Shabbat shalom! It’s almost here… the 19th annual Boulder Jewish Festival is this Sunday, June 9th.

By the time we celebrate the start of the Festival, it will already have been Rosh Chodesh in Israel. For perspective on the tension surrounding this, be sure to read correspondent Bruce Shaffer’s powerful piece.

Many years ago, a new congregation formed in Boulder just days before the Festival. Would there be tension at the event? Would they be received well or would there be some kind of discord? For guidance, we turned to Reb Zalman, who was clear: let them in! If we can’t get along on the Courthouse Lawn, who are we?  We think of this often, and particularly when we think of the Wall.

In an interesting twist of scheduling, on Monday night (June 10), the Boulder City Council will be addressing a request to form a sister city relationship with Nablus. We say interesting because we want to remind people of both events – the Festival is Sunday on Pearl Street Mall and the Courthouse Lawn, and the Council meeting is on Monday night, at the Boulder Municipal Building. Sunday is the opportunity to celebrate, to be good neighbors, to enjoy and engage with our community. There will be conversations, discussions and opinions to be sure, and clearly what happens on Sunday can have an impact on Monday as well. If we can’t get along on the Courthouse Lawn, who are we? 

We often say that the Festival is the day that our community truly shines. It is the embodiment of what many of us live every day: collaboration, support, friendship. It is our opportunity to welcome the stranger, to make new friends.  There are so many ways to connect with Jewish life – cultural, spiritual, moral, culinary, artistic, musical. Make a connection!  And let us be an example in our community of our good will and intent.

Enjoy this week’s stories, have a restful Shabbat, and we will see you on Sunday!

–Cheryl & David