We're Asheville's only independent egalitarian Jewish community. More than 100 years old, we’re rediscovering ourselves every day. We love pot-lucks, swapping stories and kids in the sanctuary. Sometimes we sing off key. We learn and laugh together, celebrate and care for each other. Interested in joining? Click here.

CBI 3rd Annual
Golf Classic

Friday, June 16, 10am
at Cummings Cove Golf
and Country Club
Details and RSVP here
Rabbi Mitch Levine
Rabbi Mitch Levine: Office phone (828) 252-9024, email rabbi@bethisraelnc.org
CBI is thrilled to have Rabbi Mitchell Levine as our spiritual leader. Rabbi Levine started on July 1, 2021. He and his wife Alison, also a Jewish educator by profession, moved to Asheville from Columbus, Ohio. Rabbi Levine has had a rich and diverse career as both a pulpit rabbi and Jewish educator. Born and raised in Raleigh, Rabbi Levine most recently served as Rabbi of Agudas Achim in Bexley Ohio, a position he held for 10 years. Prior to that, he served as the Rabbi at Beth Sholom in Providence, RI where he also served as rabbinic associate at Brown University Hillel and taught at the Providence Hebrew Day School and New England Academy of Torah High School. In addition, he has studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Learning, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Harvard Jewish Theological Seminary, the reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and was a Fellow at the Day School Leadership Training Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
"I deeply appreciate the empowerment and support I feel from the CBI leadership to forge our own path, one that is consistent and true to our family without being led to feel like our Judaism is lacking." - Ali Climo
This is Us
We're a blended family. Old and young, Jews by birth and Jews by choice; from L.A., Miami, Atlanta and Brooklyn - London, Johannesburg and places with names too hard to pronounce. We celebrate together: single moms and newly retired couples, inter-faith and inter-racial families. And all of us - observant, secular and agnostic - find common ground in community.
"For the first time in my life, I find myself yearning to go to shul." - Rochelle Reich
This is what we're up to...
This is what we're talking about...
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Friday Noon Study Group March 17 12-1
Last Friday, we continued our discussion of the Epistle of James with a look at Chapter 1:22-27 and Chapter 2. In the concluding verses of the first chapter, James advises us to “look into the perfect law [later called the “royal law,” the law of compassion] and to be not only hearers (who may forget) but “doers who act.” James clearly seems to be emphasizing the importance of action here–caring for widows and orphans, keeping oneself “unstained”–as opposed to simply proclaiming one’s faith. Our group spent some time discussing some of the ways we can act–rather than just paying lip-service to action.
Chapter 2 of the Epistle opens with a caution about judging people based on their wealth, advice that harkens back to the suggestion in Matthew suggesting that the poor shall be heirs to the Godly Kingdom. The heart of this chapter then focuses on the significance of performing good works to go along with any declarations of faith. According to James, “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead,” that faith is “brought to completion by the works,” and that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Our group spent a good amount of time talking about how various denominations have chosen to unpack these statements:
-
Some Christian denominations believe in a doctrine of salvation by faith alone (sola fide): “we are accounted righteous before God . . . by faith and not for our work or deservings (Book of Common Prayer). Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone.
-
Some denominations believe that good works are an inevitable consequence of good works; they are evidence of true faith. “Faith, given time and opportunity, will result in good works” (United Methodist Doctrine). The suggestion here is that faith and good works should be perceived as a single unit.
-
Within Judaism, there is a concept that good works precede faith: when receiving the Torah at Sinai, the Israelites said, “We will act and we will hear” (i.e., understand/believe). Right belief may lead to right action, but right action is ultimately more important.
Needless to say, our discussion last week was quite rich.
This Friday, we will probably conclude our study of James’ Epistle of James with a consideration of Chapters 3-5. These are shorter chapters, but we won’t rush through our discussion and if we need an extra week to conclude we will take it.
Our discussion group meets via Zoom every Friday from 12-1 (see the CBI web site or Weekly Announcements for a Zoom link). All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous Friday study group sessions.
Starting on April 7, the Friday Noon Study Group will begin discussion on a new topic: Rabbi David Cooper’s God Is A Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism. This book may be purchased through a variety of internet resources. Stay tuned to this web site for more details in the weeks to come.
Join us for Shabbat morning services in-person or via Zoom every Saturday morning at 9:30am.
Join the Zoom service by going to Our Virtual Community page here, then scroll down and click on the blue Saturday Morning Service button.

Join us every Saturday at 6pm for havdalah ritual followed by intuitive artwork creation! The individual and collaborative pieces we make together will be part of a Shavuot art display on our “collective revelation” this Spring. Bring your own art supplies/project or just show up! !
Organized by Tikva Wolf (text her with questions: 919-5-TIKVAH).

Friday Noon Study Group March 17 12-1
Last Friday, we continued our discussion of the Epistle of James with a look at Chapter 1:22-27 and Chapter 2. In the concluding verses of the first chapter, James advises us to “look into the perfect law [later called the “royal law,” the law of compassion] and to be not only hearers (who may forget) but “doers who act.” James clearly seems to be emphasizing the importance of action here–caring for widows and orphans, keeping oneself “unstained”–as opposed to simply proclaiming one’s faith. Our group spent some time discussing some of the ways we can act–rather than just paying lip-service to action.
Chapter 2 of the Epistle opens with a caution about judging people based on their wealth, advice that harkens back to the suggestion in Matthew suggesting that the poor shall be heirs to the Godly Kingdom. The heart of this chapter then focuses on the significance of performing good works to go along with any declarations of faith. According to James, “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead,” that faith is “brought to completion by the works,” and that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Our group spent a good amount of time talking about how various denominations have chosen to unpack these statements:
-
Some Christian denominations believe in a doctrine of salvation by faith alone (sola fide): “we are accounted righteous before God . . . by faith and not for our work or deservings (Book of Common Prayer). Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone.
-
Some denominations believe that good works are an inevitable consequence of good works; they are evidence of true faith. “Faith, given time and opportunity, will result in good works” (United Methodist Doctrine). The suggestion here is that faith and good works should be perceived as a single unit.
-
Within Judaism, there is a concept that good works precede faith: when receiving the Torah at Sinai, the Israelites said, “We will act and we will hear” (i.e., understand/believe). Right belief may lead to right action, but right action is ultimately more important.
Needless to say, our discussion last week was quite rich.
This Friday, we will probably conclude our study of James’ Epistle of James with a consideration of Chapters 3-5. These are shorter chapters, but we won’t rush through our discussion and if we need an extra week to conclude we will take it.
Our discussion group meets via Zoom every Friday from 12-1 (see the CBI web site or Weekly Announcements for a Zoom link). All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous Friday study group sessions.
Starting on April 7, the Friday Noon Study Group will begin discussion on a new topic: Rabbi David Cooper’s God Is A Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism. This book may be purchased through a variety of internet resources. Stay tuned to this web site for more details in the weeks to come.
"CBI nurtures my spiritual life, especially the Shabbos experience - the participatory services and the Kiddush luncheon, which allows us to visit and get to know each other." – Jimi Moore