SPICE: A Legacy of Engagement and Growth for Temple Beth El's Senior Community
Founding of SPICE
In 2006, Rabbi Judy Schindler responded to the uptick in Temple Beth El’s senior population by organizing a Senior Task Force. The Task Force was to assess the needs of the senior community and ascertain what social, educational, and cultural programs might foster the goal of providing meaningful connections.
The Task Force conducted an intense listening campaign, including focus groups, telephone interviews, and mail and telephone surveys. As a result of this research, the Task Force recommended the formation of a group to be named SPICE, an acronym for Special Programs of Interest and Concern for Elders. The goal was to provide opportunities for seniors to gather, learn, interact socially, and perform Tikkun Olam and Tzedakah.
Establishment of SPICE Programs
SPICE created a charter and set up its governing body, known as the SPICE Committee. The Committee acted as a whole to chart a path forward. The first SPICE Committee invention was the creation of a program series to meet twice a month. Each event would follow the formula of a clergy presentation, lunch with socialization, followed by an outside speaker. Where possible, the clergy topic was coordinated to coincide with the topic presented by the outside speaker. This program formula became known as a SPICE-In.
Over the years, SPICE-In events have covered a broad range of subjects, including history, archeology, cooking, music, dance, weather, sports, and more. From time to time, SPICE has substituted the in-house program for a trip outside the Temple, known as a SPICE-Out. SPICE-Outs have included visits to museums, the theater, concerts, and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. One SPICE-Out traveled all the way to Israel for a two-week tour led by clergy.
SPICE and Community Outreach
Next, SPICE joined TBE’s commitment to support a local, Title 1 school – Sterling Elementary. SPICE’s initial role in this commitment was to raise funds for special programs desired by school staff. SPICE holds ‘SPICE Pot Luck Dinners’ in the fall and spring to raise funds for these staff initiatives. SPICE funds provide emergency clothing for the youngest students, summer reading materials, and dual language books to aid both students and parents in learning English. SPICE involvement has grown to include senior members of TBE tutoring Sterling students in math and reading.
As the Jewish population of Charlotte increased, so did SPICE. From attendance of 25 at early SPICE-In programs, participation has grown dramatically. Just prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020-2021, events would average 85 attendees, with over 120 in attendance at one particular program.
Over the years, SPICE-In events have covered a broad range of subjects, including history, archeology, cooking, music, dance, weather, sports, and more. From time to time, SPICE has substituted the in-house program for a trip outside the Temple, known as a SPICE-Out. SPICE-Outs have included visits to museums, the theater, concerts, and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. One SPICE-Out traveled all the way to Israel for a two-week tour led by clergy.
Growth of SPICE Programs
As SPICE has grown, it has continued to seek new ways of helping the wider Charlotte senior Jewish community as well as seeking to provide seniors with new opportunities to participate and engage. The next addition after the Sterling initiative was Sage, a one-year long, intensive study on a single topic or theme that meets once a month, led by senior clergy. Some of Sage’s themes have been Writing an Ethical Will, The Path from Temple Judaism to the Synagogue, and a two-year Sage culminating in the creation and presentation of a Confirmation-like Havdalah service.
Organizational Changes and Funding
By 2017, the governing Committee needed to be reorganized into a more formal structure, adding standing sub-committees for each function, including programming, Sage, and Sterling. Standing sub-committees were formed to address organizational functioning as well, like communications, finance, and general member engagement.
In its early years, SPICE was aided by grants from the Blumenthal Jewish Home (BJH) Foundation. In 2018, SPICE benefitted from the generosity of Andrew and Gwen Lindner, who made a significant gift to SPICE in setting up the Marshall Lindner SPICE Endowment. The annual drawdown from this Endowment enables SPICE to continue to bring programming and other benefits to the Charlotte senior Jewish community at substantially lower pricing to SPICE participants.
Senior-to-Senior Program
In 2018, SPICE began a new initiative: Senior to Senior, a program aimed at combatting loneliness and isolation in seniors by pairing seniors in need of companionship with volunteer friends. Partnering with Jewish Family Services, who provide training to volunteers, the volunteers meet face-to-face with their assigned senior at least once or, more often, twice a month.
Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic
The onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020 began an extremely challenging two-year period that saw a ban on face-to-face activities. SPICE met the challenge by moving to Zoom for programming events, changing the format to a single speaker (alternating between clergy and an outside speaker) followed by participants breaking up into randomly assigned “chat rooms” of five to six participants. Chat room discussions ranged from further discussion of the speaker’s topic to social networking and just keeping up with one another.
Resuming In-Person Events
In 2022, SPICE resumed in-person, SPICE-In programming at the Temple. As SPICE re-implemented its varied programs and initiatives, people began emerging from lockdown and re-engaging in social, educational, and social action activities. SPICE continues to grow and add functionality, such as implementing semi-annual food drives around Chanukah and Passover in conjunction with Jewish Family Services (JFS). SPICE-In attendance has returned to pre-Covid levels, promising continued growth and maintaining SPICE’s place as the premier organization supporting Charlotte’s senior Jewish community.
Acknowledgements
SPICE would not be possible nor successful without the active support and participation of Temple Beth El’s dedicated and creative clergy and staff as well as the Temple Board of Directors. SPICE is also indebted to Izzy’s Catering and its staff, who provide wonderful luncheons as well as main courses for potluck dinners.
SPICE Leadership and Future Growth
In late spring 2024, SPICE reorganized its Operating Rules to rename its governing body the SPICE Leadership Council (SLC) and denominate its operational groups as Teams. SPICE’s dynamic growth continues with a full set of programming scheduled for the 2024-2025 season.
New participants are coming to SPICE from a new generation of recently retired seniors. If you are 55 or over, please join us for our next SPICE event and get active by participating in a SPICE Team or joining the SLC. New ideas are always welcome!
