Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s 2023 Main Event will take place on Thursday, January 19 at 7 p.m. at Temple Israel. Co-chairs David and Julie Sheffer are excited to announce that we will welcome Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of “ABC News Nightline,” Juju Chang as our featured speaker. Her topic will be “50% Korean. 100% Jewish.” That’s how Jew by Choice Chang describes her three sons with her husband Neal Shapiro. Their blended cultures share a reverence for education, a powerful immigrant experience, and sadly, a history of persecution, discrimination, and scapegoating in the United States. In this highly personal talk, Juju shares her journey to Judaism and Jewish identity and discusses the historical parallels between Asian hate and antisemitism. She calls for the two communities to become allies against the rising forces of hate in our country.
Chang has leveraged her platform to become a much-admired champion of social change. She made U.S. broadcast history co-anchoring the 2021 “ABC News Live” special, “Stop The Hate: The Rise In Violence Against Asian Americans,” alongside fellow Korean-American co-anchor Eva Pilgrim and a cast of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) journalists, thought leaders, lawmakers, and celebrities. Chang also reported from the scene of the mass shootings at three Asian-themed spas in Atlanta, co-anchoring the “ABC News 20/20” special, “Murder In Atlanta.”
Chang’s highly visible reporting on Asian hate is the culmination of decades of covering everything from natural disasters to terrorism, mass shootings, immigration, violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, and, most recently, the inequities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Known for her in-depth personal narratives and long-form storytelling, Chang has won acclaim for stories with underlying themes of civil and women’s rights and social justice. Internationally, Chang has been a powerful voice on gender-based violence.
In addition to reporting, Chang has profiled newsmakers like Oprah Winfrey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg; entertainers such as Tom Hanks, Chris Pratt, and Nicki Minaj; and social media moguls Kendall Jenner and Dude Perfect.
An ABC News veteran, Chang joined the network as an entry-level desk assistant in 1987 after graduating with honors from Stanford University. Prior to her current roles at ABC, she was a producer for “World News Tonight,” a co-anchor on the overnight show “World News Now,” and news anchor for “Good Morning America.” Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Emmys, Gracies, a duPont-Columbia, a Murrow, and Peabody Awards.
The Main Event is Federation’s largest community fundraising event. A successful Main Event will accelerate Federation’s 2023 Annual Campaign into high gear and will benefit every aspect of our Jewish community. The Sheffers are eager to share remarks with the community about the the impact of the dollars raised though Federation’s Annual Campaign. Both are long-time volunteers in our community and Julie is currently a member of Federation’s Board of Trustees as well as major gifts chair for the Annual Campaign.
Attendees at the Main Event will have the opportunity to make their pledge to the 2023 Annual Campaign. Tickets are $36 and are available online at www.jewishcharlotte.org or by phone at 704-944-6757.
The mission of Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is to raise and distribute funds to support and enrich the lives of Jews locally, nationally, in Israel, and worldwide. Through education, planning, and community building, Federation’s mission ensures that Jewish values, goals, traditions, and connections are preserved for current and future generations.
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