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The Asheville Jewish Community Center remains deeply committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We support members of our LGBTQ community and reject expressions of bias and discrimination in any form. We seek to build community by reaching out to welcome people of every identity, background and belief to participate fully and freely in our programs. We encourage freedom of self-expression as we strive to learn more about each other and to explore how Jewish culture and values can enrich our pursuit of meaningful and purposeful lives.

From April 25 through April 29, look around the JCC for Afi-ko-MAN, pictured here. The first one to find him each day will win a prize! If you find him in the building, go the front desk to see if you are the first locator of the day. Also, this year at your Passover Seder, in addition to the Prophet Elijah, save a seat for Afi-ko-MAN! Click here: afi-ko-MAN, to print him out to give him a spot at your table. Post your creative photos of Afi-ko-MAN on the Asheville JCC Facebook page!

And in case you didn’t know, the ‘real’ afikoman is the middle piece of matzah from the matzah plate that is removed towards the beginning of the Passover seder and then hidden.  The kids at the seder are then invited to search for the afikoman which traditional became part of or was the dessert.  Today, it is more often traded in for a small gift.

The Asheville JCC will receive the Zahav award in Jewish Impact at the JCCs of North America Biennial to be held May 15-18 in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 700 people from the U.S., Canada, Israel, and countries in Latin America and Europe and the former Soviet Union are expected to attend this showcase event of the JCC Movement.

The award is being given for the “What’s Jewish About That?” interactive quiz, created by Community Life & Events Director Rochelle Reich. “The quiz lives on a touch screen in the lobby with a monthly rotation of four questions,” she explains. “The quiz is designed to be an easy, low barrier way for people to interact with the intersection between daily and secular topics and Judaism. It is a simple, quick way for JCC members and visitors to make Judaism relevant to their everyday lives. Topics are wide-ranging and include camping, swimming, insects, pregnancy and trees.”

The inspiration for the project is a result of a fellowship that Rochelle participated in for emerging Jewish Professional leaders in the JCC Movement. The Jewish Experiential Leadership Institute was joint project of the Jewish Theological Seminary and the JCCA, and was funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation. Rochelle credits this amazing experience for the projects’ success.

The full list of Zahav Award Winners and Kol Ha Kavod Award Winners are listed at http://biennial.jcca.org/awards/jcc-excellence-awards/. Zahav Award winners will be displayed at the JCCs of North America Biennial. They represent an impressive group of ideas in programming, service, operations, and marketing.

“Those who choose to work in non-profits and dedicate their careers to building community aren’t always recognized when their work succeeds or goes beyond expectations,” said Robin Ballin, JCC Association senior vice president, directors JCCs of North America Biennial.

“This is a chance for them to shine, for their peers to see what excellence looks like and for others to get ideas, and run with them,” she said. “We have so many talented people in the field, doing exceptional work every day. It was difficult choosing which initiatives were deserving of awards.”

This year there were 213 submissions for the competition. Awards recognized excellence in lay leadership, program and operations, and marketing and communications.  Entries came from 60 JCCs and of those, 37 won Zahav Awards, given for outstanding visionary initiatives, and 62 were awarded Kol Ha Kavod Awards, given for exemplary initiatives that can be replicated.

Every two years, the JCCs of North America Biennial Convention brings together JCC lay leaders  to learn, share, and network with their peers. JCC Association offers leadership and vision and invites top speakers to lead seminars and workshops on a variety of topics relevant to JCCs—their operation and mission.

About JCC Association:

JCC Association is the leadership network for the Jewish Community Center Movement, comprising nearly 350 JCC, YM-YWHA, and campsites in the U. S. and Canada. JCC Association offers a wide range of services and resources to strengthen the capacity of its affiliates to provide educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programs to enhance the lives of North American Jews of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the movement fosters and strengthens connections between North American Jews and Israel as well as with world Jewry. JCC Association is also a U.S. government-accredited agency for serving the religious and social needs of Jewish military personnel, their families, and patients in VA hospitals through JWB Jewish Chaplains Council.