Shabbat​

This week we read Parashat Chukat 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת חֻקַּת: Numbers 19:1-22:1

Chukat (“Law Of”) describes the process of burning the red heifer and using its ashes for purification, tells of the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ striking of a rock to bring forth water, a plague of venomous snakes. Howard will give the d'var.

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President's Message

Our History

Over 20 years ago, Norm placed an ad in the Transylvania Times inquiring whether there were other Jewish residents in our community interested in founding a congregation. The rest, as they say, is history. That history is intriguing, filled with fascinating personalities and adventures. Unfortunately, there are few of us around who remember these years. We will begin gathering a permanent record on July 11 at 7:00 at Sacred Heart when, following services, Marci will interview Norm on the early years of the Brevard Jewish Community. It will be a fascinating evening, and we hope many members will join us, hopefully in person, if not on Zoom.

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The Declaration of Independence at the BJC

We have all read this famous document many times; but really, what did Thomas Jefferson mean when he wrote:

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

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Maybe it was self-evident to him, but to us it can be perplexing. At services, during the dvar, Howard will probe these legendary words to try to find their original meaning and perhaps their meaning today for America’s Jewish community.

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If you have a few moments during your holiday celebrations, drop by for an hour at 7:30 and join in the conversation. There will still be time to attend the fireworks afterwards and perhaps the celebration will have a little deeper meaning for you.

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BJC Members Offer Wisdom of the Torah

The BJC is privileged to have several members who give us insight into the Torah at our Friday evening services. One of them is Jerry Mandel, the former professor at Tel Aviv University who offers understanding at an iconoclastic, contrarian, level. Ten days ago, he discussed Bamidbar and the census taken of the Jewish people. Marilyn Laken, who taught for years at a medical school and is now a teacher at the Ollie program at UNCA, last week gave us an awareness of the meaning of the parasha Sh’Lach that includes the intrigue and reports of the Israelite spies. She did this through a story entitled “Breaking into NASA.“  You may read both here, allowing us to both deepen our understanding of the Hebrew Bible and appreciate the depth of our membership.