Charlotte, North Carolina native Jeri Gertzman discusses her life as a member of Charlotte's Jewish community. Recalling the community as small and close-knit, Ms. Gertzman reminisces about her childhood religious education at Temple Israel during the 1940s and 1950s, Jewish youth organizations, and annual celebrations. She recalls the importance of Jewish women and their organizations in their many roles as civic leaders, volunteers, and role models in both their temple and community. Ms. Gertzman discusses discrimination that Jews faced in Charlotte, and she discusses Jewish organizations, such as the Amity Club, reexamining and eliminating their own exclusionary practices. Likewise, she recalls antisemitic comments and attitudes during the mid-twentieth century and ways that her Jewishness set her apart in school. Ms. Gertzman also shares her family's experiences with the Holocaust during World War II and remembers the creation of Israel.
