In 1840, Moses Weinstock arrived at the port of Charleston after a harrowing journey across Europe from Poland to escape the danger he and his family faced in their home country. He got a job as a “back peddler,” carrying merchandise on his back or on a mule as he trudged through the countryside selling… Read more: A Jew in Asheville

In my last column, I related the incident in 1939 that prompted the local Jewish community to band together and establish a place where we could meet in safety — a home of our own. In 1940, this dream came true. The community bought a very large, spooky-looking, two-story house overlooking Charlotte Street. Ironically, it… Read more: The War Years

There were three distinct cultures in the Asheville I grew up in, and describing the dynamics and relationships among them is difficult. I want to stress, however, that my purpose in writing this is not to be judgmental but to accurately portray the cultural landscape in which I was raised and, really, immersed. There was… Read more: The Cultural Divide

I grew up in Asheville, where segregation at all levels was just a way of life. In retrospect, I think that in many ways, the Jim Crow laws were almost as cruel as slavery had been. Yet at the time, I heard little or no concern from either the white or Black community about the… Read more: The Many Faces of Prejudice

Everyone has the right to associate with those people with whom they are comfortable. This is true across broad categories such as race, financial status, religion and ethnic culture. What we can’t do, however, is deny someone else’s fundamental human rights. The Jim Crow laws were state and local regulations introduced in the Southern United States in the late… Read more: The Moshe Cohen Laws

During the first half of the 20th century, what I call the Moshe Cohen laws discriminated against Jews in various ways. They were barred from working in certain fields, barred from renting or owning property in certain neighborhoods, barred from resort areas. They weren’t allowed to join elite social clubs, and quotas restricted their access… Read more: No Admittance

My transition to adulthood resulted in my being absent from Asheville for about eight years. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, I served in the Navy, mostly in the Far East. By the time I returned to Asheville in 1955, I was married, and my first child was on the way. But even for World… Read more: The More Things (Don’t) Change

In my last column, I told about my experiences in Israel at the end of the Six-Day War and that, after giving a public talk upon my return, I received numerous invitations to speak at venues such as civic clubs, schools and churches — including a couple of small evangelical churches. I recognized that many… Read more: The Turbulent 60’s