The Boulder community is invited to gather with us at 9 PM at the Boulder Integral Center, at 2805 Broadway (Broadway and Balsam), for an event that will commence with a spirited evening prayer and havdallah led by Rabbi Debra Rappaport. Then a panel with Rabbis Rose, Goldfeder, Soloway, Korngold, and Rappaport on the theme: Heart or Mind: Where does the Torah Journey Begin?

Here is the rest of the schedule:

• 11:30 PM – Community Kavannah
• 11:45 PM – 12:30 AM -  Shavuot and the art of wakefulness – with Rabbi Debra Rappaport of B’nai Veil Congregation
• 12:30 – Community Kavannah
• 12:45 AM – 1:30 AM Yoga with Shifra Blumenthal OR Directing the Heart, Focusing the mind – The Art of kavanah With Rabbi Marc Soloway
• 1:30 – Community Kavannah
• 1:45 AM – 2:30 AM – The Whole Way: Heart, Mind and Body in Prayer With Rabbi Josh Rose
• 2:30 – Community Kavannah
• 2:45 AM -3:30 AM – The Mishkan: Heart, Mind, and the Holy of Holies with Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder
• 3:30 – Community Kavannah
• 3:45 AM -4:45 AM – Live Chavruta – Rabbis Josh Rose and Gavriel Goldfeder lead an interactive encounter with the Torah of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
• 5 AM – Shacharit at Aish Kodesh 1805 Balsam Ave

RSVPs are not required.

The JCRC advocates for domestic and international policy issues that affect the Colorado Jewish community, represents these views to the Jewish community and to the general community of Colorado, and organizes the Jewish community in times of crisis.

The Boulder JCC, Boulder Chapter of Hadassah, and Congregation Bonai Shalom are included in the 37 member organizations.

This year, the JCRC is honoring Howard and Carol Boigon for their leadership contributions to the Colorado Jewish Community. The Honorable Carol Boigon is a trailblazer for policies affecting children, families and education here in Colorado. A long-time public official, Carol has often been an important voice of the Jewish community and instrumental in educating others about the Jewish perspective on the issues.

Howard Boigon, an attorney, is the immediate past chair of the Colorado chapter of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (“AIPAC”), and is a member of AIPAC’s National Council. He has served on the Israel/ National/Overseas Board of Federation. He also volunteers in many other ways in the Jewish community and also in the public schools.

The cost to attend the luncheon is $50 per person. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact the events department at events@ajfcolorado.org or 303.316.6466. Reservations may also be made online at www.jewishcolorado.org/jcrcluncheon.

Fall Jewish Learning Institute Class in NW Metro Denver

A provocative new series of classes on the secrets of successful marriage will begin on Thursday May 3. Regardless of marital status, all are invited to attend the six-session course, presented and taught by Rabbi Benjy Brackman the spiritual leader of Chabad of NW Metro Denver a Jewish outreach group located in Westminster.

The course is a product of the Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) an adult learning experience that offers its courses in hundreds of locations across the US.

The Art of Marriage will go far beyond platitudes, to cover topics at the heart of modern marriage. Does marriage still serve any purpose at all? How far should one go to make a marriage work? When is divorce the best option?

Included as well are Jewish bedroom secrets, from ancient texts, on how to increase intimacy in marital relationships.

“Beautiful, inspiring, but most of all practical,” says Dr. Patricia Love, author of How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It, one of Amazon’s top two marriage books. “Whether your marriage is magical or miserable, this vital course is designed for you.”

Judaism views a loving marriage as a spiritual as well as a human ideal. The Art of Marriage shows students how to attain that for themselves and for their spouses, with timeless lessons from both modern and ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud and Zohar (the central Kabalistic text).

Judaism venerates marriage and therefore has a long history of looking to enhance the marriage experience. The course is not only about providing techniques for success in marriage, it’s about changing your attitude toward your spouse and toward marriage in general,” explains Rabbi Benjy Brackman.

Like all JLI programs, The Art of Marriage is designed to appeal to students at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Interested students may call 720-984-5805, or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and other course-related information. JLI courses are presented in Westminster in conjunction with Chabad of NW Metro Denver.

By connecting with me, I will provide you a personal introduction to anyone in my extensive network.  I’ve always believed in the ‘pay it forward’ principal in life and practice it daily in all I do. I believe in living life to the fullest and helping others before myself,” says Keith.

This is a hands-on workshop, so bring your laptop if you have one.  Or just come and get some great pointers on expanding your networking contacts.  To rsvp or for more information, contact info@jccnboulder.org or visit www.jccnboulder.org.

Boulder’s Hebrew High teens will be joining Haver and the community at Congregation Bonai Shalom tonight for the Yom HaShoah Service of Commemoration, starting at 7:30 pm.  For more information about the service, please read this earlier BJN post about the event.

Will you be there?  See you tonight!

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Mr. Steve Bigari

The Jewish Business Group (JBG) is proud to present its upcoming breakfast meeting with guest speaker Mr. Steve Bigari. Mr. Bigari is CEO of Stellar Restaurant Solutions, a leading provider of remote ordering services for restaurant take-out and delivery orders.  The meeting will take place on Friday April 27 from 7:30 am – 9:00 am at the SpringHill Suites in Westminster, just two blocks southwest of the Boulder Turnpike on Church Ranch Blvd.

Prior to launching Stellar, Mr. Bigari owned and operated 12 McDonald’s restaurants and served as the innovation chairman at McDonald’s.  Mr. Bigari has also founded America’s Family to provide low-income families with access to capital, financial education, and financial coaching relationships to help move individuals out of working poverty. As a result, he was inducted as an Ashoka Fellow in 2004.

Mr. Ed Rothschild, a local business owner and a regular attendee at the Jewish Business Group. thinks that Mr. Bigari’s message will resonate with many of the JBG attendees.

… people come to the JBG meetings to learn new business techniques and to be motivated in their line of business, and based on Steve’s experience and his upbeat messages I look forward to a very informative presentation,” said Mr. Rothschild.

March Jewish Business Group Meeting

The JBG offers professionals, CEO’s and entrepreneurs an opportunity for business networking, expanding business skills through informative and empowering presentations and Jewish social interaction. The JBG gathers monthly and is open to the entire community regardless of affiliation.

A buffet breakfast is served. $15 to cover. For more information please call 720-984-5805 or email milehighchabad@aol.com or visit www.JewishBusinessGroup.com

Reb Robbie

Are you looking forward to attending Jewish Together – Boulder’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration and performance at Har Hashem but don’t know quite what to expect?

There are two great ways to get a taste of Robbie Gringras before the celebration and show!

Robbie will be interviewed on KGNU on Wednesday, April 25th at 8:35 am (88.5 FM). The interview will be live with an opportunity to call in and ask questions.

You can also read more about Robbie and a brief explanation of his teaching methodology in this internet article: How Do We Talk to Our Children About Israel.

Since I have a young daughter, I found his opinions on how to explain Israel to young children very interesting.

His philosophy can be summed up fairly succinctly by this quote from the article:
“We need our children to be knowledgeable and wise enough to be able to question what they have received, and at the same time we need them connected enough to care.”

In the article, Robbie references carpool conversations that can be downloaded from his web site.  Whether you bike, drive or walk your children to school or Hebrew school, they seem to be thought provoking concepts.  You can try them out here: http://makomisrael.org/educational-material/adult-education/family-programs/

Whether or not you agree with his opinions, his performance is sure to be thought provoking and entertaining!

Details:

What: Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration and Performance by Robbie Gringras

Where: Har Hashem’s South Building 3910 Pinon Drive, Boulder

When: Thursday, April 26 5:30-8:30 pm

Tickets for the performance can be purchased here.

Carol Zemel, Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at York University will present Critical Israel at CU Monday, April 16 at 7:00 pm.

Israel is a dynamic, complex, and challenging country to understand. The University of Colorado Boulder’s Hillel and the Program in Jewish Studies continue their Seeing Israel series with a look at the intersection of visual art, politics and social justice. The Seeing Israel series events are free and open to the public but RSVPs are appreciated. RSVP to Nicholas.Underwood@colorado.edu or call 303.492.7143. Additional information can be found at jewishstudies.colorado.edu.

In its early days, Israeli art was largely described as utopian. Today, artists in Israel wrestle with critical social and political issues. Join us on Monday, April 16 at 7:00 pm for Critical Israel: Art by Yael Bartana and Roee Rosen on the CU Boulder Campus in University Memorial Center Room 235 for an evening with art historian, Carol Zemel who will focus on the acclaimed video installations Polish Trilogy…and Europe will be stunned by Yael Bartana, and Confessions of Roee Rosen by Roee Rosen. Her presentation will focus on questions of loss, rights of return, and conflicts of national identity raised by these two works by Israeli artists. Finally, she will also discuss the presentation of these artistic pieces and their meanings outside Israel for diasporic audiences.

Zemel is professor of Art History and Visual Culture at York University in Toronto. Her areas of research and publication include 19^th and 20^th century European art, the modern art market, feminism in the arts, Jewish visual culture and diaspora studies. She is an authority on the work of Vincent Van Gogh as well as the co-founder and co-director of Project Mosaica, a web-based exploration of Jewish cultural expression in the arts. Indiana University Press will publish her new book, “Looking Jewish: Visual Culture and Modern Diaspora” in late 2012. She is currently completing two books: Art in Dark Times, a study of images made by prisoners during the Holocaust, and “Right After: Chaos and Culture After World War II.”

These events have been made possible by generous donors to CU’s Hillel, the Program in Jewish Studies and the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS). Support for the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is generously provided by Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.