J Voices

Rabbi Susskind of Asheville Chabad House has the amazing opportunity to write a Torah with our community. In this episode of J Voices, we talk to Rabbi Susskind about the process and importance of writing a Torah. We hear about why the project is important to him, and why its meaningful that it be seen and shared as a community-wide project in which everyone is invited to participate. 

The Asheville Jewish Community Center's Welcome Shabbat program serves Asheville's community elders in residential homes, bringing Jewish rituals and cultural celebrations to elderly individuals who may not have the opportunity to participate in the beloved traditions of their faith. In this episode of JVoices, we talk to the program facilitators Natalie Shaw and Penny White about the impact the program has had on participants. We talk to Jessica Whitehill of Jewish Family Services about the recent partnership with the JCC and JFS's Elder Club participants. We hear from Welcome Shabbat participant Barbara Turner, and long-time Welcome Shabbat volunteer Dee Weiner about the impact and importance of the program. 

In this episode of J Voices, we talk to the directors of the JCC's summer camp program and youth and teen programs about the experience of camp during a pandemic. We hear from parents who sent their children to Camp Ruach, we talk to a counselor about how things were different this year, and we hear from campers themselves about what camp was like with social distancing. 

This episode of J Voices is the third in a three-part series dedicated to the Jewish value of Tzedek. In this episode, we talk to Marsha Davis from the Tzedek Social Justice Fund about the importance of listening to Black leaders and including LGBTQIA+ voices in the Black Lives Matter movement. We talk to Zeke Christopoulos about Tranzmission's mission of educating about and advocating for Trans individuals locally and nationally.

To learn more about Dove Kent's work, see these links:
https://facingrace.raceforward.org/speaker/dove-kent
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/29/755323022/anti-semitism-in-u-s-politics
https://www.huffpost.com/author/m-dove-kent

In this part 2 of the Tzedek series of J Voices, we hear from JCC employee and staff Mackayla Johnson about her experience growing up in Asheville. We talk to Judy Leavitt from Carolina Jews for Justice about ways that the Jewish Community can support the Black Lives Matter movement, and we hear music by Jewish musician Josh Blake. 

This episode of J Voices is part of a three-part series dedicated to the Jewish value of Tzedek. In Part 1 of the series, we talk to Deborah Miles from the Center of Diversity Education about the origins of the center. We talk to local artist and activist Phyllis Utley about her work, which highlights education through self-analysis. This episode is co-hosted with special guest and JCC teacher and parent, Rasheeda Johnson.

This episode of J Voices is a tribute to beloved JCC community member Dan Pincu, who lost his fight with COVID 19 last month. Dan was an active volunteer for several local organizations, including the Asheville Jewish Community Center, the Asheville Visitors Center, and the Jewish Secular Community of Asheville. This episode is dedicated to sharing the values and missions of some of Dan’s favorite local programs, exploring some of the organizations he loved and supported, and sharing memories of Dan’s warm personality, his love of people, nature, and social activities, as well as his lasting impression on the Asheville Community.

In episode 6 of J Voices, we talk to president and CEO of the JCC Association of America Doron Krackow about how JCCs across the country have been affected by COVID-19. We hear from Asheville JCC board president Carol Wenom about how the Asheville JCC's response to the virus was crafted, and we speak to Ashley Lasher, executive direcor at the Asheville J about how the crisis has affected employees and the JCC's financial viability   and we learn about when and how JCC programs will begin reopening. Music for this episode was donated by Billy Jonas. 

 Episode five of J Voices is dedicated to the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, and the efforts local Jewish community members are taking to help heal the natural environment through regenerative agriculture and environmental education. We hear from Sarah Julia Seldin and Justin Goldstein of Yesod Farm + Kitchen, and we talk to Jacqui Childs, garden specialist at the JCC's Shalom Children's Center. We also listen to music from local band, Mama Danger. 

 In episode four of J Voices, we hear from JCC community members about their Passover experiences, we listen to Michael Rowland, Marketing Consultant for the JCC Association of America tell his story of Passover during a pandemic; we listen to music recorded by Penny White, and hear from past JCC board president and JCC supporter, Bob Deutsch, about upcoming Yom Hashoah services in our area.