With one of the largest Jewish populations in the state, Asheville’s thriving downtown has been the home to hundreds of Jewish businesses since the late 1800s. Recently, the local organization History@Hand completed four years of research on these businesses. Organization founders folklorist Jan Schochet and urban planner Sharon Fahrer will give a talk on their research of Asheville's Jewish businesses at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The talk is held in conjunction with the historical exhibit, “The Family Store: A History of Jewish Businesses in Downtown Asheville, 1880-1990,” which is on view at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays from January 15-February 15. The exhibit describes in detail some of the more than 400 Jewish businesses that have flourished in Asheville.

The talk and exhibit are hosted by the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement and UNC Asheville’s Center for Jewish Studies.

For more information, call the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at 828/251-6140.