When Menorah decided to honor Professor David Shneer at its bi-annual fundraiser, New York, New York, the reasons were obvious. David has been a great friend and partner for Menorah: Arts, Culture and Education at the Boulder JCC.  We all just love the guy. He’s a first-rate scholar, a talented teacher, a creative thinker, a man who makes things happen, and a mensch.

But Menorah also wanted to acknowledge a specific accomplishment that is radically altering the landscape of Jewish Boulder. Under his direction, the Program in Jewish Studies has grown exponentially and stands poised to become a department. This is a game-changer for our community, and we wanted to tangibly demonstrate our appreciation for his contribution. The idea to create a scholarship in Menorah’s name was thus born.

Last week, Menorah presented a $1,000 check to the Program in Jewish Studies to fund a scholarship to a deserving student who has shown excellence in Jewish cultural arts. By becoming the first Boulder organization to create a scholarship, we hope we will encourage other institutions and individuals to financially support the Program in Jewish Studies. We don’t think of it as a gift. We think of it as an investment in the future.

We also thank everyone who supported Menorah and helped make New York, New York such a success. We trust you are pleased that we passed a portion of our proceeds on to honor David’s commitment to educating the next generation of Jews. We look forward to enhancing Jewish life in Boulder together.