ABOUT US
Intimate, welcoming and involved.
At Temple Emanuel you’ll feel at home
We’re small enough that everyone knows your name, close enough so we’re just a short drive away, and serious about advancing Jewish learning, raising new generations of Jewish children and helping to repair the world around us.
Come to a Friday evening service and someone is sure to reach out and greet you. We offer you an unconditional welcome, regardless of your Jewish experience or level of observance.
We are proud of our diversity, including interfaith families, people of color and Jews from the Hispanic world. We reach out to support members who are economically stressed. Our Temple is a founding member of The Trialogue, members of the three Abrahamic faiths working together to foster better community relations. In addition, we’re a supporting congregation of the Crisis Assistance Ministry of Christians and Jews, helping families facing economic hardship.
And…we’re growing! We’ve added over 20 new families and individuals in the past six months, and more are on the way. Perhaps, including you.
An historic Southern Jewish community
One of the South’s oldest synagogues outside a big city, Temple Emanuel was founded in 1913 by Jews attracted to Gastonia by its burgeoning textile industry. Some became successful mill owners. Others were merchants catering to the textile families and businesses.
By 1929, they raised enough funds to erect our handsome building. Equal in size and stature to established local churches, the Temple, proudly topped by a Star of David, was a symbol of Jewish strength in the face of the rampant anti-Semitism of the era.
Almost as soon as the building was finished, the Great Depression hit. The Temple would have lost its home, were it not for the grit of these pioneering Jewish families who freely volunteered their services and whatever cash they could spare in those difficult times.
Today, much of the textile industry has moved overseas and the founding families have dispersed. But the Temple is growing once again, thanks to the Jewish professionals and executives relocating to the Charlotte area and living in the attractive communities to the west of the city.
Leadership
President
Board Members
Alphabetical by Last Name
Peter & Barbara BlaU – MARKETIng & communications (shared seat)
Janet epstein – Past president
MARK EPSTEIN – MEMBERSHIP CHAIR / OUTREACH
BILL GROSS – RITUAL CHAIR
DEBBYE LUSTIG – SECRETARY
Bill Marx – At large
SUZI NASH – ACTIVITIES CHAIR
Andy OsbornE – At large
DALE SANTAY / RHODA VERhOSEK – RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CHAIR (SHARED SEAT)
SAM SHAMES – VICE PRESIDENT / SECURITY
GLENN SILVERMAN – FINANCE CHAIR / Operations
Sara tomchin – Treasurer
YA’AqOV WALKER – AT LARGE
Rob Weiss – Facility chair
Here are faces you’ll see on the bimah at Temple and in other member-facing roles (alphabetical by last name).
Spiritual Leader Emeritus
Charlie Brown
Charlie recently retired from over 20 years of conducting weekly services, but continues to lead our High Holiday observances. Although not an ordained rabbi, he’s a dedicated Torah scholar and follows a long tradition of lay-led services at Temple Emanuel. A clinical psychotherapist, Charlie has a PhD from Duke University, an MA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia, and a BA in Literature from Yale.
Membership Chair / Outreach
Mark Epstein
Mark is responsible for recruiting and welcoming new Temple members, co-leads our Adult Education program with Bill Gross, and periodically leads Friday night services as well. A dedicated scholar of Jewish history, he has led recent seminars on the the history of the Israel/Palestine conflict and on the theological differences between Judaism and Christianity. Mark is a veterinarian and senior partner at TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals. He earned his DVM degree from the University of Georgia and his undergraduate degree at NC State University.
Ritual Chair
Bill GROSS
Bill’s responsibilities include organizing services, recruiting clergy and maintaining our stock of religious texts. He also leads Friday night services as one of a rotating group of lay leaders. Finally, he co-leads our Adult Education program with Mark Epstein. Holding a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and a BA from SUNY Cortland, Bill is retired from the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services, but continues to consult in his field.
Adult Hebrew Educator
Bill MarX
Bill’s students include members who want to read Hebrew prayers for the first time, as well as those who did learn for their bar or bat mitzvah but lost proficiency over the years. He’s also one of the lay leaders on rotation to conduct Friday night services. A writer and editor by profession, Bill has worked for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Sporting News and NASCAR and is currently employed at the Compass Group.
President
Stephanie Rauch
A lifelong member, Stephanie is the granddaughter of one of the Temple’s founding families, Frank and Sadie Goldberg. She’s also the daughter of our oldest living congregant, Senator Marshall Rauch, who recently celebrated his 101st birthday. Stephanie has her Ph.D. from UNC Charlotte and is a licensed mental health counselor. Her BA is from the University of North Carolina where she played varsity tennis and won an ACC doubles championship. She is a member of the Gaston County Hall of Fame for having earned a world ranking in singles and doubles for tennis.
Board Member at Large
YA’aqoV Walker
A recently ordained rabbi and member of the Temple, Ya’aqov leads services periodically in addition to hosting special events such as a day-long Shabbaton attended by Black Jewish families from across the Eastern US. Ya’aqov is also founder/CEO of Informative Technologies, Inc. and earned a Computer Science degree from Western Governors University following his undergraduate studies at NC State University.
Religious School Director
Morah Rochelle WILENSKY
Morah (Hebrew for teacher) Rochelle leads a religious school that children truly love, and which has become a key point of attraction for young families to our Temple. Joining us in 2018, she has an MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BFA in theater from Boston University. Rochelle also has extensive experience in the nonprofit world, having served at major Jewish and non-sectarian social action organizations.
