500 Sponsors: ArtShots Photography
Carolinas HealthCare System
Creative Events
John Ric Hair Spa
Laxer, Long and Savage
Luna Homes
North Carolina National Bank
Perfect Image Printing
Polka Dot Bakery
Via Veneto Shoes and Clothing

Amy Augustine welcomed over 300 women who attended the dinner held in the Sandra and Leon Levine Social Hall at Temple Israel. The room was beautifully decorated in turquoise and purple by Creative Events, and the delicious dinner was catered by Plate Perfect Catering. Reid’s Fine Foods generously donated all of the wine for the event. The audience was filled with women of all ages and in all stages of their lives. Many thanks go to the 32 table captains for all of their efforts!

To honor our speakers, Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein, identical twins separated at birth and reunited at age 35, “Stand Up for the Federation” was presented by twins or mothers of twins. Many thanks to our speakers Tammy Cohen, Sarah Kaplan, Dana Kapustin, Elise Kosofsky, Maxine Silverstein, Amy Sobel and Debra Van Glish.

A very moving introduction of the speakers was presented by Bobbi Bernstein who said: “My name is Bobbi Bernstein and many of you know me through my involvement with The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte for the past 30 plus years. What many of you don't know; however, is that I have a very personal connection to the Federation, having adopted my twin sons, David and Daniel, and later my daughter, Leslie, through the Chicago Jewish Federation's Jewish Children's Bureau. In fact my identical twin sons were born the same year as our speakers, Paula and Elyse. When I read "Identical Strangers," I felt the chilling realization that their story could have been ours. If the philosophy of separating twins had prevailed in Chicago, we would never have known the immeasurable joy of raising our twin sons. More importantly - the boys would have lost their "other half" - the bond between them was that strong.”

The evening concluded with a dessert reception featuring a spectacular display of cupcakes by Polka Dot Bakery, and a book signing with the authors who warmly chatted with many twins, mothers of twins and women who were captivated by their story.

As each guest exited the Temple, they picked up a goody bag filled with promotional items provided by each of our sponsors.

If you would like to get involved or share ideas for the 13th Annual Spring Lecture, please contact Sue Littauer, Development Director at the Jewish Federation, by calling her at 704-944-6758. 

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is to raise and distribute funds to support and enrich the lives of Jews locally, nationally, in Israel and worldwide. Through education, planning and community building, the Federation’s mission ensures that Jewish values, goals, traditions and connections are preserved for current and future generations.