In the Jewish tradition, concern for the poor is more important even than building a temple for worship. Sefer Hasidim (a 12th-century legal text) teaches that if a community lacks a place of worship and a shelter for the poor, it is first obligated to build a shelter for the poor. The Jewish holiday of Sukkot commemorates a time when we were homeless and poor, wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. Jews are commanded to live in temporary shelters, sukkot, for a week, as a reminder of our plight. The holiday naturally draws to our minds those who are poor and often live in temporary or no housing all year. It is thus an appropriate time for us to experience the barriers, dilemmas, and degradation suffered by the poor in our community.
Carolina Jews for Justice/West, together with the Asheville Jewish Business Forum invite you to participate in a thought-provoking and illuminating simulation of what it is like to live as a poor person in Asheville today. The program will be provided by the local non-profit organization Just Economics and will take place on Tuesday, September 29, from 4-6 p.m. at the Edington Center, 133 Livingston Street. The cost is $10 and participation will be limited to the first 45 registrants. To register, please pay through the following link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=88GBE3PE4YU2A