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A Brief History of the Asheville Jewish Community Center
By Deborah Miles Rudow

There is evidence that the first Jews in Western North Carolina were pack peddlers who would travel the pathways into the coves and remotest areas of the region to sell their goods.  There is even possible reference to this in the Asheville newspapers of the 1850's as an article warned slave owners to be on the look out for "Yankee peddlers" who were spreading news of the Northern anti-slavery movements to slaves in the region. One of the earliest recorded families were the Michaloves who came up from Greenville and settled in both Hendersonville and Asheville. 

By 1892, there was enough of a community for the establishment of Beth Ha Tephila (Reform) on the site that is now the Renaissance Hotel. Six years later an Orthodox congregation was formed, Bikur Cholim (care for the sick - so named in acknowledgement of those who moved here to recuperate from tuberculosis). It stood at what is now the parking lot of the Best Western and was renamed Beth Israel as a Conservative Congregation. 

The population were largely merchants and had a good share of the downtown businesses. Dodie Schandler's family moved here in the early 1930's from Chicago to set up a grocery store next to First Baptist. He compiled a list of a few of those businesses:

In 1939, the Jewish community bought the old house at 236 Charlotte Street to serve as a social gathering place. Formally it had been a residence and then a private school (part of the schools that would eventually merge to become Carolina Day School). It served the Jewish community until it was torn down in June, 1993 to make way for the current building.

Having been incorporated just prior to WWII, many of the Jewish Community Center's first uses were war related.  Morris and Ruth Schandler Fox were married there with Morris in his Navy uniform in 1941.  The community organized an active USO organization. Families would host young servicemen in their homes on the weekend who were trainging in Camp Croft down in Spartanburg.  Other families recall the poker games and the Red Cross programs that took place at the JCC during the war years. Traditionally, the New Year's Eve Party drew one of the largest crowds of the year. By the 1950's, a nursery school and a summer day camp were on the list of activities that eventually was to include a newly built swimming pool underwritten by the Levitch family.  The 1967 Six Day War saw a surge in interest at the J as the community fundraised to support the war effort in the old social hall.

Professional directors began to be hired to run the center in the 1970's.

From time to time, portions of the space were rented out to businesses to help cover the cost including New Studio of Dance. Bingo became a major fundraiser for the JCC during this time period as well. The Chanukah Dinner, Purim Carnival and 4^th of July picnic go back at least as far as the 1970's.   Shalom Children's Center and Just Kids were begun in the late 70's under the direction of such leaders as Bob Posner, Francine Sherwood, Geoff Brown, Paul Samuels, and later David Seidenberg and Marlene Breger-Joyce.  In the 1980's, a formal structure for fundraising was established by  the founding of WNC Jewish Federation with leadership from Bob Deutsch, Kerry Friedman and other dedicated community members. 

In the late 1980's, Jerry Sternberg, who as a boy had spent the war years in the Jr. Civilian Defense Patrol and attended many a poker game in the upstairs rooms of the old house, convinced the community of the need for the expansion of the organization and the building fund was begun with an initial pledge from approximately 10 families of 1.3 million dollars.

Initially, a site committee looked at options that would have more land north of town. In the end it was decided to stay put at the historic location.  The offices were moved to Albemarle Park across the street and the lovely old house, dilapidated though it was, was torn down. In the spring of 1993, the ground breaking was held.  The first part to be built was the pool - not a single season was missed for day camp.  By 1994, the new J was ready for the dedication. A new chapter in WNC Jewish history was begun.  

The new building has been the vehicle through which our JCC has continued to grow.  In the mid-90s, the Center for Diversity Education began as a program of the JCC, and today it thrives as an independent nonprofit organization housed at UNC-Asheville.  Throughout the 90s, volunteers led our teens in Woven Youth activities ranging from trips to Jewish learning to social and homework time.  The 1997 acquisition of Hilde's House meant we could welcome our youngest infants into our early childhood programs.  And in 1999, we proudly established the WNC Jewish Council on Aging to care for the senior members of our community.

In 2004, the community celebrated the 10^th Anniversary of the dedication of our "new" JCC building with a poolside Gala event celebrating the visionaries and leaders who have sustained our wonderful JCC through its many years.

Jewish Life in Western North Carolina
Ramsey Library at the University of North Carolina-Asheville houses a permanent special collection on the history of Jewish Life in Western North Carolina.  Click here to view the collection.  

JCC Past Presidents