If you or someone you know has experienced a loss, a grief support group will begin Tuesday, April 3.

Facilitated by Boulder Jewish Family Service (JFS), Boulder JCC, and HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties, the group is open to affiliated and non-affiliated members of the Boulder Jewish community. The eight-week group will be held on Tuesdays, April 3-May 22, 4:00-6:00 p.m., at the Boulder JCC, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301. Registration is required. Please call 303.604.5300 for more information and to reserve your spot.

Don Koplen, a participant of the grief support group held last fall, said about his experience,

Through the group, I realized that grief can ambush the most sophisticated, learned, and aware of us. I learned that it was important for me to respect my feelings, however crazy or strange they seemed. I learned that one’s reactions to death seldom travel a logical, straight-line path. This group allowed me to feel the hurt and sadness at Dad’s death, to cry unabashedly, and to forgive myself for not being strong or logical in response to my grief.”

One of the facilitators, Barbara Gould, said, “In our bustling and vibrant Boulder Jewish community, we hope that we provide a safe and comforting home for those who are grieving. We know that grief is both personal and universal, individual in its scope, but with commonalities in its wide range. We know there are many ways to express and observe one’s Judaism. There is no “one size fits all” in our little corner of the universe. Yet, there is a place where those who are grieving can come together to support each other, work through and understand the scope of their grief, and find safety to discuss those things that are difficult to explain. That place is the Jewish grief group offered by Jewish Family Service, Boulder JCC, and HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties.”