Photo submitted by Kendall Chew
“Fundraising is my niche,” said Joel Rotenstreich, “and I’ve learned that with fundraising, family, and business, you accomplish more face-to-face.”
When Joel, a board member at the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center (BHEC) and Mountain Brook resident, agreed to co-chair the BHEC’s annual fundraising efforts in 2016 and again in 2017, the organization learned firsthand the amazing results his “face-to-face” approach can produce. When Joel is passionate about a cause, he is very compelling, and the BHEC has been the grateful recipient of the fruits of his passion for Holocaust education.
On August 19, the BHEC will honor Rotenstreich at the eighth annual L’Chaim (“to life”) event at the Alys Stephens Center.
“The work of the BHEC is very close to my heart,” Joel said. “We need more teachers teaching kids what it means to be courageous and to speak up if they see something that’s not right.”
Education, social justice and interfaith unity have been driving forces in Joel’s years of community involvement, and he has served on the boards of numerous organizations over the years. Joel conceived of the Anne Frank Tree project for Birmingham. He was campaign chair and president of the Birmingham Jewish Federation. Joel served three five-year terms on the Mountain Brook Board of Education and was president from 2000 to 2002.
Introducing the wonders of the land of Israel to others has been another ongoing passion for Joel. He and his wife Bunny have led 22 group trips to Israel, including seven interfaith/interracial study missions. In all, more than 600 local clergy, educators, city and county officials, community leaders, friends and neighbors have experienced Israel through the interfaith study missions led by the Rotenstreichs, whose love for the land is deep and profound.
This year is especially appropriate for Joel to be the BHEC’s L’Chaim (”to life”) honoree. Jewish tradition assigns numerical values to the letters of the alphabet, and the Hebrew letters that make up the word chai (“life”) add up to 18. This number is considered a charmed or blessed number, and gifts of money are often given in multiples of 18. Joel’s love of life and heartfelt gratitude for his blessings and opportunities make chai — 18 — especially meaningful for the BHEC’s 2018 L’Chaim honoree.
Please join the BHEC at the Alys Stephens’ Jemison Concert Hall on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 2:30 p.m. for L’Chaim 2018. Tickets are on sale now at www.bhecinfo.org.
Submitted by Kendall Chew.
