CBI MARCH SHABBATLUCK
Friday, March 1st at 6:30pm
Elie’s and Sara’s home, near Kenilworth
This potluck is limited to 20 participants
This will be a vegetarian/dairy/fish meal
*Elie’s and Sara’s home address will be sent sent out to registered attendees the week of the Shabbatluck.*
To RSVP click here.
Join us as we mark the 30th anniversary of the struggle of Women of the Wall (Nashot Hakotel) to pray out loud as women in the women’s section of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Women of the Wall gather every Rosh Hodesh (New Moon) and their efforts to conduct joyful prayer continue to be thwarted, even though the Israeli courts have ruled in their favor for the right to do so. Their actions are part of the greater quest for religious pluralism and equality, and recognition of the non-Orthodox branches of Judaism in Israel.
Jewish communities throughout the world are joining in solidarity with Women of the Wall this Shabbat, which coincides with International Women’s Day. Here at CBI, our Shabbat morning service will be women-led, with a special D’var Torah by Julie Sherman.
For more information about Women of the Wall, go to https://www.womenofthewall.
- 5Shares
Join the Weizman and Simon families in celebrating as Talia Weizman becomes Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 16 at Congregation Beth Israel.
Kiddush following the service will be hosted by Mike Weizman & Della Simon in honor of their daughter Talia.

Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infuing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.
Ready to give it a try? Join us (usually) on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1pm – 3pm. No previous meditation experience necessary. This opportunity is free and open to all. Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, 43 North Libery Street in North Asheville.
Join your CBI Family for a Megillah Reading & PURIM Potluck
Come in Costume, bring a Vegetarian dish to share, and be ready to BOO!
Wednesday, March 20
7:15 Vegetarian Potluck
8:00 Megillah Reading
BYOB!
Join us for the year’s first Teen-led Shabbat. Come celebrate with us and be sure to stick around for Kiddush luncheon.
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.
We’ll welcome our new members, sisters Patti and Judi Haskell.
All are invited for a short pre-Pessah study session with Rabbi Goldstein beginning at 9:00am on Friday, April 19.
Fast of the Firstborn (Hebrew: תענית בכורות, Ta’anit B’khorot or תענית בכורים, Ta’anit B’khorim); is a unique fast day in Judaism which usually falls on the day before Passover. Usually, the fast is broken at a siyum celebration (typically made at the conclusion of the morning services), which, according to prevailing custom, creates an atmosphere of rejoicing that overrides the requirement to continue the fast. Unlike most Jewish fast days, only firstborns are required to fast on the Fast of the Firstborn.
Ta’anit Bechorot begins at dawn on Fri, 19 April 2019.
At 11:00am congregants are invited to join us at the fire pit behind CBI to burn the last bits of chametz they may have.

Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infuing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.
Ready to give it a try? Join us (usually) on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1pm – 3pm. No previous meditation experience necessary. This opportunity is free and open to all. Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, 43 North Libery Street in North Asheville.

As a people, Jews have a long and storied past. Probelm is, we can often become obsessed with it. Our laws and texts, so many of the rabbis and scholars we quote and study week after week are not just from our past but from humanity’s distant past. In each generation, we find ourselves interpreting and reinterpreting laws and ancient wisdom in an effort to make it resonate once again for our time. And yet, all the while the future of the Jewish people continues to unfold day after day with many Jews oblivious to changes, large and small.
Beyond the demographers, Jewish professionals and cultural anthropologists, how much time and energy do we spend on envisioning our Jewish future? Join us for the April edition of Torah on Tap as we step bodly into the future of Judaism and discuss what is possible. Some topics up for discussion:
- Is there validity the dire projections of Judaism’s imminent demise as predicted by the 2013 Pew Report?
- What are some of the successful and emerging models of Jewish engagement?
- How is the role of the synagogue changing?
Please note, we will end at 5:15, to allow folks to get to CBI for the important Town Hall Meeting at 5:30.
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!
The congregation is invited to celebrate with the Millsaps family as Olivia becomes Bat Mitzvah.

Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infuing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.
Ready to give it a try? Join us (usually) on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1pm – 3pm. No previous meditation experience necessary. This opportunity is free and open to all. Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, 43 North Libery Street in North Asheville.
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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!

Last month’s ToT session seemed to leave us feeling like the discussion, Judaism’s Future, was not complete. Then again, is anything really ever finished or is everything a continual evolution? (Rhetorical question.) So this month, we take a deeper dive into one aspect of reimagining Judaism and, more specifically, the viability of the traditional synagogue model. On the table is the question: “What should be the cost of belonging?”
The unpleasant reality is that it takes money to run any organization – synagogues especially. But should a congregant’s financial obligation be compulsory, part of a larger binding contract (pay to pray) with the synagogue? Or did Exodus (35:5) suggest something different when it said: “Take from among you gifts to the Lord, everyone whose heart so moves him?”
Or to put it more simpply: do we really catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar?
During this month’s meet-up, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of the traditional synagogue dues model, the concept of voluntary gifts that is gaining popularity, as well as the Fair Share system and any others we can thnk of. At the heart of the issue are two central questions:
- What is the right thing to do
- Which model provides the greatest chance of success?
It is assumed that most are familiar with the traditional dues system. Far fewer are aware of the model of voluntary gifts. For more information, feel free to take a look at the latest study from the New York City Jewish Federation, you can find it here.
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!
CBI members – Don’t miss this very important annual meeting at 10:00am followed by a veggie potluck lunch in the CBI social hall. We’ll vote on potential by-laws changes as well as our staffing plans going forward after Rabbi Goldstein’s contract comes to an end in December.
Please RSVP to the CBI office (252-8660, admin@bethisraelnc.org).
Join Rabbi Batsheva Meiri and Rabbi Justin Goldstein in an all-night study on the concept of Truth in Jewish wisdom.
In an era of rapid information exchange, truth is seeming harder and harder to define. Through ethical, spiritual, and mystical dynamics we will explore the concept of emet, and how it might influence our understanding of truth.
Bring desserts and snacks to share. Coffee provided.
8pm-9pm – contemplative, poetic study with Rabbi Batsheva Meiri and Dr. Richard Chess
9pm – Havdallah and Food
9:30pm – all-night learning with Rabbi Justin Goldstein
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.

Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infuing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.
Ready to give it a try? Join us (usually) on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1pm – 3pm. No previous meditation experience necessary. This opportunity is free and open to all. Congregation Beth Ha Tephila, 43 North Libery Street in North Asheville.
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.
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.
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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!
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.