"A Peddler Knocked" presented at Asheville Jewish Community Center Oct. 13th

A Peddler Knocked, a sweeping, multigenerational story about the first Jewish settlers in Western North Carolina, will be presented on Sunday, October 13th, at the Asheville Jewish Community Center. Refreshments will be available beginning at 2:00 pm, and the reading starts at 2:30 pm. The event is free; donations will be accepted. Cultures clash as the Rosenthals and the Tranthams grapple with the wanton bigotry of early 20th century America. Set in rural Appalachia beginning in 1905, the play opens with the title character Jacob "Jake" Rosenthal - young, alone and afraid - receiving much-needed sustenance from Joe Allen Trantham, a kindhearted Christian. Their stories unfold as each man cleaves to his past even as their children, David & Molly, forge together their own uncharted future. Lovingly written and directed by local actress and playwright RoseLynn Katz, the play stands as an homage to early Jewish settlers but also speaks to all of us whose own ancestors arrived at America's shores - young, alone and afraid.