January 17, 2020, 12-1

Last Friday, we officially began our discussion of the prefatory material and first two chapters of Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters. Among other issues, we 1) shared some ideas to Wolpe’s question, “Can I believe that we all live in the presence of God?”; 2) got into the difficulties of defining terms like “faith” or “religion”; 3) talked about believing in something that could not be proven empirically; 4) discussed what we perceived as “miracles” as they appeared in everyday observation; and 5) discussed “What inclines us to believe?”:  fear, impulse to responsibility, genetics, wonder, and need for relationship (with community and/or God).

This Friday, we will begin with some of our personal responses to questions Wolpe poses toward the end of Chapter 2 (p. 37):  “Why are we here?  Why is anything here?” and we’ll also discuss Wolpe’s claim that “each of us has a specific call from God” (from p. 212 of the Study Guide).  Then we’ll talk about Ch. 3 (“Does Religion Cause Violence?”) of Why Faith Matters.  Expect some lively discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

Join CBI families and kids, members and visitors of all ages as we come together to welcome Shabbat with prayer, song and inspiration.

Join us for a participatory, high-energy Shabbat service, sure to inspire, uplift, educate and engage. Be sure to hang around for food and schmoozing at our Kiddish lunch.

Unless you’ve been out of the country for the last several weeks, you probably know that there’s some pretty important proceedings taking place in our nation’s capitol. In the 230-year history of the American presidency, only two sitting presidents have been impeached. President Trump may well be the third. The historicity of the proceedings, however, pale in comparison to real underlying battle. This is not just an investigation to determine whether impeachable offenses occurred; it is a tug war between strength and morality, and it’s as old as humanity itself. Join us this Sunday as we look at the dynamics of accountability from a Jewish perspective. More specifically, we will consider one very particular confrontation involving Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach and King Yannai. “Why is a king of Israel “not judged” [Mishnah Sanhedrin 2:1]? Because of what once happened.”  Intrigued? Wait until you see how many parallels there are between this 2,100-year-old Talmudic tale and what is happening now in our country. To see how the story unfolds and to unlock the universal lessons it holds, join us this Sunday at Archetype Brewing (the former Habitat Tavern, 174 Broadway St., Asheville). Rabbi Justin will help us understand this epic power struggle between the executive and legislative branches of ancient Israel. This program is free and open to all. Differing opinions are not only welcomed but encouraged. Non-alcoholic beverages are available, there is ample parking in the Moog Music parking lot off Bordeau Pl. Looking forward to seeing you there!!

Join us on the last Sunday of the month at Archetype Brewing (dowtown north) for a refreshing and often provocative discussion over a pint (or two) of great brew. Each month, we take on a new topic – often ripped from the headlines of today’s news. We spend the first 45 minutes wrapping our arms around it, defining it, dissecting and analyzing it from various viewpoints. Then we spend the rest of the time discussing it from Judaism’s point of view.

• What’s Judaism’s take on universal healthcare?
• Would Moses walk the streets of Chicago today packing heat?
• Is it okay to punch a white supremacist?

Torah on Tap gives us a chance to learn, vent, share and, most of all, understand what 4,000 years of cultural development, debate and dialogue has to say about some of the issues that confront us today. Torah on Tap is free and open to all. Varying viewpoints are not only welcome, but encouraged.

In addition to drinks, Archetype also offers small, locally-made bites available for purchase, including Poppy Popcorn, Asheville Pretzel Company pretzels, and Hickory Nut Gap Farm meat sticks. Plenty of parking in the rear.

See you there!

January 17, 2020, 12-1

Last Friday, we officially began our discussion of the prefatory material and first two chapters of Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters. Among other issues, we 1) shared some ideas to Wolpe’s question, “Can I believe that we all live in the presence of God?”; 2) got into the difficulties of defining terms like “faith” or “religion”; 3) talked about believing in something that could not be proven empirically; 4) discussed what we perceived as “miracles” as they appeared in everyday observation; and 5) discussed “What inclines us to believe?”:  fear, impulse to responsibility, genetics, wonder, and need for relationship (with community and/or God).

This Friday, we will begin with some of our personal responses to questions Wolpe poses toward the end of Chapter 2 (p. 37):  “Why are we here?  Why is anything here?” and we’ll also discuss Wolpe’s claim that “each of us has a specific call from God” (from p. 212 of the Study Guide).  Then we’ll talk about Ch. 3 (“Does Religion Cause Violence?”) of Why Faith Matters.  Expect some lively discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

Join us for a participatory, high-energy Shabbat service, sure to inspire, uplift, educate and engage. Be sure to hang around for food and schmoozing at our Kiddish lunch.