As part of our mission to serve North Carolina’s diverse Jewish communities the JHFNC has become a resource to help support contact and communication between all of our state’s Jewish congregations-- both new and established. In a custodianship role, we serve our mission by becoming a repository for prayer books, ritual objects, and sanctuary furnishings that might otherwise be forgotten in someone's attic or, worse, end up in a dumpster. Another part of our role is in helping congregations, especially newly forming ones, to locate and obtain prayer books and other sanctuary items.

Recently Elaine Millen of Havurat Tikvah, a newly formed Reconstructionist Congregation located in Charlotte, contacted Will Grossman, JHFNC Operations Director, asking for help to expand their set of chumashim. Will sent an email message out to the JHFNC’s statewide congregational database asking if any synagogues had extra copies that they might be willing to share.

We recently received this message from Elaine Millen,

"Wanted to tell you that our congregation was able to secure the required number of Chumashim that we were looking for in terrific order from the shul (Beth Israel) is Asheville that you recommended to us.  Although it took longer than we had hoped in getting them, we were, none-the-less, thrilled that they were able to accomodate us and in such a thoughtful manner.  We waited patiently while they became accustomed to their new Chumashim before they were ready to turn loose of the older ones.  We knew that when the time was right, it would be bashart.  Thanks again for being that fo-to-person who helped so many of us achieve our goasl and sustains our organizations/shuls, etc."