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In anticipation of the Jewish National Fund conference to be held in Denver from October 25th through October 28th, Radio Chavura will produce a special, online-only weekly edition of its popular broadcast, celebrating and covering the Jewish World from a Rocky Mountain perspective.
Scheduled guests include a mix of prominent global, national and Colorado-based Jewish personalities, including distinguished JNF administrators and conference speakers. Russell F. Robinson, JNF’s CEO and a member of its global board of directors, is the featured guest on the inaugural edition, available online, beginning Monday, September 23rd.
In his Radio Chavura interview, Robinson divulges that at this year’s national conference, JNF will formally announce an unprecedented 10-year, $1 billion fundraising campaign, that he says will be “the most innovative, most bold campaign” even untaken by a Jewish organization.
The annual JNF conference is being held for the very first time in Colorado, bringing together hundreds of committed Jewish leaders from across the United States to learn about JNF’s ongoing work on behalf of the land and people of Israel. Those attending will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with committed volunteers of all ages, as well as to contribute their own ideas for enriching the work of JNF.
The national edition of Radio Chavura will be available weekly to stream or download for free through the iTunes store and from www.Chavura.com.
“Colorado has a flourishing and vibrant Jewish community which couldn’t be more excited to welcome the JNF national conference,” says Maxwell Rotbart, co-host of Radio Chavura.
Rotbart notes that the Colorado Jewish community, which predates statehood in 1876, gave rise to the United Way and helped inspire Golda Meir’s Zionism during her sojourn in Denver as a high schooler. Well-known global brands that have Jewish roots in Colorado, including Samsonite Luggage, Hot Pockets, and perhaps most famous of all, the Barbie doll. (Inventor Ruth Mosko Handler was born and raised in Denver.)
Today, Colorado is an incubator of many cutting edge companies in the technology and health sectors, serving as the global headquarters of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, which educates and connects biomedical and health innovators who seek to commercialize their ideas, inventions and discoveries.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who recently returned from an inspiring visit to Israel, will be the JNF conference’s opening speaker on Friday, October 25th. Other Coloradans scheduled to participate in the program include Rabbi Joe R. Black, spiritual leader of Denver’s Temple Emanuel – the largest congregation in the State; Jerome “Jerry” Tinianow, chief sustainability officer for the City of Denver; and Dr. Jeanne Abrams, an expert on Colorado Jewish history and professor at the University of Denver.
At the breakfast and closing plenary on Monday, October 28th, Ken Salazar, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and a former U.S. Senator from Colorado, will be the speaker. During the breakfast, longtime JNF lay leaders, Eugene “Gene” Kay and Stanley Kamlet will be honored for their years of service.
In the greater Denver area, Radio Chavura is broadcast every Sunday at 6:30 pm on 990 KRKS AM. The show is co-hosted by father-and-son duo Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Dean is an award winning journalist and corporate communications consultant. Maxwell is a graduating senior at Metropolitan State University of Denver who is active in the local Jewish community.
Radio Chavura offers a free weekly e-mail guide and newsletter showcasing its guests, local Jewish organizations, and community activities. The program guide is available from www.SubscribeChavura.com.
