Sharon's gifts will benefit Hadassah, KKBE, and Charleston Jewish Federation.
Sharon Hox
There are so many Jewish values: family, community, education, ethics, compassion for the vulnerable, love of man, sanctity of life, social justice. Each value has a lot of dimensions, but it’s the whole collection that helps people live lives of dignity, hopefulness, and goodness that inspires me.
I grew up incredibly poor in New York City. My mother, who worked in a factory and did manual labor most of her life, would come home exhausted and take care of my brother and me. Yet, she still had the energy to be an active member of her synagogue. The only way she could contribute was through volunteering her time and energy, and all of the love that she had. She couldn’t give money. She was remarkable and she set a model for me that stays with me today.
Before I moved to Charleston 22 years ago, I was never affiliated. I never joined any Jewish organizations, partly because I was always travelling for business, and partly because I didn’t feel a sense of community. I fell in love with KKBE, with Hadassah, and with Federation. These organizations have enriched my life and given me wonderful friendships. Because I have no kids, I looked around and decided that the legacy I can leave to the Jewish community, which is so important to me, is by making legacy gifts to these three organizations.
I joined Hadassah shortly after I moved to Charleston. The women here welcomed me and set up a board position that I could get involved in from anywhere in the world where I happened to be working. I have always had a love for Israel. I’m a Zionist, even though that’s a politically charged word; I believe the state of Israel has a right to exist. Hadassah created the medical infrastructure in Israel and is still actively involved in healthcare and women’s rights—they have done remarkable work. Hadassah has a piece of my heart.
My second organization is KKBE. I grew up in what’s called a conserve-adox synagogue. We had a rabbi who wanted to be an orthodox rabbi in a conservative synagogue. I was the first girl to be Bar Mitzvah’d there. I have a twin brother and my mother said, there’s no way that my son can have this Bar Mitzvah, and my daughter can’t. When I came to Charleston and attended service at KKBE, I fell in the love with the congregation. Rabbi Alexander is so gifted and she has brought a joy to worship, which I never expected. They are a long-standing congregation and I feel an obligation to help sustain KKBE into the future.
The third is Federation. Over the last decade I have seen a transformation as the Federation has reached into almost all of the Jewish organizations in Charleston as well as serving its other partner organizations. As a board member, I’ve had a chance to get to know the staff and to know more about Jewish Federations of North America and their reach. To be a part of that and to use whatever talents I have to help them be successful is important to me. I want to help see them into a long and prosperous future. Judaism is a very small part of the U.S. population, and those of us who believe in its importance have an obligation to do what we can for its continuity. Federation offers something to every person who is Jewish, whether they are affiliated or not.
– Sharon Hox