CBI Capital Campaign Community Fund
Tax deductible
Congregation Beth Israel (Asheville, NC) is a small progressive independent synagogue whose soul is deeply embedded in the history, social fabric and culture of Southern Appalachia. We need your help to ensure the future of Judaism in the Blue Ridge Mountains is as bright and vibrant as its past.
In 1899, a few dozen Jews in Asheville – whose family members suffered from tuberculosis –created congregation Bikkur Cholim (the mitzvah of visiting the sick). In 1916—the day before the congregation was to move into its first building—the new building burned to the ground. Within hours, half a dozen churches approached the congregation’s leadership, offering to open their sanctuaries to the congregation. Over the next 101 years, this small synagogue, (now called Congregation Beth Israel) and the greater Asheville community, have not only grown up together…but have helped each other grow.
Our current building, opened in 1969, is located atop a World War II victory garden. Every month, CBI helps staff a variety of area soup kitchens; food from each Saturday’s kiddush lunch is donated to area homeless shelters; our social action committee fights tirelessly within the Asheville community on behalf of economic and racial justice, food security, environmental advocacy, childhood literacy and more.
CBI is also dedicated to creating Jewish relevancy here in the Southern Blue Ridge. Nearly every Shabbat, we welcome Jewish visitors who are travelling to or through Asheville. Each year, we host dozens of church groups interested in learning more about their Jewish roots. With a young rabbi—named one of the 32 most inspirational rabbis in America—and a highly active membership, we are quickly becoming a model for Jewish outreach, engagement and education for small congregations across the country.
In 2016, we embarked on our first capital campaign in half a century. The goal: raise $1.3 million in order to give our 50-year old building new life so that it reflects the warmth and passion of those who call it home and for those who visit. To date, we have raised an amazing $1.24 million mostly from among our 147 families. We need your help to raise the remaining $60,000.
Your donation will enable us to complete a total transformation of our sanctuary, creating a sacred space that emphasizes our love of community. It will also allow us to finish updating our social hall and classrooms, make the bathrooms handicap accessible, replace our aging HVAC systems and brighten the common areas.
In a time when divides across our country are deepening, CBI seeks to be a place of listening and healing; for hundreds of Jewish travelers, we are a brief refuge; for all who live in these mountains— Jew, Christian and Muslim—we seek to be a reminded of the human ties that bind us together.
For more information on CBI and our once-in-a-lifetime “Giving and Growing Together” capital campaign, please visit our website: www.bethisraelnc.org
Thanks in advance for your support.
In 1899, a few dozen Jews in Asheville – whose family members suffered from tuberculosis –created congregation Bikkur Cholim (the mitzvah of visiting the sick). In 1916—the day before the congregation was to move into its first building—the new building burned to the ground. Within hours, half a dozen churches approached the congregation’s leadership, offering to open their sanctuaries to the congregation. Over the next 101 years, this small synagogue, (now called Congregation Beth Israel) and the greater Asheville community, have not only grown up together…but have helped each other grow.
Our current building, opened in 1969, is located atop a World War II victory garden. Every month, CBI helps staff a variety of area soup kitchens; food from each Saturday’s kiddush lunch is donated to area homeless shelters; our social action committee fights tirelessly within the Asheville community on behalf of economic and racial justice, food security, environmental advocacy, childhood literacy and more.
CBI is also dedicated to creating Jewish relevancy here in the Southern Blue Ridge. Nearly every Shabbat, we welcome Jewish visitors who are travelling to or through Asheville. Each year, we host dozens of church groups interested in learning more about their Jewish roots. With a young rabbi—named one of the 32 most inspirational rabbis in America—and a highly active membership, we are quickly becoming a model for Jewish outreach, engagement and education for small congregations across the country.
In 2016, we embarked on our first capital campaign in half a century. The goal: raise $1.3 million in order to give our 50-year old building new life so that it reflects the warmth and passion of those who call it home and for those who visit. To date, we have raised an amazing $1.24 million mostly from among our 147 families. We need your help to raise the remaining $60,000.
Your donation will enable us to complete a total transformation of our sanctuary, creating a sacred space that emphasizes our love of community. It will also allow us to finish updating our social hall and classrooms, make the bathrooms handicap accessible, replace our aging HVAC systems and brighten the common areas.
In a time when divides across our country are deepening, CBI seeks to be a place of listening and healing; for hundreds of Jewish travelers, we are a brief refuge; for all who live in these mountains— Jew, Christian and Muslim—we seek to be a reminded of the human ties that bind us together.
For more information on CBI and our once-in-a-lifetime “Giving and Growing Together” capital campaign, please visit our website: www.bethisraelnc.org
Thanks in advance for your support.
Organizer
Michael Weizman
Organizer
Asheville, NC
Congregation Beth Israel
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
