The evening includes an exciting Chanukah game for kids and a special talk by guest speaker Alan Megibow.  It will be an intimate crowd made up of all ages.  

Our dinner capacity is 40, reserve quickly before seats sell out.   Chanukah dinner is Friday, December 23 and begins at 5:30 pm. Dinner cost is $15 per person and $8 per child, with a maximum cost per family of $50. To reserve please click here  or email lbkosher@gmail.com.

For any questions, please contact Chany at 303-359-6049.

Join us on Wednesday, December 21, at 5:30pm in front of the Boulder County Courthouse

Come on time as we will be giving special light-up Chanukah Necklaces to the first 100 children.

This wonderful annual event is sponsored this year by Lubavitch of Boulder County, Boulder Jcc, Allied Jewish Federation, Oreg Foundation and 18 Pomegranates.  Special thanks to Sally and Jim Kornberg, Bruce and Rhonda Wildman and Rabbi Popack for their support.  For more information about this and other Chanukah events visit Chabadofboulder.com.

I attended Jewish summer camps every year from the time I was about 9 until I went to college, either as a camper or as a staff person. The coolest guys in camp were the songleaders, and when I was thirteen I decided I wanted to learn to play guitar and be a songleader. All through high school and college I had jobs working in religious schools and song leading for synagogues, camps, and youth group retreats. As I did more and more, I started writing my own songs and eventually started my first Jewish band, Mah Tovu. That was over 25 years ago, and I’ve been doing this ever since.

What brings you to Boulder?

I did really fun Chanukah shows at the Boulder JCC for many years, and since I went to school in Boulder and lived there for three years after college, it’s always been like coming home. I became friendly with Rabbi and Chany Scheiner over the years, and Chany invited me to participate in this menorah lighting.  I don’t get up to Boulder often enough, but I always love it!  I will be performing at the Grand Menorah Lighting on Pearl Street Mall in front of the Courthouse on December 21.  The program starts at 5:30 pm, hoping to see my Boulder fans there! My Chanukah CD “On This Night” will be available for purchase at the menorah lighting or from my web site www.stevebrodskyandfriends.com.

 

The vast majority of Americans make charitable contributions why? According to a new study at the University of Oregon, people give Charity because it feels good. They do so either because they enjoy the feeling of giving and the positive effect it can have on them, the prestige and honor gained by it or most simply because they feel it is right.
In tough economic conditions though people’s contributions have dropped because it is uncomfortable and financially overburdening to continue their philanthropic tradition. How can I give in these tough times seems to be the silent argument.

In this week’s Torah portion of Vayeishev, Joseph finds himself imprisoned in a foreign land after surviving an attempt on his life from his own brothers, enslavement and betrayal by an Egyptian official by no fault of his own but due to corruptness and conspiracy. Although Joseph retained full justification to become depressed, shun his fellow prisoners and sulk about his harsh prison sentence he did something extraordinary.

Not only did he not disregard his fellow inmates but he took the initiative and sensitivity to befriend and comfort others. Although in a prison environment where most are down he asked “why are you downcast today” paying keen and supersensitive attention to realize that these officers were more downcast than usual and tried to comfort them. Through this Joseph became second in command of Egypt and saved the world from starvation.

Rabbi Joseph I. Shneerson, reknown for his unconditional love for every Jew, explained the moral of the episode of Joseph was not that he became the second to most powerful man in Egypt but that he was able to use that power to help more people and save humanity from starvation.

Like Joseph, our love for our fellow Jew should not be dependent on a structure or situation but something we follow due to our respect to G-d and humanity. It is not for our own personal benefit that we give but out of our most basic love for another person. To be human on the most basic level is to give.

We must stop focusing on ourselves and realize that every single person at every single moment in every single situation is here for a purpose – to make the world a better place. And the fact that we contain more power, prestige or money than another person is only for the purpose to wield that advantage to make the world a better place by helping another person or to do another good deed.

Every single person contains within him a little flame and contains a mission to add a little light where darkness prevails. And to do that we need not be a Rabbi, CEO, or politician. Like Joseph, regardless of spectrum of influence we can always smile to someone, we can give a child encouragement or just show someone that we care. It’s not what we give but that – and how - we give that counts. All it takes is one act of goodness in any situation that can have the greatest impact. And good will always follow because good always leads to more good.

Moshe Scheiner of Boulder, CO is studying in Yeshiva in Brookyn, NY.

Join us for Boulder ‘s 1st ever Chanukah on ice!  Don your Skates and glide the ice to the electrifying beat of popular Chanukah songs.  Enjoy fun skating games.  After the community skate, take part in making history as we host the first ever Public Menorah Lighting in Louisville, featuring menorah-lighter Rich Schad.  Rich spins 4 questions for us:

1) How many years have you lived in Louisville or Boulder County? Since 1979 when Louisville had no market, 1 stop light, and South Boulder Road was one lane in each direction.

2) Can you tell us what the early years were like in Boulder? In the Early years, B.C., (Before Carly) we attended Hillel Services with Rabbi Weitzner and were one of the founding families at Bonai Shalom.

 3) What different organizations did you volunteer for? The list includes Federation (on Board several times and Boulder campaign chair for 8 years), Bonai Shalom board, Jewish Family Service, CAJE, Boulder Jewish Day School (sigh!), and in the general community, LAM Foundation, Hospice, Exempla Good Samaritan, Colorado Therapy Animals, Balfour Cherrywood, Frasier Meadows, and Delta Pet Partners.

 4) What is your favorite Chanukah memory?  Best gift was a bicycle I received in third grade which my father put together while I slept – second best gift was in second grade, an American Flyer train set, which I promptly waxed the tracks (you know the expression good intentions – it stopped the train dead in its tracks and my father spent a different night cleaning the tracks – I created the The Little Engine That Couldn’t). The worst gifts were the fat-free, sugar-free, cholesterol-free jelly donuts, and the Herring of the Month club.

Thanks, Rich!  Spin your draidel and make sure to land at Chanukah on Ice on December 26 from 3:30-5:30 pm at WinterSkate in downtown Louisville . Event  is open to all ages. Special discounted Chanukah rate of $4 for kids and  $5 for adults. Delicious Sufganiyot and hot drinks to be served after lighting.

Sponsored by Chabad of Boulder County, Shalom Baby, Shalom Family,  Boulder Creek Events and Boulder Jewish News.

Due to popular request and to not conflict with the Mattisyahu concert, the Hasidic Holiday Celebration changed to Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 pm at 4900 Sioux Drive, Boulder.

While most Jews celebrate Rosh Hashonah at the beginning of the school year, Chassidim tend to add extra times for celebration and introspection.  This Wednesday night and Thursday is the 19th day of the month of Kislev, which is celebrated as the new year of Chassidism.  It was on this date, in the year 1798, that the founder of Chabad Chassidism, (and noted author of the Tanya)  Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), was freed from his unjust imprisonment in Czarist Russia due to libel on him from his opponents.  More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in the history of Chassidism, heralding a new era in the revelation of the “inner soul” of Torah teachings that has positively influenced all practice of Judaism today.

Join us at a Chassidic gathering taking place this Wednesday night, December 14 at 6:30 pm at Lubavitch of Boulder, 4900 Sioux Drive, Boulder.  At this Farbrengen (informal gathering), we will sing and reflect on  the significance of and relevance of this unique event in our daily lives, hoping to make a deeper connection to our Divine Source through Judaism.  A  light meal will be served.  For more information or if we can count on you for the minyan, please email chabadofboulder@gmail.com.

If you would like to read up more about the history of Yud Tes Kislev, click here.

The program kicks off at 6:30 pm with a quick 15-minute Maariv Service (please email chabadofboulder@gmail.com, if you will take part in Minyan), followed by  full Farbrengen, complete with light meal.   There is no charge for this special event, but rsvp’s are appreciated. The event will be held at 4900 Sioux Drive, Boulder.