Rabbi Miller is one of the leading authorities for the interpretation of the Torah-related works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe most notably the Gutnick Chumash (a new commentary and translation of the Five Books of Moses)

The theme of the Shabbaton is the Kabbalah of Prayer – Closing the G-d gap. The presentation is aimed to people who feel alienated from the synagogue or who are looking to spice up their prayer experience.

Reflecting on his own non-religious upbringing Rabbi Miller will teach us how to overcome the challenges one can face during prayer by unpacking some of the mystical and kabalistic aspects of prayer service which are also relevant in our daily challenges of life.

The Friday night Shabbaton begins at 6:30 pm and will include a delicious three course Shabbat dinner. A children’s program will run simultaneously to the meal and presentation.

On Shabbat morning – February 4^th - Rabbi Miller will lead an instructional Shabbat morning services with kabalistic insights and meditations. Services will be followed by a luncheon.

For more information or to RSVP please visit COJewish.com or call 303.429.5177.

Rabbi Chaim Miller

Rabbi Chaim Miller is a leading international authority for interpretation of Jewish Bible and mysticism, specifically the Torah-related works of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson (1902-1994). His scholarly achievement, at the tender age of 37, is substantiated by the vast dissemination of his works, as well as the acclaim they have won him among his colleagues and in the educational and religious communities in which the works circulate.

Born and raised in London, England, Miller studied at the prestigious Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys. He began to explore the depth of his religion while at England’s Leeds University through extensive reading and personal introspection. Fascinated by Jewish mystical teachings in particular, he took a year off to learn at a Lubavitcher yeshiva. Five years later he was an ordained rabbi practicing in Leeds, running both a synagogue and a yeshiva, and writing in his spare time what would soon become theGutnick Chumash.

In 2004 Rabbi Miller relocated to the United States with the intention of devoting himself almost entirely to the writing and editing of great Jewish liturgy for Kol Menachem. Since this time he has completed the groundbreaking Kol Menachem Chumash (Gutnick Edition), the Slager Edition Haggadah — the bestselling work in its genre — and two volumes of a landmark series exploring Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith.

Rabbi Miller’s texts are currently used at some of the nation’s top institutions, including New York University and Yeshiva University. In addition, over 1,000 rabbis in the United States use Rabbi Miller’s texts to teach their students and prepare their sermons.

Rabbi Miller’s publications have received the attention of community leaders and various persons of note. In 2008, President George W. Bush sent the Slager Edition Haggadah to the troops in Iraq as a representation of the Jewish faith for the United States military. The Haggadah was a recent recipient of the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award just this past year, and Miller’sGutnick Chumash is on display at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, New York. The popular “Dummies” series published The Torah for Dummies in 2008, with author Arthur Kurzweil singling out Rabbi Miller’s Gutnick Chumash and proclaiming, “If I could have only one translation on a desert island, it would be this one.”

See also
Torah in Ten 

Kol Menachem 

The Huffington Post  

Please join us at Congregation Bonai Shalom this Shabbat, January 14, at 11:00 a.m. for a tot Shabbat experience, a fabulous way to celebrate Shabbat together with your young children. We sing, dance, tell stories and enjoy Shabbat together in this innovative parent-lead program. Geared towards children under the age of 5 and their parents.

Shabbat Shelanu is open to the community and there is no cost to attend. Families, friends, visiting relatives, and siblings of all ages are welcome!

The dates for winter/spring 2012 are:
January 14th & 28th
February 11th & 25th
March 10th & 24th
April 14th & 28th
May 12th & 26th

Bonai Shalom is located at 1527 Cherryvale Road, just south of Arapahoe. If you have any questions, please email shelanu@bonaishalom.org

Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder

I offer these thoughts in hopes of engaging in a real dialogue with Boulder’s Jews. Please feel free  to comment – I am ready to hear other points of view.

Havdallah is a beautiful ceremony that we do at the end of Shabbat. It is very sensory – we smell, we drink, we gaze at the braided candle, we drink. Beyond the beauty of the ceremony is one of two essential Jewish acts: le’vadil. To distinguish. The other essential Jewish act is to unify – Hear, Israel, G-d is One. Two opposite movements – recognizing unity and making distinction. How do they fit together? How do we know which to do at which time?

The truth is, they are not opposite. We can do both at the same time. We can acknowledge difference and a common source at the same time. Take, for example, the laws of keeping kosher. Pig is not kosher, but pigs are a part of the larger picture just the same (or else, where would we get footballs from?). So we distinguish between kosher and not kosher, and we simultaneously acknowledge that there is a larger picture that contains both.

When we start to blur the lines between these two foundational Jewish gestures, we get in trouble. When we confuse co-existence with sameness, when we can no longer identify different roles for different creatures and creations within a unified, larger picture, then trouble starts to brew. The unkosher kind.

The havdallah blessing lays out some important distinctions that have to be made, starting with the distinction between holy and not-holy. It is essential to note that not-holy is not bad; just that it is… not holy. So what’s holy? Well, Shabbat is holy.

The difference between Shabbat and not-Shabbat is dramatic. On Shabbat, we see that the world is not ours to manipulate (this is the definition of work on Shabbat). And withholding ourselves from work gives us the opportunity to see the gifts we already have, and to express gratitude. It is a time to turn off distractions and get present. It is a time to take a break.

So why would we look for ways to make Shabbat like not-Shabbat? Why, for example, would we look for ways to permit use of more and more electronic devices? To make our lives easier? That may seem to be true in the short term, but what it does is make Shabbat less special, less holy. On Thursday I listen to my iPod, on Saturday I listen to my iPod. On Thursday I answer my phone. On Shabbat I answer my phone. Slowly, the distinction vanishes, and Shabbat becomes like every other day day. What a loss!

How about the distinction between human and animal? The most insulting component of evolution – and I do not reject the theory entirely, but I look at it critically – is that there isn’t really that much difference between humans and monkeys, humans and dolphins, etc. And then we treat dogs like people – (Bark Mitzvah!!!! Really?!???!?!?) – which often leads to treating other people like dogs. Along these lines, we have a guest speaker coming to Boulder to present on his new book, “Crossing the Threshold: God’s Image in the More-than-Human World.” Another essential distinction crumbles., In my opinion, when we have perfected seeing people in the Divine Image, we can move on to animals. Meanwhile, we have a lot of human work to do.

How about the distinction between Jews and not-Jews? Is it special to be a Jew? Not talking about better or worse – I’m talking special. Is it special to be a Jew? Why would we work toward dissolving that distinction? What does it serve – will it make our lives easier? Why must we change liturgy to “who chose us im-with all other nations and gave us the Torah” instead of “who chose us mi-from amongst all other nations and gave us the Torah.” Yes, the issue of chosen-ness needs to be understood. But tossing it out because it is misunderstood and therefore uncomfortable is not the way to go about it. All this does is once again blur the lines.

Here’s another lost distinction: The line between rabbis and not-rabbis is crumbling, too. We are so comfortable saying “I saw Josh/Marc/Gavriel/Tirzah/Nadya/Victor/Jamie at the library the other day.” This dangerous trend is not just about names. It is about attitude. “This person, who spent five or ten years toiling in Torah to refine his/her character and understanding of the world is just like me. S/he has opinions, and so do I. We’re buddies. We disagree.” When the Talmud says “Let your awe of your rabbi be like the awe of heaven,” it wasn’t about a nice parking spot in front of the synagogue. It was about participating in a sacred relationship that can be a conduit for Divine Blessing and insight.

The tikkun olam line has been blurred as well. It used to imply visiting the sick, tending to the needy, spending time with the elderly. Now it’s about recycling and digging wells in Ghana. What happened? What about our elderly?

How about the 3,500+ year distinction of kohanim – our priests, the models of loving kindness in the tradition of Aharon the Kohen? ”The CJLS accepted a responsum concluding that synagogues are not required to call a Kohen to the first aliyah.” In and of itself, it is not such a big deal. But seen as part of a trend of burying distinctions? Problematic. “Unlike the Klein responsum, which like the Orthodox view regarded kohanim in and offspring of prohibited marriages as disqualified from performing priestly functions or receiving priestly honors and benefits, the Takkanah held that they are to be regarded as Kohanim in good standing.” Kohanim used to be—and feel—special, charged with a higher level of conduct. Now, they are just like everyone else.

It is an honor to be a Jew. It is an honor to be in Shabbat. It is an honor to be a kohen. It is an honor to be human. It is an honor to participate in the distinctly Jewish brand of tikkun olam. Why are we so quick to throw these distinctions away?

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.

Shabbat Shelanu is open to the community and there is no cost to attend. Bonai Shalom is located at 1527 Cherryvale Road, just south of Arapahoe.

Bonai Shalom is located at 1527 Cherryvale Road, just south of Arapahoe.

Led by Marcia Seigal, Shabbat Mishpacha is an innovative Saturday morning program followed by age-appropriate activities for children. Geared for preschoolers through first graders and their families, everyone will enjoy celebrating Shabbat together with singing, instruments, creating art, challah, and more!

Sponsored by Congregation Har HaShem, Shabbat Mishpacha is open to the community. There is no cost to attend, and siblings of any age are welcome.

Congregation Har HaShem is located at 3950 Baseline Road in Boulder, half mile west of Foothills Parkway just past Meadowbrook Drive. Head to the far end of the parking lot where there is a building with a playground on the far right; that’s the South Building.

For information or to RSVP, contact shabbatmish@congregationharhashem.org or (303)499-7077 ext. 14.

Families with children of all ages will be able to celebrate Shabbat while learning about the rich and vibrant history and culture of Jews in Greece. Dinner, grape juice, challah and entertainment will be provided.  The price is $10 per adult for Boulder JCC Members, $15 per adult Guest and all Kids are Free.  This event is co-sponsored by Shalom Baby, Shalom Family, and the JCC Preschool.

Click here for more information and to register.

This event precedes OPA!: Celebrating the Jews of Greece, a night of Greek dancing, food, and entertainment on Saturday December 3.