Hello Jubilants,

Both the Christian Holy Week and the Jewish Passover begin this weekend. Which is fitting, since Holy Week is a remembrance of Jesus going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was a Passover meal that Jesus shared with his friends in an upper room before he was arrested. In case you’ve forgotten what Passover is all about, here’s a fun video of the Maccabeats re-telling the story using Les Miserables: (Short version: escaping slavery in Egypt.)  Here are some ways we’ll be celebrating at Jubilee:

• Bring branches (any kind will do) to wave this week for Palm Sunday
• Come prepared to sing a little Hebrew as we share a Passover song (want to practice? Here's a video of the song).
• Thursday night, join me for a quiet service of remembrance, as we ponder how the last days of Jesus’ life speak into our own lives. (sign up to be one of 25 people in person or watch on Facebook live)
• Easter Sunday: sunrise service in the River Arts District and an online celebration Zoom at 9:45am with the World Beat Band. 

This Sunday, I am thrilled to welcome back my friend Sara Woodard, a member of Jubilee House in Nicaragua, which I was privileged to visit three years ago. Jubilee! Asheville has long been a supporter of the great work in health care and agriculture happening in Nicaragua through Community Development in Central America, and we’ll get to hear how that is going in these days of COVID and hurricanes. 

You can read more details about all of these events below and on our website.

Wishing you a blessed Passover and Holy Week,
Laura

HOLY WEEK EXPERIENCES
We have a full week of  inspiring experiences scheduled during Holy Week this year.  In addition to waiving branches on Palm Sunday, we will be holding a Holy Thursday Service of Remembrance in person in the evening at 46 Wall Street and streaming on Facebook.  There will be two Easter Sunday celebrations, including an outdoors sunrise service on the labyrinth in the River Arts District at 7:00am, followed by a 9:45am online celebration featuring The World Beat Band and Delia Lytle Baily.  Learn More and Sign Up Here

SUPPORTING JUBILEE HOUSE CDCA
We are looking forward to Sara Woodard being the main speaker at our Palm Sunday celebration on March 28th. While she won't be able to bring us the usual table full of wonderful Nicaraguan crafts this year, we can still support CDCA by donating directly on their website.  And they need our support more than ever after weathering COVID, the  after-effects of political upheaval, and two hurricanes. You can learn more and make donations here. 

NEW SEEDS OF CELEBRATION
Yes...we are still writing the Seeds of Celebration each via, We have just posted the beginning of the Seeds for Via Transformativa 2021 on the Our Focus This Quarter page of our website, and expect to have the final version posted soon. You can always find the most up-to-date Seeds there, along with the archive of Seeds going all the way back to 2015.

STOP ASIAN HATE
The recent hate crime murders in Atlanta demand that we redouble our commitment to dismantling white supremacy, and to standing in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of Asian-American, Asian, South Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent.  Learn about how you can help stop Asian hate from Equity in the Center.  

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
There is still time to take part in the Racial Equity Team's book discussions of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 6pm, facilitated by Alice Dixson. Caste is an excellent book and if you’d like to join the group, just email melody.lebaron@gmail.com to be added to the list. If you don’t feel you have time to read the book this spring, you’ll want to listen to Oprah’s 8-episode podcast series with Isabel Wilkerson, which explores the 8 pillars of caste.

RACIAL DISPARITY IN ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS
Asheville City Schools have glaring racial disparity issues:

• Here’s what is currently happening: https://mountainx.com/news/asheville-city-schools-seeks-changes-to-desegregation-order 
• Here’s a short summary of the sad history of racism in ACS: https://avltoday.6amcity.com/history-desegregation-asheville/ 
• Here’s a UNCA session on Educational Disparity featuring professional educators and education advocates including: Nicole Cush, Principal, School of Inquiry and Life Science of Asheville (SILSA), Jesse Pitts, Counselor at Asheville Middle School, Tsianina Tovar, ESL teacher for Buncombe County Schools, and Buffy Fowler, Operations Coordinator at Francine Delaney New School. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB2azFLh_Nk 
• Here’s a good article on Ending Curriculum Violence: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2020/ending-curriculum-violence
• Here’s more resources to understand the NC/national experience of racism. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mo8GdVUu047xtKGsNjfukPWBXH7nXxVz14JQFlVIoq0/edit

"ALL WE CAN SAVE" BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Creation Care Alliance is hosting an “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” Circle series for folks seeking to discover, explore and participate in meaningful conversation about climate change and climate action from the unique vantage point of a diverse collection of women authors. For six Thursdays April 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6 and 13th from 7-8pm ET, the group will meet on Zoom for conversation, connection and collaboration.   Learn more and sign up here.  

BOARD MEMBER NOMINATIONS
Four members will be rotating off the jubilee! Board this summer: Catherine Cope, Bill Byrne, Pamela Garrett and Molly Pritchard.  Four new members will soon step onto the Board.  Whose turn is it now? The Nominating Committee welcomes your suggestions!  You can find additional information about the Board's purpose here.  If you are interested or know someone that may fit the role, please contact Nancy Ellington at nancy.a.ellington@gmail.com or Bill Byrne at billbyrne@beverly-hanks.com

SO MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT JUBILEE!
We know it's not the same as filling the basket in person, but there are lots of different ways you can donate to Jubilee! and the Hunger Basket.  Please give as generously as you can!

~  Online: Click here.
~  GivePlus app: Download the app, enter zip code 28801, then click Jubilee!
~  Text: Text 844-962-2639
~  Snail Mail: Mail your check to Jubilee!, 46 Wall Street, Asheville, NC 28801

Please donate to the hunger baskets or Jubilee!'s operating costs or both.  Jubilee! continues to have expenses to keep running.  All hunger basket donations are going to organizations that feed the hungry, house the homeless and support underserved communities in a variety of ways.