There is so much that 4,000 years of tradition and wisdom can teach us. Young or old, observant or not-so-much; whether you already know a lot or are just starting out – you’re not alone. Jump in. No wrong answers –
"With the knowledge and empathy I have gained at the Friday Study Group, my understanding of life has also grown. We are a community where I can live my values."-Carol Cohen
This week's learning
Friday, September 17, 12-1
We began last week’s discussion of the second half of Chapter 4 of Hasia Diner’s, Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World with a consideration of Rosenwald’s attitudes towards African-American leader W.E.B. Dubois and his notion of the “Talented Tenth.” This concept called for a leadership class of African Americans (the one in ten Black men who have acquired a college education and who could become directly involved in social change). Our group discussed the potential charges of elitism that might emerge from such a concept, and whether its implementation was mutually exclusive from Booker T. Washington’s promotion of industrial education, or the education provided for by the Rosenwald schools.
Other topics for discussion last week included
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Rosenwald’s support for African American enterprises beyond the Rosenwald schools (e.g. Howard University’s Law School, Medical schools at Howard and the University of Michigan, other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Rosenwald Fellowships)
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The burdens placed on Blacks to become exemplary representatives of their race (whites who failed didn’t stigmatize their group) and how these burdens went beyond those placed on other minorities
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Rosenwald’s acceptance of segregation/”separate but equal” policies (he financed Jim Crow institutions, didn’t engage in anti-lynching or voting rights campaigns, his philanthropy “skirted civil rights”). Participants were quick to defend Rosenwald by pointing out the time period/law of the land during which Rosenwald lived; the fact that he devoted his money, time, and energy based on his knowledge and experience as a businessman rather than a philosopher or politician; and the fact that segregated learning/socializing has some advantages.
This Friday we’ll complete our discussion of our current subject by addressing loose ends from Chapter 4 (especially a continuation of the charges that Rosenwald’s philanthropy aided the establishment of a color line) and Diner’s “Conclusion: Forgetting Julius Rosenwald” (pp. 211-218). We will also consider a counterpoint to Diner’s adulation of Rosenwald with a discussion of a 2017 article entitled “Julius Rosenwald Was Not A Hero,” in which Maribel Morey reflects on the distinction between an effective philanthropist and a heroic figure. That article can be found at the following link:
https://histphil.org/2017/06/30/julius-rosenwald-was-not-a-hero/.
Our informal discussion group meets online via Zoom every Friday from 12 – 1. All are welcome to join our discussions, regardless of their level of expertise. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
Please Note that the Friday Noon Study Group will not meet on September 24th or October 1st.
We will resume our discussions on October 8 when we begin an exploration of The Book of Genesis. Stay tuned for details.
- 1Share
Friday, September 17, 12-1
We began last week’s discussion of the second half of Chapter 4 of Hasia Diner’s, Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World with a consideration of Rosenwald’s attitudes towards African-American leader W.E.B. Dubois and his notion of the “Talented Tenth.” This concept called for a leadership class of African Americans (the one in ten Black men who have acquired a college education and who could become directly involved in social change). Our group discussed the potential charges of elitism that might emerge from such a concept, and whether its implementation was mutually exclusive from Booker T. Washington’s promotion of industrial education, or the education provided for by the Rosenwald schools.
Other topics for discussion last week included
-
Rosenwald’s support for African American enterprises beyond the Rosenwald schools (e.g. Howard University’s Law School, Medical schools at Howard and the University of Michigan, other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Rosenwald Fellowships)
-
The burdens placed on Blacks to become exemplary representatives of their race (whites who failed didn’t stigmatize their group) and how these burdens went beyond those placed on other minorities
-
Rosenwald’s acceptance of segregation/”separate but equal” policies (he financed Jim Crow institutions, didn’t engage in anti-lynching or voting rights campaigns, his philanthropy “skirted civil rights”). Participants were quick to defend Rosenwald by pointing out the time period/law of the land during which Rosenwald lived; the fact that he devoted his money, time, and energy based on his knowledge and experience as a businessman rather than a philosopher or politician; and the fact that segregated learning/socializing has some advantages.
This Friday we’ll complete our discussion of our current subject by addressing loose ends from Chapter 4 (especially a continuation of the charges that Rosenwald’s philanthropy aided the establishment of a color line) and Diner’s “Conclusion: Forgetting Julius Rosenwald” (pp. 211-218). We will also consider a counterpoint to Diner’s adulation of Rosenwald with a discussion of a 2017 article entitled “Julius Rosenwald Was Not A Hero,” in which Maribel Morey reflects on the distinction between an effective philanthropist and a heroic figure. That article can be found at the following link:
https://histphil.org/2017/06/30/julius-rosenwald-was-not-a-hero/.
Our informal discussion group meets online via Zoom every Friday from 12 – 1. All are welcome to join our discussions, regardless of their level of expertise. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
Please Note that the Friday Noon Study Group will not meet on September 24th or October 1st.
We will resume our discussions on October 8 when we begin an exploration of The Book of Genesis. Stay tuned for details.
- 1Share
This year will be different
We want to change. We do. We each want to be a better version of ourselves today than we were yesterday, especially this time of the year. For some, change comes easily – others not so much. Why? What keeps us from fulfilling the promises we make on Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur and New Year’s Eve?
Join us for Torah on Tap this Sunday (4pm – 5:30) as we explore the opportunities and obstacles of change. Share your own story of growth, learn the most common impediments to change and how, with the help of our Jewish traditions, we can re-frame what it means to change – making it easier and more meaningful.
We’ll meet by the stream beside the CBI parking lot. Bring your beverage of choice, a lawn chair and a caring, open mind. Come as you are. Leave different.
Friday, September 17, 12-1
We began last week’s discussion of the second half of Chapter 4 of Hasia Diner’s, Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World with a consideration of Rosenwald’s attitudes towards African-American leader W.E.B. Dubois and his notion of the “Talented Tenth.” This concept called for a leadership class of African Americans (the one in ten Black men who have acquired a college education and who could become directly involved in social change). Our group discussed the potential charges of elitism that might emerge from such a concept, and whether its implementation was mutually exclusive from Booker T. Washington’s promotion of industrial education, or the education provided for by the Rosenwald schools.
Other topics for discussion last week included
-
Rosenwald’s support for African American enterprises beyond the Rosenwald schools (e.g. Howard University’s Law School, Medical schools at Howard and the University of Michigan, other Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Rosenwald Fellowships)
-
The burdens placed on Blacks to become exemplary representatives of their race (whites who failed didn’t stigmatize their group) and how these burdens went beyond those placed on other minorities
-
Rosenwald’s acceptance of segregation/”separate but equal” policies (he financed Jim Crow institutions, didn’t engage in anti-lynching or voting rights campaigns, his philanthropy “skirted civil rights”). Participants were quick to defend Rosenwald by pointing out the time period/law of the land during which Rosenwald lived; the fact that he devoted his money, time, and energy based on his knowledge and experience as a businessman rather than a philosopher or politician; and the fact that segregated learning/socializing has some advantages.
This Friday we’ll complete our discussion of our current subject by addressing loose ends from Chapter 4 (especially a continuation of the charges that Rosenwald’s philanthropy aided the establishment of a color line) and Diner’s “Conclusion: Forgetting Julius Rosenwald” (pp. 211-218). We will also consider a counterpoint to Diner’s adulation of Rosenwald with a discussion of a 2017 article entitled “Julius Rosenwald Was Not A Hero,” in which Maribel Morey reflects on the distinction between an effective philanthropist and a heroic figure. That article can be found at the following link:
https://histphil.org/2017/06/30/julius-rosenwald-was-not-a-hero/.
Our informal discussion group meets online via Zoom every Friday from 12 – 1. All are welcome to join our discussions, regardless of their level of expertise. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
Please Note that the Friday Noon Study Group will not meet on September 24th or October 1st.
We will resume our discussions on October 8 when we begin an exploration of The Book of Genesis. Stay tuned for details.
- 1Share
YEP! (Youth Engagement Program)
Forget Sunday School. YEP! is an innovative and exciting multi-generational, hands-on Jewish educational experience for parents and their children. Once a week during the school year, families come together for experiential learning that that fosters deep relationships among families, our congregation and the greater community, while strengthening Jewish identity on a personal level.
One of the beautiful aspects of raising Jewish kids in Asheville is that they tend to grow up with a sense of groundedness. Their bar/bat mitzvah is not an over-the-top competition. It's just one of life's milestones. It's not a culmination of their Jewish learning and engagement - it's the beginning.
Bar/Bat mitzvah study is introduced early on, at least several years prior to the event. Our kids study with Josefa Briant, a former soloist in the Batsheva Dance Company (Tel Aviv) with a deep sense of spirituality. They meet as a class to acquire the skills needed to lead services. About a year out, kids begin studying one-one-one to learn their Torah portion and haftorah and begin to meet with Rabbi Justin to get a taste of what Jewish study with a chevruta (partner) is all about. After it's over, many decide to remain engaged. That is our measure of success.
The post b'nei mitzvah group is for those young adults 13 and over who have already become bar/bat mitzvvah. The student-led group meets the first Tuesday of the month with Rabbi Goldstein in a setting that is open, safe and confidential. Topics for discussion revolve around creating, growing and sustaining meaningful relationships and use both text study and discussion as tools with which to explore Jewish life and Jewish values. For more information, please contact Rabbi Goldstein.
"I find it quite remarkable that people are both open and respectful! Open? That happens. Respectful? Not everywhere!! But always here!" - Judith Hoy
Learning for Adults
Do you ever wonder what it’s all about? Curious what Judaism has to say about today’s thornier problems? Always wanted to learn to speak Hebrew? Yiddish? Or maybe you just want to get more out of Shabbat and the other holidays. You’re in the right place. We get together weekly, monthly or whenever we can. Many, but not all, groups are led by Rabbi Justin. And not all take place at the synagogue.
Weekly/Monthly Learning
Learning Throughout the Year
Scholar-in-Residence
At least once each year, the CBI hosts a Scholar/Artist-in-Residence for a weekend. Previous scholars/artists include: Rabbi Harold Kushner; Israeli writer/entertainer, Danny Maseng; dancer and creator of MOVING TORAH, Andrea Hodos; storyteller and folklorist, Pennina Schram.
Holiday Study
The holidays provide opportunities to deepen our understanding of who we are - as individuals and as a people. We take advantage of as many as we can, including Tu b'Shevat, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, Tisha b'Av, and more.
Dinner and a Movie
Start with a dairy pot-luck dinner, add a few dozen of your friends, then settle in for a movie that's sure to make you laugh, cry, love, cringe or, at the very least, think.
"The culture of learning at CBI is vibrant, non-dogmatic, participatory, respectful, relevant, and evolving within the context of our growing congregation. The intellect and the spirit are equally honored." -Dr. Robert Kline