Jewish Asheville  

Jewish Community

Here are some helpful links to many Jewish organizations throughout Western North Carolina.

referenced: www.nataliekramer.com


 One Jewish Asheville
Welcome to the Asheville Jewish Community
Over 2,000 families – a dozen organizations
Unified in spirit • ASPIRING to something higher Jews by birth - Jews by choice • COLLABORATING, celebrating, SUPPORTING • For ourselves and our kids
Reform and Conservative, Orthodox and un-affiliated. Pick a door and get involved...

Asheville/Hendersonville Hadassah
(828)681-5431

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to its partnership with the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah empowers its members and supporters, as well as, youth in Israel and America through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity.


Asheville Jewish Business Forum

The Asheville Jewish Business Forum (AJBF) is your connection to Jewish businesses and professionals in the fast-growing, highly active Jewish community in Asheville and Western North Carolina.

We are a network group of Jewish business owners, executives, managers and professionals in the greater Asheville area; working together to enhance the area’s economy and continue the 100+ years of Western North Carolina Jewish heritage. 


Asheville Jewish Community Center
(828)253-0701
236 Charlotte Street
Asheville, NC 28801

The Asheville Jewish Community Center is the heart of Asheville’s warm and welcoming Jewish community. We offer programs for everyone, at every stage of life – children and families, young adults, active adults and retirees. Our engaging programs are terrific, and they are a gateway into the wonderful community that exists here.

Chabad House of Asheville
(828) 505-0746
660 Merrimon Avenue, Suite C
Asheville, NC 28804

With a love for Jewish life and an ardor for living Jewishly, The Chabad House provides social, educational, and religious opportunities in Asheville, satisfying the hearts and minds of all. The Chabad House – a Center for Jewish Living and Learning is open to everyone. At Chabad, a human life is a Universe… and The Chabad House is designed to house it.

Congregation Agudas Israel
505 Glasgow Lane
Hendersonville, NC 28739
(828) 693-9838

Agudas Israel Congregation, a part of the Hendersonville, NC area since 1900, and affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (formerly UAHC). The synagogue was founded in 1900 by a group of immigrant Jews lead by Edward Lewis and Harry Patterson.

Congregation Beth HaTephila
(828)253-4911
43 North Liberty Street
Asheville, NC 28801

Congregation Beth HaTephila is a modern Reform congregation with a rich history in the Asheville community. Founded in 1891 and affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism since 1908, our congregation is dedicated to nurturing Jewish identity among its members as individuals and as a community.

Congregation Beth Israel
(828)252-8660
229 Murdock St.,
Asheville, NC 28804

The Beth Israel family is composed of over 150 membership “units.”  That label “units” is broad enough to reflect the diversity of the Beth Israel membership. Our members span every possible category: male and female, married and single, younger and older, religious active and religiously curious. We’ve moved here from all over the country and also have a few members whose affiliations span generations.

Jewish Family Services of WNC
2 Doctors Park Suite E, 417 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)253-2900

Opportunity has many faces and at Jewish Family Services of WNC, we know them all.

  • The single mother, forced to choose between the food and the high price of heating fuel.
  • The adult son who wants to provide the best for his aging mother but can’t be here to care for her.
  • The community member, looking for a meaningful way to get involved and give something back.

Where others see a need, Jewish Family Services of WNC sees an opportunity.
To assist. To empower. To learn. To give.

Jewish Federation of WNC
(828)545-4648

WNCJF raises and distributes funds in the greater Asheville and western North Carolina community, Israel and around the world.  These funds sustain our community organizations that make our strong, vibrant community what it is and what it will continue to be.

Jewish Secular Community of Asheville

Jeff Wasserman, President (828) 243-7815
Julian Biller, Secretary (828) 551-3419
We may be looking for each other…

You’re seeking to be more in touch with your Jewish heritage, in a comfortable, friendly setting with other thoughtful Jews with whom you can relate on a spiritual, intellectual and social level.

UNC-A Center for Jewish Studies
(828)251-6576
208 Karpen Hall, One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804

Established in 1982, the Center for Jewish Studies at UNC-Asheville serves the university and the community.  It draws on resources of both, provides services and programming for both, and brings the people of the university and the larger community together intellectually, artistically, and spiritually.  Specifically, the CJS coordinates academic course offerings in Jewish Studies, hosts visiting lecturers and performing artists, and encourages and supports the activities of Jewish students at UNC-Asheville.  The CJS advisory aboard is made up of interested persons from the UNC-Asheville faculty, administration, and staff, as well as members of the local Jewish community including, as ex officio members, the rabbis of the local congregations.

UNC-A Hillel
Karpen Hall 208
The University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, NC 28804
(828)251-6576
Hello, and welcome to Hillel at UNC Asheville. We are a student-led organization at UNCA devoted to connecting and supporting Jewish students. We’re here to help with study abroad, professional and social networking, and fun activities on our campus! Whatever you need, we’ll find a way to connect you to the right people to make it happen. Want to go to Israel for free? Want to attend a convention with Jewish kids from all over the country? Want to meet more Jewish kids on campus? We can do that!

 

Jewish Leadership Collaborative of WNC

The Jewish Leadership Collaborative of WNC

The Jewish Leadership Collaborative of WNC(JLC-WNC) is a forum for community-wide planning and collaboration. The JLC-WNC is comprised of lay/professional leaders and representatives from the organizations that make up One Jewish Asheville:

  • Asheville/Hendersonville Chapter of Hadassah
  • Asheville Jewish Business Forum
  • Asheville Jewish Community Center
  • Center for Jewish Studies at UNCA
  • Chabad House
  • Congregation Agudas Israel
  • Congregation Beth HaTephila
  • Congregation Beth Israel
  • Jewish Family Services of WNC
  • Jewish Secular Community of Asheville
  • UNC-A Hillel
  • WNC Jewish Federation
  • Carolina Jews for Justice

The JLC-WNC (was called the Asheville Jewish Leadership Collaborative until October 2016) formed in November 2006 for the purpose of enhancing communications and encouraging collaborations among Asheville’s Jewish community organizations. It meets 10 times throughout the year. Some of the past initiatives discussed and/or implemented by the JLC-WNC include:

  • WNC Jewish Population Study
  • Community-wide Facilities-sharing Study
  • The Community High Holiday Pass Program (read more)
  • One Jewish Asheville Marketing Initiative
  • Coordination of the 2012 Southern Jewish Heritage Society Conference (read more)
  • Mapping of the Jewish Community Infrastructure
  • Feasibility of a Community Fundraising Program
  • Support for Jewish Family Services as an Independent Community Organization
  • Coordination of Organizational Manpower and Resources

To review summaries for the JLC-WNC meetings, click here.

In addition to regular meetings, many of the members of the JLC-WNC take part in the Shalom Hartman Lecture Series, a two-year collaborative leadership learning program sponsored by the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel.

For information about the Jewish Leadership Collaborative of WNC, contact Tzedek Fellow, Matt Andersen.