Asheville Jewish Community Center announces new Jewish Lifelong Engagement Director

From the Asheville Jewish Community Center:

We are excited to announce that after a thorough national search and interview process, the JCC has hired our next Jewish Lifelong Engagement Director (the position formerly known as Community Life and Jewish Learning Director). Geri Garfinkel-Gershon will join the Asheville JCC in this leadership position on April 1.

While the immediate future of face-to-face programming is still unknown, we are excited about bringing this new director into our leadership team to help develop enriching and engaging virtual programming that will eventually transition to in-person cultural arts, Jewish learning, and adult engagement programs.

Garfinkel-Gershon has lived in seven states, in both the north (New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Pennsylvania) and the south (Tennessee and North Carolina), and spent a year abroad studying in Israel. Over the years, she has enjoyed participating in Jewish religious and cultural programming across the spectrum.

Geri’s home JCC was in Norwalk, Connecticut. There, she grew up enjoying camp every summer, swimming in the pool and in the Long Island Sound, building sandcastles, and learning to sail a catamaran. When she was old enough, she became a camp counselor and participated in the summer Broadway-style theater productions of Fiddler on the Roof and Anything Goes.

Here at the Asheville JCC, Geri is sometimes known as “Abe’s mom.” Her son Abe teaches each summer at Shalom Children’s Center, where he went as a child, as did his sister, Zoe. After 20 years in Asheville, Geri is looking forward to growing her connection to the JCC community.

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of our JCC family!