Irving Bienstock, in blessed memory, lived with a deep understanding of the moral imperative. He fled the Nazis, alone, at age twelve. He was uprooted first from his childhood home in Dortmund Germany, where he would never return, then from Amsterdam, the city he found solace in, which would soon fall to the Third Reich. He came to America, and then to Charlotte.
Mr. Bienstock knew what it was like to be a stranger in a strange land, so he did all he could to help others facing hardship and isolation. He gave to a multitude of community organizations, including Roof Above. He told his story to thousands of children across Charlotte as part of the Levine Jewish Community Center’s Butterfly Project, honoring the children of the Holocaust. Irving spoke out against discrimination. He funded a documentary about Gertrude Wijsmuller-Meijer, a Dutch woman who helped save his life, as well as the lives of over ten thousand other Jewish children during the Holocaust.
Mr. Bienstock passed away in 2025, leaving funds to create real, tactile change in his community, including a gift to Roof Above. Thanks to Mr. Bienstock’s generous estate gift, we can now perform renovations at the North Tryon Men’s Shelter that will create privacy and solace for shelter residents. A clean, safe place to put oneself back together is crucial for all who experience hardship, and all who come through our shelter doors.
With Mr. Bienstock’s memory, and gift, we are better able to honor and respect the sacredness and dignity of those we serve.