Beth Israel Synagogue Centennial |
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| Title | Beth Israel Synagogue Centennial Asheville, North Carolina |
| Creator | Congregation Beth Israel |
| Identifier | http://toto.lib.unca.edu/booklets/beth_israel_neuringer/default_beth_israel_neuringer.htm |
| Subject Keyword | Jewish community in Asheville ; Congregation Beth Israel ; Beth Israel Synagogue ; Sisterhood ; Men's Club ; Hebrew Auxiliary Society ; Jewish Community Center ; Conservative Judaism ; Jewish congregation ; synagogue ; anniversaries ; centennial ; |
| Subject LCSH | Beth Israel (Asheville, N.C.) -- Sources Bloom, Bernard Jews -- North Carolina -- Asheville -- Sources Jews -- Southern states -- History Southern states -- Ethnic relations |
| Description | Part of the Congregation Beth Israel collection at UNCA and one of two booklets with the same title. This 40 page booklet was prepared for the hundredth anniversary of the Beth Israel Congregation in Asheville in 1999 and contains a message from the Rabbi, proclamations from the State of North Carolina and the City of Asheville and a history of the Congregation written by Sheldon Neuringer. |
| Publisher | D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804 |
| Contributor | Congregation and Board of Trustees, Beth Israel Synagogue, Asheville, NC ; Jay Jacoby |
| Date | 1999 |
| Type | Image ; Text ; Physical Object |
| Format | image/jpeg/text |
| Source | M2008.03.06.2 in the Congregation Beth Israel Papers |
| Language | English |
| Relation | Is part of
Congregation Beth Israel Papers (Asheville, NC), D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Leah and Morris Karpen Oral History in Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Schandler Family Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Sidney Schochet Family Papers, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Leo Finkelstein Oral History in Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Leo Finkelstein Papers, 1903-1998, W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Belk Library Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC ; Sol Schulman Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Ada and Lou Pollock Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Jacob Rosen Family Papers, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; "Jewish Roots in the Carolinas: A Pattern of American Philo-Semitism," Charlotte, N.C.: The Carolina Israelite, 1955, in the D. Hiden Ramsey Collection printed material - various publications (M80.5.2.6), D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Choosing to Remember - From the Shoah to the Mountains, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA and the Center for Diversity Education ; Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, UNC Chapel Hill ; American Jewish Historical Society ; "A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life," Documenting the American South, UNC Chapel Hill ; |
| Coverage Temporal | 1899-1999 |
| Coverage Spatial | Asheville, N.C. |
| Rights | No restrictions. Any display, publication, or public use must credit the D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law. |
| Donor | Donor number |
| Citation | D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804 |
| Processed by | Special Collections staff, 2012, JF |
| Last update | 2012-03-29 |
| Contents | |||
| Page number | Item number | Description | Thumbnail |
| Cover | biscn_001 | Beth Israel Synagogue Centennial Asheville, North Carolina |
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| Page 1 | biscn_002 | THE RABBI'S MESSAGE Shalom Haverim, Shalom Friends, I am honored to be invited to share my thoughts with you on this glorious and hundredth year of Beth Israel's history. And I am honored to be celebrating my tenth year at Beth Israel Synagogue. It has been a very good match. I write to you on the first day of spring which is also the fourth day of the Hebrew month Nisan. These two dates, the beginning of spring and the month of Nisan, are signs and reminders for us. They remind us of the upcoming rebirth of nature, a miracle that happens every spring, and the celebration of a miracle that happened in Mitzrayim (Egypt) nearly 3,500 years ago. The miracle of Pesach reminds us that redemption did take place in the past and will again in the future. Pesach is a sign letting each of us in on the great divine secret: If we call out to God we can find strength to change our lives; that God has planted within us a soul that can move mountains. And we have some mountains to move. As we look to our past 100 years, we are perforce meant to look to our next century. That our next century begins with a new millenium of world history only makes the timing more crucial. We have done wonders for a small Shul in a small Southern town. In our history one can read of great and dedicated leaders (professional and lay) who changed the direction of traditional Judaism in Western North Carolina. Countless individuals made great sacrifices, to build a Shul in the mountains. We would not be here but for their love of Torah and Judaism: Rabbis, Shul Presidents and Board members, teachers, Life Members, endowers, and all the hundreds and hundreds of members who have lived during our 100 years. We can be very proud of what we've accomplished, yet still acknowledge that there are mountains yet to conquer. The following are just two peaks in the range of possibilities. In the last ten years our beloved Shul has more than doubled in membership. As a result, on a typical Sunday morning, all of our classrooms are filled; another class meets in our Goldstein Chapel; another class meets in the social hall; additionally adult Hebrew students meet in our sanctuary. As has been noted from time to time at board meetings, we need to grow our physical plant, as we have grown our Shul membership. We have also reached the time when we need another professional on the Shul staff, one with a degree in Jewish Education and Programming to assist us to become what we are meant to be. This, too, has been a topic among Shul leadership for years. As we enter our second century, it is time for us to rededicate ourselves and grow into the glorious Shul we are meant to be, thereby giving honor to those who came before us. Please consider these words from our Siddur (p.509) "Rabbi Elazar taught in the name of Rabbi Chanina: Disciples of the sages increase peace in the world, as it was taught by the Prophet Isaiah: "When all of your children are taught of the Lord, great will be the peace of your children." Don't read ('banayikh') 'your children', but ('bonayikh') 'your builders.' "May there be peace within your walls, security within your gates For the sake of my brothers and sisters I say: May peace reside within you. For the sake of the House of the Lord grant God's people strength; may the Lord bless the people with peace" (Ps.122 & 29). Peace, love, and mazal tov! Rabbi Shmuel Birnham 4 Nisan 5759 |
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| Page 2 | biscn_003 | THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 22, 1999 Greetings to everyone
gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Congregation Beth Israel of
Asheville. |
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| Page 3 | biscn_004 | State of North Carolina JAMES B. HUNT JR. GOVERNOR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 1999 BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the first Jewish settlers came to Asheville in
the 1880s, attracted to the city because of economic opportunity. The year
1880 marked the long-awaited coming of the railroad to Asheville, ending
the city's isolation and bringing forth goods and passengers; and |
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| Page 4 | biscn_005 | CITY OF ASHEVILLE PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, the City of Asheville,
North Carolina, is rightly known as a place of diversity and tolerance,
where all citizens, of whatever religious persuasion, race, gender,
national origin, age, handicapping condition, or other condition or
preference enjoy the fullest liberty and live together in harmony; and |
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| Page 5 | biscn_006 | Our First Hundred Years Jews first came to the mountains of North Carolina during the early 1800's. Earning their livings as itinerant peddlers, they were called "egg-eaters" by the Cherokees because of their refusal to violate the rules of kashrut by eating meat. The permanent Jewish population of North Carolina grew slowly. As late as 1878 there were only 820 Jews in the entire state, residing chiefly in such localities as Wilmington, Durham and Charlotte. The first Jewish settlers came to Asheville in the 1880's. It has been said that they were attracted to the town because of former Governor Zebulon B. Vance. This Civil War hero and native son of Buncombe County had by the 1870's established a reputation as a friend of the state's Jewish citizens. In the 1860's he had championed a bill aimed at ending the ban on office-holding for non-Christians in the state legislature. In 1874 Vance entered the Chautauqua lecture circuit to deliver a well-received speech entitled "The Scattered Nation." In it he praised Jews as a "most intelligent and civilized" people. Probably of greater importance in attracting Jews to Asheville in the 1880's was economic opportunity. The year 1880 marked the long-awaited coming of the railroad to the little mountain city. Ending Asheville's isolation, the railroad brought forth goods and passengers, opened the mountain area to tourism and offered opportunities for storekeepers and merchants. Among the more notable of the early Jewish merchants were Solomon Lipinsky and the Michalove brothers. Lipinsky, who came from Richmond, Virginia, opened a department store in 1881 and in 1889 founded Bon Marche, for many decades a leading retail emporium on Haywood Street. In 1889 four Michalove brothers and a sister arrived from Lithuania. At first the men worked as itinerant peddlers, but as their situation improved they established a number of small stores. The most famous of these was the IXL store which became an Asheville institution known for its fine china, glass and silver. By 1891 a sufficient number of Jewish families resided in Asheville to enable the establishment of a synagogue. On August 16 of that year, 27 of the city's Jewish citizens, including Solomon Lipinsky, founded Congregation Beth Ha-Tephila. Its charter stated that Beth Ha-Tephila was to be a "conservative" institution dedicated to "holding religious services, establishing a Sunday School, purchasing a cemetery and acquiring a house of worship." (Golden Book of Memoirs: Fiftieth Anniversary of Congregation Beth Ha-Tephila) [image caption: Old Synagogue (circa. 1924)] |
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| Page 6 | biscn_007 | Less than a decade passed when a group
of eight men reached a decision to form a new congregation. What motivated
these men was their fear that Beth Ha-Tephila had strayed too far from
traditional Judaism because too many of its members had apparently come to
believe that "the Orthodox Judaism of the elders was too restrictive...and
that certain customs and traditions... were outmoded, unnecessary and too
difficult to maintain." (History of Congregation Bikur Cholim). Although
Beth Ha-Tephila had committed itself to a "conservative" form of Judaism,
its members had very likely yielded to the pressures of trying to live
comfortably as Jews in a predominantly rural section of the South where
the vast majority of their neighbors were native-born Protestants. In
addition to striving for what they regarded as respectability' in the eyes
of the gentile population, the Jewish men who established Beth Ha-Tephila
undoubtedly found strict Sabbath observance a hindrance in the quest to
earn a livelihood. Congregation Bikur Cholim (Visitation of the Sick), as Beth Israel was called until the name change of 1950, was chartered on February 16,1899. Apparently those who had organized the congregation were influenced by Asheville's reputation as a mountain health resort. The names of the eight founders revealed that the split had divided families. Two Blomberg brothers had been among the founders of Beth Ha-Tephila. The older brother, Aaron, was among those who established Bikur Cholim, while his younger brother, Louis, remained with the older congregation. Among those establishing Bikur Cholim were J.B. Schwartzberg, M. Zageir and R.B. Zageir, each kinsmen of Beth Ha-Tephila founders. One of the founders with no apparent ties to the organizers of the older congregation was Solomon Harris Michalove, one of the four brothers who had settled in Asheville in 1889. According to the Golden Anniversary history of Bikur Cholim written in 1949, those who fifty years earlier established the new congregation had "decided that the type of Reform Judaism emphasized at that period was inadequate...for their needs and the needs of their children. Their answer to the problem was the forming of a new congregation to promote and conduct Orthodox religious services." As the new century dawned it was not at all evident that Asheville with its small Jewish population could sustain two congregations. Neither could afford full-time rabbis. Bikur Cholim hired Louis Londow who had arrived from Baltimore in 1897. Rabbi Londow supplemented his salary by opening a Jewish grocery store. Each congregation also struggled to raise enough funding to build or purchase a house of worship. Not until 1902 did Beth Ha-Tephila find a permanent home when it bought a forty-year old Baptist church for $2,000 and converted it into its first temple. Bikur Cholim in its earliest years held services at the Masonic Temple and later at the Odd Fellows Hall located on Church Street. It is likely that enough sentiment existed in the broader Asheville Jewish community to effectuate a compromise between the "conservative" Beth Ha-Tephila and the "orthodox" Bikur Cholim. In 1904 Dr. Solomon Schechter, the head of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, arrived in Asheville to negotiate a possible merger between the two congregations. His efforts did not succeed. In 1908 Beth Ha-Tephila moved further in the direction of Reform by joining the umbrella organization of Reform Judaism, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and by adopting its Union Prayer Book. By the second decade of the century Bikur Cholim was ready to strike out along a clearly independent path. In 1911 the congregants had scraped together $1,000 to purchase a lot on South Liberty Street to build a house of worship. By that year Bikur Cholim had attracted many Jewish Ashevillians who had arrived after the pioneers of the 1880's. Such names as Schas, Schandler, Finklestein, Pearlman, Pollock and Schochet, among others, made their appearance on the list of members and contributors. Work on the new synagogue proceeded slowly. Enough of the structure was completed by 1912, however, to permit the holding of High Holy Day services. The unfinished building also accommodated a heder for the children of the congregants. In his memoirs Leo Finklestein, a life-long resident of Asheville, related an amusing anecdote about an experience as a |
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| Page 7 | biscn_008 | pupil at the heder when he was nine
years old. "In 1911" he recounted the erection of the house of worship was started on South Liberty Street. The Heder was moved there in 1912. Hebrew classes were scheduled every Saturday through the winter without any heat. There was a large coal stove in the center of the sanctuary but nobody would build a fire on Shabbos. Even in those days educational institutions had trouble with rebelling students. One cold day a student reported to rabbi Redunsky that a water pipe had frozen and broke in the basement. The rabbi went to see about it. We ran out of the building not to return until warm weather. The year 1916 saw the completion of the building on South Liberty Street. Then on September 16, the eve of Rosh Hashonah, tragedy struck. A fire of unknown origin completely destroyed the new synagogue.The disaster cost over $11,000, an enormous sum in those early days of the century. "Of equal importance with the monetary loss," noted one commentator, "was the realization that all the work and planning and saving of seventeen years had vanished in smoke and flame and it would all have to be done over again." To add to the woes of 1916, a group of dissidents split off from Bikur Cholim shortly after the fire. They founded a new congregation which they called Anshei Yeshuran (Fellowship of the Upright). The records do not reveal the reasons for the split, but in 1921 the two factions reunited. No doubt the members of each group realized that a new synagogue could not be erected unless they pooled their resources. In 1924, the silver anniversary year of Bikur Cholim, the rebuilt synagogue reopened on the site on South Liberty Street. It was to remain the home of the congregation for 45 years. Financing the construction of the building was a difficult task. Not until 1934 would the last of the loans be paid off. On Yom Kippur of that year an emergency appeal to the congregants raised the $1800 required for the final payment on the mortgage. Now established in their own home, the members of Bikur Cholim took on new activities. They opened a Sunday School and a Community Talmud Torah. The latter admitted any Jewish children who wished to attend, even those of non-members. In 1922 a Ladies Auxiliary (now the Beth Israel Sisterhood) was formed. It planned social activities, helped beautify the synagogue and performed major work in fund-raising. In keeping with the name of the congregation, the women of the Ladies Auxiliary even prepared quantities of chicken soup for the Jewish patients at the various tuberculosis sanitoria in the Asheville area. [image caption: Rabbi Louis Londow] |
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| Page 8 | biscn_009 | With the arrival of 1949 Bikur Cholim
reached its golden anniversary, celebrating that milestone at a banquet
held on February 17 at the Jewish Community Center. The featured speaker
at the festive occasion was Rabbi Gilbert Klaperman of B'rith Shalom
Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina. Herbert Wadopian, Asheville
businessman and synagogue benefactor, served as toastmaster, while S.H.
Michalove, the only surviving member of the founding group of 1899, came
as guest of honor. Several weeks later Bikur Cholim joined the United Synagogue of America at a ceremony held at the Jewish Community Center. Affiliation with the central body of Conservative Judaism officially confirmed a reality evident for some time, namely, that Bikur Cholim was not a truly Orthodox congregation. For many years English as well as Hebrew had been used in services, while men and women worshipped together in mixed seating. In the early 1950's, in a further departure from Orthodox practice, the congregation decided to shorten the length of Sabbath services to one hour and to start at 8AM in order to accommodate members who needed to go to jobs and businesses. It was not until the 1970's that Beth Israel returned to a longer Sabbath service with a later starting time. Today, the mission of United Synagogue is to facilitate a measure of uniformity in ritual and practice among the hundreds of congregations in the United States and Canada which, like Beth Israel, have committed themselves to Conservative Judaism. A disappointing happening of the eventful fiftieth anniversary year was the unexpected resignation of Bikur Cholim's spiritual leader, Martin Kessler. Rabbi Kessler, a well-educated man with a science background, had arrived in Asheville from England in 1948. Apparently the rabbi was well-regarded by the congregants, for shortly after his arrival a house was purchased as a residence for him on Annandale Avenue within walking distance of the shul. Soon afterward Rabbi Kessler's wife came from England to join her husband. What happened next is recounted by Milton Lurey, a long-time leader and benefactor of the congregation, "I guess," recalled Lurey, "Mrs. Kessler must have been disappointed in our rabbi's home but I recall they were showered with house warming gifts. Although she was well received, she just wasn't happy, so there goes Rabbi and Mrs. Kessler in 1949." Rabbi Kessler's brief tenure signified what appeared to be a relatively high rate of turnover for rabbis during Bikur Cholim's history. Kessler had been the congregation's fourteenth rabbi over a fifty year span. One can only speculate as to why so many rabbis came and went so often. Perhaps among the many possible reasons were better compensation from larger synagogues and Asheville's isolation from the main centers of Judaism, which made it difficult for rabbis to feel comfortable where a rich network of Jewish institutions was lacking. Over the years there were many extended periods when the congregation had to make do without a spiritual leader. This no doubt posed difficulties especially during the High Holy Days and when weddings and funerals had to be performed. Milton Lurey related [image caption: Rabbi Martin Kessler] |
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| Page 9 | biscn_010 | that at the time he wed the former
Mildred Wadopian in February of 1939 Bikur Cholim had no rabbi. Rabbi
Robert Jacobs of Beth Ha-Tephila filled in and performed a Conservative
ceremony for the Lureys. In conducting Friday night and Sabbath services,
knowledgeable laymen provided leadership. Dr. Schandler recollects that
such past members as Jake Rosen and Lou Kaplan often led services during
the 1940's and 1950's. Beth Israel's troubles with retaining spiritual leaders continued until 1956 when Rabbi Alexander Gelberman arrived with his family from Florida. Gelberman proved to be popular with the congregants, but in 1960 he became ill with tuberculosis and had to be confined to a sanitarium in Black Mountain for the better part of a year. Once again Beth Israelites had to improvise in the absence of a rabbi. Dr. Schandler, who was the congregation's president in 1960, remembers that Rabbi Gelberman taped his High Holy day sermons so that they could be aired during services. In 1964 Gelberman left Beth Israel to take a pulpit in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. His departure during the month of August meant that Beth Israel would be without a rabbi during the High Holy Days of that year. November of 1965 saw the arrival of Samuel A. Friedman as Beth Israel's spiritual leader. A native of Philadelphia, Friedman was trained as an Orthodox rabbi. He came to Asheville after 20 years of service at Congregation B'nai Israel in Wilmington, North Carolina. A warm and congenial man of middle-age, Rabbi Friedman combined piety with flexibility and erudition with affability. He was an outstanding teacher, holding after-service discussions on Shabbos, teaching adult education classes and leading book-of-the month gatherings at the homes of various congregants. Also popular with the pupils of the Talmud Torah, Rabbi Friedman prepared many for their bar and bat mitzvahs when they became of age. In performing his duties Friedman was aided by his energetic rebbetzin, Zehava, who played an active role in the Sisterhood. Samuel Friedman remained at Beth Israel until 1980 when he retired after fifteen years of service. With the approach of the 1960's events unfolded that would lead in 1969 to Beth Israel's move to a new home— our current synagogue at 229 Murdock Avenue. In 1959 the congregation bought a lot on the corner of Norwood and Murdock Avenues in response to rumors that the City of Asheville had earmarked the neighborhood around South Liberty Street for urban renewal. Thus, there emerged in the minds of Beth Israelites the realization that their synagogue might be torn down and that they would have to move elsewhere. By 1964 speculation about the fate of the synagogue would go beyond the rumor stage. In September the Asheville Development Commission sent Dr. Joseph Schandler a letter stating that it had appraised the value of the [image caption: S. H. Michalove] |
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| Page 10 | biscn_011 | synagogue's building and lot at a
figure between sixty-and sixty-six thousand dollars. Undoubtedly, Beth
Israel's leaders worried over whether even the larger sum of $66,000 could
serve as a sufficient basis for a building fund campaign. In early 1967,
following negotiations between congregational leaders and the Development
Commission, the City of Asheville agreed to pay Beth Israel $88,250 for
the property on South Liberty Street. The City also agreed to delay
removal of the old synagogue until a new one could be opened for use. These arrangements gave the green light for the start of the building campaign. It was to be a mighty effort. The new synagogue would cost about $225,000. With close to $90,000 received from the sale of the old synagogue, the target of the campaign was set at $135,000. A look at the number and variety of committees and their membership lists revealed that practically every congregant would play some role in getting the new synagogue built. The major committees were Building headed by Dr. Schandler, Fund-Raising led by Jerry Sternberg and Publicity chaired by Aaron Schandler. The overall effort was led by Beth Israel president Benson Slosman who proudly announced at the end of May that half of the targeted amount had been raise through pledges and actual contributions. On December 17, 1967 the ground-breaking ceremony occurred. Rabbi Emeritus of Beth Ha-Tephila, Sidney R. Unger, delivered the invocation, and Rabbi Friedman conducted a brief service. Present, in addition to officers from both of Asheville's Jewish congregations were a number of dignitaries including Earl Eller, the mayor of Asheville, and Rev. Nilous Avery, the vice-president of the Asheville Ministerial Association. By July 21, 1968 the construction of the new Beth Israel had progressed sufficiently to allow for the cornerstone-laying ceremony, with a similar array of dignitaries present. By March of 1969 the new building was ready for use. On the last Friday evening of March the congregation held the final service at the South Liberty Street shul. The Asheville Citizen reported that "the seats were packed with members of the congregation and former members who returned to Asheville for the last services of the old synagogue." President Benson Slosman aptly commented that "this is not a sad but a sentimental occasion. It must be time to leave," Slosman added, for the old synagogue's furnace had malfunctioned during the afternoon, filling the building with smoke. The new synagogue was officially dedicated at a ceremony held on May 29, 1969. A more spacious structure and with more amenities than its predecessor, the Murdock Avenue building had a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 180 as compared to the old synagogue which seated about 80 people.. Additionally, the Murdock Avenue structure had classrooms. Such facilities were absent in the old synagogue. A happy and grateful Rabbi Friedman offered the following prayer of blessing for the congregants present at the dedication ceremony: "Lord of the Universe, these are the people you have entrusted to me. They are good people. They are loyal to your Torah. They keep your commandments.They live by your light. They are just, kind, good, and I love them." Succeeding Rabbi Friedman as Beth Israel's spiritual leader was Rabbi Paul Grob who had served as a cantor in his previous post at a synagogue in Portsmouth, Virginia. Rabbi Grob arrived with an ambitious agenda aimed at bringing about enhanced commitment to Jewish observance and learning by each Beth Israel member. He launched what he called a Life Long Learning in Judaism program which involved among other initiatives a Beginner's class in Hebrew and Jewish Values, a Bat and Bar Mitzvah program for adults, an Independent Study with the Rabbi on Jewish topics selected by the student and a Teacher Development program for youths over 14 years of age to train them as future Sunday School teachers. Another initiative of Rabbi Grob involved a merger of the Beth Israel and Beth Ha-Tephila Sunday Schools.The apparent purpose of this venture, administered jointly with Rabbi Paul Kaplan of Beth Ha-Tephila, was to make more efficient use of classroom facilities and available teachers. A final noteworthy part of Rabbi Grob's agenda was the introduction in 1982 |
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| Page 11 | biscn_012 | of daily minyans. The daily services
were intended to offer additional opportunities for torah study and to
allow those needing to recite kaddish to have a ready-made minyan.
Congregants were urged to join what came to be called the "minyanaire's
club" by attending as many week-day services as possible. Rabbi Grob's energetic leadership quickly resulted in an impressive growth spurt in Beth Israel's membership. Between 1980 and 1981 the number of families affiliated with the synagogue grew from 78 to 90, an increase of 15 per cent. Many of the changes promoted by Rabbi Grob turned out to be of short longevity. The joint Sunday School venture with Beth Ha-Tephila lasted two years and was discontinued in 1982. Additionally, the practice of holding daily minyans could not be sustained over time. At present, non-Sabbath minyans are held only on Thursday and Sunday mornings. The adult bar and bat mitzvah program showed results in 1982 when septuagenarian Isabel Shulimson became the first adult in Beth Israel's history to perform a bat mitzvah at a service during April of that year. In subsequent years there have been additional adult bar and bat mitzvahs at Beth Israel, several of which performed by members who had converted to Judaism. In 1986 Paul Grob left Beth Israel to acccept a rabbinical post in Satellite Beach, Florida. His successor was Elliott Pearlson who at age 28 was probably the youngest rabbi in Beth Israel's history. Brought up in Miami Beach, Rabbi Pearlson received his training at Yeshiva University in New York and at the Talmudic University in Miami. A personable man from an Orthodox family, Rabbi Pearlson was also a student of karate. Pearlson explained in a 1987 interview with the Asheville Citizen-Times that his interest in karate began while in Miami when his pride in Judaism and his refusal to remove his yarmulke led to a number of physical confrontations. Rabbi Pearlson's tenure at Beth Israel proved to be relatively brief. He left in June of 1989 with his wife and young children to accept a pulpit at a synagogue in his hometown of Miami Beach. Succeeding Pearlson was our current rabbi, Shmuel Birnham who arrived with his wife Sara in August of 1989 in time for the High Holy Days. A native of Huntington, Long Island, Rabbi Birnham is a graduate of Dickinson College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He received his ordination in 1989 upon receiving his master's degree from the Seminary. Rabbi Birnham quickly demonstrated a commitment to adult eduction reminiscent of Paul Grob's Lifelong Learning in Judaism program. In the fall of 1989 he introduced a course based on Emet Ve Emunah (Truth of the Faith), a recently published statement of principles of Conservative Judaism. In subsequent years the Rabbi has made teaching and learning a central activity of his mission at Beth Israel by offering commentaries on Sabbath Torah readings and in leading a large variety of classes with such titles as Introduction to Judaism and Tal- [image caption: Clockwise from top left: A. Blomberg, R. B. Zagier, M. Schas, H. Schas. Center: L. Michalove.] |
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| Page 12 | biscn_013 | mud for Beginners as well as on topics
of a more advanced level. In early 1989 the leaders of their respective synagogues began a study of the feasibility of a merger between Beth Israel and Beth Ha-Tephila. It seemed that history might come full circle in that the single congregation that had divided in 1899 might become reunited now, ninety years later. In a joint letter to their members dated March 2, 1989, Presidents William Lewin of Beth Israel and Kerry Friedman of Beth Ha-Tephila laid out the reasons for the possible merger. Of greatest concern was the growing financial burden of sustaining three major Jewish institutions in Asheville. "Ultimately," the letter asked, "can and should our community continue to support three separate Jewish institutions" including the Jewish Community Center? Other comments in the letter linked the possible benefits of merger to meeting the challenges of attracting unaffiliated Jews and of retaining professional leadership for the three major Jewish institutions. In moving the investigation of these issues forward, each congregation sent questionnaires to members and held special meetings to allow congregants to air their views. A joint Merger Committee was also formed, charged with examining all of the ramifications of the proposal and issuing recommendations in a final report. In regard to the matter of physical facilities, the Merger Committee needed to consider whether to build an entirely new house of worship or to take the more modest approach of expanding and renovating one of the existing synagogues. Probably of even more critical importance was the task of reconciling differences in ritual as practiced by the Reform Judaism of Beth Ha-Tephila and the Conservatism of Beth Israel. An eight-member Ritual Sub-Committee reached agreement on such matters as holding Rosh Hashonah services on both days in conformity with Conservative practice and making the wearing of kipot (skull caps) and talilot (prayer shawls) optional rather than mandatory as a concession to Reform custom. The issue where no agreement could be reached revolved around defining who is and who is not a Jew. The Reform group insisted on acceptance of the principle of patrilineal descent which meant that the offspring of a Jewish father and a Gentile mother could be considered a Jew without having to undergo a formal conversion. The Conservative side, adhering to the Halachic principle of matri-lineal descent, maintained that the children of non-Jewish mothers did have to undergo formal conversion. Those who did not, could not be considered Jewish and thus were not eligible to participate in a whole gamut of rituals including bat/bar mitzvahs, aliyot and the recitation of prayers on the bimah during services. With the failure to reach agreement on the critical issue of defining who is and who is not a Jew, the merger effort came to a halt. In a report issued in April of 1990 the Ritual Sub-Committee stated that "we reluctantly conclude that no merger is possible at this time." The report left open a chance for further talks in the indefinite future by concluding that "this does not mean that there will never be a possibility of a merger. Conditions do change, ritual practices change and the memberships constantly change." The abortive merger effort of 1989-1990 could not obscure a central feature of Jewish life in the city evi- [image captions: George Cooley Nemiah Goldstein] |
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| Page 13 | biscn_014 | dent for nearly a century, namely, that
while there have been two synagogues in Asheville, there has been in
actuality only one Jewish community. In addition to the social and family
ties bringing members of each congregation together, there have existed
countless opportunities for interaction among Jews within the community's
many institutions. What initially comes to mind, of course, is the Jewish
Community Center. Founded in 1938, the JCC has sponsored events of a
social, recreational or cultural nature that for sixty years have brought
together Jews and others from the wider community. Also worthy of mention
are the Center for Jewish Studies at UNC-Asheville and Hadassah, the
Jewish women's service organization. Finally, both synagogues together
sponsor many functions and activities for youth and adults alike,
including joint Sunday School events, a Hebrew High School for post bar
mitzvah youth and the annual Yom Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Memorial) Service
held each April since 1984. Starting in the 1980's, as Beth Israel began to approach its one-hundreth birthday, a number of significant trends and developments became evident. One such development was the expanding role of women in religious services and in the sphere of synagogue governance. In the 1980's, in a move sanctioned by the United Synagogue, women were permitted for the first time to perform aliyot and recite haftorahs during Sabbath and festival services. In 1987 Beth Israel selected its first woman president, Celine Lurey. In 1996 Caren Kessler became the congregation's second female president. A college professor and resident of Hendersonville, Ms. Kessler has recently overseen the painstaking and important task of revising Beth Israel's Bylaws and in general performed her duties with dedication and distinction during her two-year tenure. Currently women occupy positions of leadership in managing synagogue affairs in many areas. Barbara Lewin serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Arlene Schandler, formerly the long-time head the Grounds Committee, continues to supervise the semiannual rummage sales. Doris Abramson and Robin Landsman respectively serve as chairs of the Membership and Family Education Committees. Shulamit Hedgepeth is chair of the Ritual Committee and serves as a synagogue gaba'it who assists in leading services. Ms. Hedgepeth along with Sara Birnham and Debi Miles play leading roles as teachers and administrators in Beth Israel youth education programs. Under the energetic leadership of Toby Cohen and others, the Sisterhood has grown to over 100 members and continues to undertake responsibilites vital to the well-being of Beth Israel. Ever since the founding of the Ladies Auxiliary back in 1922 women have made important contributions to Beth Israel, including service as members of the synagogue's Board of Directors. Now, in this centennial year, it has become evident that the women members of the congregation have reached a status of parity with the male members in fulfilling practically all phases of Beth Israel's mission. A second major development that became increasingly striking as the 1990's advanced was the growth spurt in Beth Israel's membership. At the opening of the decade membership stood at about 100 families. Presently it has doubled to about two hundred. To a large extent this phenomenon could be attributed to a growth spurt in the general population of Asheville and its environs. A recent survey published in the Asheville Citizen-Times revealed that between 1990 and 1996 the population of Buncombe County increased by close to 17,000 people or by 9.7 percent. Henderson County showed an event [image captions: Milton Lurey Dr. Harold Book] |
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| Page 14 | biscn_015 | more impressive growth rate of 12.5 per
cent with 8,655 new residents. Undoubtedly, Jews have been well
represented in this general trend. Why Jews have moved to the Asheville
area can be attributed to the same causes explaining why others have moved
here. Asheville has a comfortable climate and scenic beauty. It is as good
place to retire or to raise a family. It also has fewer of the social and
environmental ills that plague many of our larger cities. Another cause of the dramatic growth in membership in recent years, unquantifiable but nevertheless palpable, is the impact of Rabbi Birnham himself. Unlike previous spiritual leaders that have served Beth Israel, Shmuel Birnham came from a non-observant family. By living and studying in Israel and then attending seminary during his late twenties and early thirties, Shmuel Birnham fashioned a strong and meaningful Jewish identity' for himself. He not only found a religious faith but an entire way of life rich in spiritual, emotional and intellectual fulfillment. In the way they live and express their Judaism, Rabbi Birnham and his wife Sara no doubt serve as beacons for those Jews who seek fulfillment in the Tradition and who attempt to find it by affiliating with Beth Israel. A second noteworthy feature of Beth Israel's membership is its remarkable diversity. One can find natives and transplants, retirees and families with children, thirty-somethings and octogenarians, couples and single folk, Holocaust survivors and Russian emigres, Jews-by-birth and Jews-by choice. By occupation one can list accountants, attorneys, civil servants, crafts people, dentists, educators, health care providers, manufacturers, optometrists, physicians, as well as realtors, retailers, restauranteurs and retirees (many with second careers). Diversity can no doubt cause friction and conflicts of interest among members of a synagogue, as of any group. But diversity can also engender fresh perspectives and new initiatives. In recent years there has been ample evidence of the latter. Two recent transplants from Long Island, Bill Abramson and Barry Landsberg, have done impressive work in reviving the long-dormant Beth Israel Men's Club. Dr. Walter Ziffer, Holocaust survivor and Judaic scholar, and Dr. Richard Chess, poet and UNC-A professor, have enriched the spiritual and intellectual life of Beth Israel's congregants in many ways. Rochelle Neuringer, a systems analyst with the City of Asheville, has put Beth Israel into the twenty-first century by creating a synagogue web-page for the Internet. In the 1980's long-time members Jack Feingold, Abe Freedman, Benson Slosman and Ronnie Goldstein established a Beth Israel Endowment Fund. Under the creative leadership of William Lewin and Bob Deutsch the Endowment Fund has now developed into an important means of helping the synagogue meet its financial needs in a time of rapidly expanding budgetary growth. Historians are usually wary of predicting the future. If one considers, however, the degree of commitment to the vitality of Beth Israel and to Judaism in general shown by the present generation of members, than one can say that our congregation's prospects for the foreseeable future look bright indeed. Perhaps the best way to end this account of Beth Israel's first hundred years is to quote the last words of the golden anniversary history written fifty years ago, hoping that a future generation can say the same thing of us: "If we will cling to the principles and precepts of Judaism and teach them to our children to carry on after us, our ancestors will consider themselves well re-paid." Author's Note: In writing this history, I was impressed by the countless number of men and women who over the decades gave so much of the three "t's"— time, talent and tzedakah—in furthering the well-being of Beth Israel. Some of these good people I know of only through the written record; others I know through personal experience as a member of Beth Israel for nearly 30 years. Recording the contributions of all those worthy of recognition would have required a history of at least twice the length of the one produced in the foregoing pages. In the end I can only salute these men and women without acknowledging them by name. In searching out the story of Beth Israel over the span of its one hundred year existence, I relied on many sources. Indispensible was The History of Congregation Bikur Cholim written in 1949 |
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| Page 15 | biscn_016 | by an anonymous author on the occasion
of the synagogue's fiftieth anniversary. Valuable for providing historical
context especially for the early period was The Golden Book of Memoirs:
Fiftieth Anniversary of Congregation Beth Ha-Tephila (1941) and a
scholarly article by Leonard Rogoff of Chapel Hill entitled "Synagogue and
Jewish Church: A Congregational History of North Carolina." Written memoir
material by Leo Finklestein and Milton Lurey provided valuable
information, as did the personal recollections of Dr. Joseph Schandler. I
also thank Dr. Schandler for lending me a folder of his personal papers
pertaining to Beth Israel affairs. The Asheville Citizen-Times has over
the years printed many articles and reports covering the affairs of Beth
Israel as well as those of the Jewish community in general. Articles in
the Citizen-Times by UNC-A historian Milton Ready and columnist Bob
Terrell shed light on several aspects of the early history of Asheville
Jewry. I also benefited much from reading a recent article by our own Alan
Silverman enitled "Shtetele in the Mountains." It can be found on the
Jewish Community Center Web page on the Internet. Finally, essential to
fulfilling my task was the material found in the Beth Israel archives,
including a miscellany of reports, letters, announcements and pamphlets as
well as copies of the Beth Israel Synagogue Bulletin (now known as The
Shofar) dating from the 1960's to the present. Sheldon Neuringer Happy 100th Birthday Beth
Israel |
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| Page 17 | biscn_017 | It's been a wonderful ten years! Mazel Tov, Beth Israel, on your 100th. With
Love, |
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| Page 20 | biscn_018 | CONGRATULATIONS BETH ISRAEL ON THE
FIRST CENTENNIAL From the Feingold family Members since 1953 Jack Feingold, Past
President |
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| Page 21 | biscn_019 | Lurey Family Tree Milton Mildred Eddie & Sandy Michael & Celine Stephen & Aimee Diana & Brian Nicole & David Ellen & Kevin Mazel Tov to Congregation Beth
Israel on it's 100th Anniversary |
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| Page 22 | biscn_020 | Dear Beth Israel, On your One Hundredth Anniversary, we thank you for the memories of our 18 years in the congregation and for the opportunity to grow in our Jewish practice. We fondly remember some of our highlights [in no particular order]:
Love, The Deutschim Bob, Carol, Robin and Andy |
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| Page 26 | biscn_021 | Congratulations to Congregation Beth
Israel on the occasion of the Centennial year of its being a vital part of
the Asheville Jewish Community. Our family is proud to have been a part of Congregation Bikur Cholim which became Congregation Beth Israel, having been members continually from 1912 to this date- 87 of our 100 year history. In 1912, David Sigmund Schandler (1885-1964) and his bride, Sarah Salem Schandler (1888-1981) Came from Riga, Latvia to Chicago and then to Asheville, North Carolina. Their life here resulted in the following family: Aaron Maney Schandler (7/10/13-10/16/81) and his wife, Shirley Lee, and their children: Mickey (Roberta Faun) and husband Joshua Bernard Grossman and their children, David Adam, Joel Scott and Wendy Anne Grossman.; Trudy Anne and her husband Alvin Wong and their children, Ari Kol and Shaaron Leesha Wong. Linda Jeanne and her husband Fred David Newman and their sons: Jeffrey Alien, Daniel Kevin and Simon Stuart Newman. Jack Morris Schandler and his wife, Deborah and their sons, Robert Alan and Jon Brace with wife Amy Sue and their children Matthew Jared and Karen Schandler. Seymour Schandler and his wife Nancy and their children James Alien, Steven Lee and wife Judy Ellen and their children Tracy Suzanne and Matthew David Schandler. Susan Allison and husband David Avila Esther Ruth Fox and her husband, Morris and their children, Judy and husband Philip Ross Home and their children Michelle Leigh and Kevin Austin Home. Richard Franklin Fox, wife Betsy (Mary Elizabeth) and children, Rebecca Helen and Aaron Freeman Fox. Herbert Yale Schandler and wife Sharron Ann and their daughters, Karen Rebecca and Sarah Elizabeth Schandler. Joseph Schandler and wife Arlene and their children David Kaufman and wife Heidi, and Loren Lisa and her son, Josua Slocum |
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| Page 27 | biscn_022 | To Those Who Came Before Us At
Beth Israel, Thank You For Your Vision, Your Determination and Your Legacies. One can only imagine the struggles you faced... Congratulations Beth Israel On A Century Of Growth, Vitality And Purpose. We Who Succeed You To This Day Embrace Your Steadfastness And Forge Ahead With A Vision Of Beth Israel's Second Century:
Will Our Children Look Back In 2099 And Celebrate Our Successes? What Will Be Our Legacies To Our Children And Their Children? Now Is The Time To Forge A Congregational Vision Of The Next Century Of Beth Israel. Here's To Our Past And To Our Future! Thank You Beth Israel For All You Do! With Love and Friendship Tom Rosenberg |
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| Back Cover | biscn_023 | Beth Israel Synagogue Centennial 1899-1999 Background Photo: Original Synagogue
(circa. 1924) |
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