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 –
Coming in October: Intro to Judaism 5779!
Join Rabbi Batsheva Meiri of Congregation Beth Hatephila and Rabbi Justin Goldstein of Congregation Beth Israel for Introduction to Judaism 5779. This fascinating class is designed for anyone who is curious, those seeking to create partnerships with Jews, and Jews who hope to refresh their connection to and knowledge of Jewish tradition. The class begins shortly after the fall High Holy Days and runs October through January.
Learn more
"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
May 29, 2020 12-1
The Noon Study Group will NOT meet on May 29.
At our Zoom session last week, May 22,
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We briefly discussed various Christological conceptions of Jesus (was his nature divine or human?) and how those conceptions varied among Christian denominations.
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We looked at potential differences between Jews and Christians in their attitudes towards “perfection,” using Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s essay, “The Tyranny of Perfection,” as a springboard for discussion (Boteach may be too binary in the distinctions he makes and in his characterization of how Christians value perfection).
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We considered the geographical and social distinctions between the audiences for Paul’s letters to Philippi and Thessalonica
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We admired Paul’s gifted use of rhetoric, at the outset and throughout his missive, in saying how proud he was (in Yiddish we call this shepping naches) of the Thessalonians’ steadfastness.
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We then turned to the elephant in the room (actually in Chapter 2:14-16), in which Paul identifies the Jews as those “who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets.” Our discussion included the accuracy of the charges (which Jews? any Jews? all Jews?) and the contributions such charges made to the promulgation of anti-Judaism through the ages.
When we meet again on June 5, we’ll conclude our study of Paul with a look at First Thessalonians, Chapters 3-5. These include Paul’s exhortations to behave morally and his assurances about the “end times” salvation of the living (and the dead) who followed Christ.
Our informal discussion group will be conducted online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Any copy of the New Testament is acceptable (the more versions the richer the conversation). Our discussions will be supplemented by commentary drawn from The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
- 1Share
May 29, 2020 12-1
The Noon Study Group will NOT meet on May 29.
At our Zoom session last week, May 22,
-
We briefly discussed various Christological conceptions of Jesus (was his nature divine or human?) and how those conceptions varied among Christian denominations.
-
We looked at potential differences between Jews and Christians in their attitudes towards “perfection,” using Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s essay, “The Tyranny of Perfection,” as a springboard for discussion (Boteach may be too binary in the distinctions he makes and in his characterization of how Christians value perfection).
-
We considered the geographical and social distinctions between the audiences for Paul’s letters to Philippi and Thessalonica
-
We admired Paul’s gifted use of rhetoric, at the outset and throughout his missive, in saying how proud he was (in Yiddish we call this shepping naches) of the Thessalonians’ steadfastness.
-
We then turned to the elephant in the room (actually in Chapter 2:14-16), in which Paul identifies the Jews as those “who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets.” Our discussion included the accuracy of the charges (which Jews? any Jews? all Jews?) and the contributions such charges made to the promulgation of anti-Judaism through the ages.
When we meet again on June 5, we’ll conclude our study of Paul with a look at First Thessalonians, Chapters 3-5. These include Paul’s exhortations to behave morally and his assurances about the “end times” salvation of the living (and the dead) who followed Christ.
Our informal discussion group will be conducted online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Any copy of the New Testament is acceptable (the more versions the richer the conversation). Our discussions will be supplemented by commentary drawn from The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
- 1Share
May 29, 2020 12-1
The Noon Study Group will NOT meet on May 29.
At our Zoom session last week, May 22,
-
We briefly discussed various Christological conceptions of Jesus (was his nature divine or human?) and how those conceptions varied among Christian denominations.
-
We looked at potential differences between Jews and Christians in their attitudes towards “perfection,” using Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s essay, “The Tyranny of Perfection,” as a springboard for discussion (Boteach may be too binary in the distinctions he makes and in his characterization of how Christians value perfection).
-
We considered the geographical and social distinctions between the audiences for Paul’s letters to Philippi and Thessalonica
-
We admired Paul’s gifted use of rhetoric, at the outset and throughout his missive, in saying how proud he was (in Yiddish we call this shepping naches) of the Thessalonians’ steadfastness.
-
We then turned to the elephant in the room (actually in Chapter 2:14-16), in which Paul identifies the Jews as those “who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets.” Our discussion included the accuracy of the charges (which Jews? any Jews? all Jews?) and the contributions such charges made to the promulgation of anti-Judaism through the ages.
When we meet again on June 5, we’ll conclude our study of Paul with a look at First Thessalonians, Chapters 3-5. These include Paul’s exhortations to behave morally and his assurances about the “end times” salvation of the living (and the dead) who followed Christ.
Our informal discussion group will be conducted online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Any copy of the New Testament is acceptable (the more versions the richer the conversation). Our discussions will be supplemented by commentary drawn from The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
- 1Share
May 29, 2020 12-1
The Noon Study Group will NOT meet on May 29.
At our Zoom session last week, May 22,
-
We briefly discussed various Christological conceptions of Jesus (was his nature divine or human?) and how those conceptions varied among Christian denominations.
-
We looked at potential differences between Jews and Christians in their attitudes towards “perfection,” using Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s essay, “The Tyranny of Perfection,” as a springboard for discussion (Boteach may be too binary in the distinctions he makes and in his characterization of how Christians value perfection).
-
We considered the geographical and social distinctions between the audiences for Paul’s letters to Philippi and Thessalonica
-
We admired Paul’s gifted use of rhetoric, at the outset and throughout his missive, in saying how proud he was (in Yiddish we call this shepping naches) of the Thessalonians’ steadfastness.
-
We then turned to the elephant in the room (actually in Chapter 2:14-16), in which Paul identifies the Jews as those “who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets.” Our discussion included the accuracy of the charges (which Jews? any Jews? all Jews?) and the contributions such charges made to the promulgation of anti-Judaism through the ages.
When we meet again on June 5, we’ll conclude our study of Paul with a look at First Thessalonians, Chapters 3-5. These include Paul’s exhortations to behave morally and his assurances about the “end times” salvation of the living (and the dead) who followed Christ.
Our informal discussion group will be conducted online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Any copy of the New Testament is acceptable (the more versions the richer the conversation). Our discussions will be supplemented by commentary drawn from The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
- 1Share
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Join us on the last Sunday of the month online for a refreshing and often provocative discussion. 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.
See you there!
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