Shabbat shalom! We are thankful that the spasm of violence that began in Israel a week ago seems to have calmed down.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with brothers and sisters under attack in Israel, Ukraine, as well as the women of this country.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay healthy!

Here are stories from the last week:

News/Columns

• Colorado Philanthropists Unite on Women’s Mission to Israel (3/28/2023) - A group of philanthropic “wonder women,” including several from Denver and other parts of Colorado, recently participated in Jewish National Fund-USA’s Queen of Sheba Mission to Israel, where they witnessed firsthand the incredible work the organization is doing for the land and people of Israel while making memories that will last a lifetime. Continue Reading
• 2022 U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Hit Highest Level Ever Recorded, ADL Audit Finds (3/23/2023) - Antisemitic incidents reported in the three-state region of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming in 2022 reached the second highest level in more than 10 years. Nationwide, antisemitic incidents surged to historic levels in 2022. Continue Reading
• Column: What Price Annexation? (3/23/2023) - The surest way to upset readers when writing about Israel is to trip over semantics. The surest way to upset me is to focus on semantics without addressing the larger issues facing Israel. Continue Reading
• Letter: Israel is Not America. Respect That Fact. (3/23/2023) - It is disappointing that so many Jews and Jewish organizations in America have completely lost sight of the existential difference between Jewish life in America and Jewish life in Israel.  Continue Reading
• North American Jewish Leaders Urge Israeli Leaders for Compromise (3/19/2023) - JEWISHcolorado Board Chair Rob Kaufmann and Interim President and CEO Renée Rockford were among 30 Federation leaders representing communities across the United States and Canada who took part in an extraordinary, 24-hour visit to Israel to express their concerns with Israeli leaders on the proposed judicial reforms and to convey the implications these changes will… Continue Reading
• Seed Funding Will Launch “Jewish After School Accelerator” to Start Programs Across the U.S. (3/19/2023) - Jewish Kids Groups has received a grant to launch the Jewish After School Accelerator to help synagogues and other Jewish organizations across the U.S. start their own Jewish after-school programs. Continue Reading
• Israeli and Arab Scientists Work Together to Solve Regional Water Challenges (3/16/2023) - Since its founding 25 years ago at Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava Valley, the Arava Institute has been cultivating regional cooperation with its neighbors through research and academic study programs. Continue Reading
• Column: ‘Anger Issues’ Drive an Anti-Israel Bully (3/16/2023) - Saadah Masoud pledges to address his “anger issues.” Does this mean he will no longer strike Jewish New Yorkers because they are Jewish? Continue Reading
• Boulder JCC Day Camp Now Hiring for the Summer (3/13/2023) - Cherryvale Day Camp offers a number of different programs. The season runs from June 5 - August 11, 2023.  Being a day camp counselor can be a rewarding and enriching experience that offers a number of benefits. Continue Reading
• The Jewish Courts That Judged Jews Accused of Nazi Collaboration (3/13/2023) - Shepsl Rotholc was a famous champion Jewish boxer in Poland in the 1930s. In 1941, two years after the Germans invaded, he became a policeman in the Warsaw Ghetto, helping to maintain order and enforce Nazi orders. Was Rotholc guilty of collaborating with the Nazis? Did he have any other choice? Should he be considered… Continue Reading
• Letter: Israel is Our Business (3/13/2023) - Bruce Ticker (“Israel is Our Business,” March 2) claims that the current Israeli government “has proposed annexing the Palestinian territories.” In fact, the government has not made any such proposal, and the platform of the ruling Likud party says nothing about annexing territories. Continue Reading
• JFest Success: Record $340,000 for Boulder JCC Programs, Plus Great Party (3/9/2023) - Our community showed up strong in support of the Boulder JCC. These funds are crucial in making all that we do possible and we are eternally grateful for this support.  Continue Reading
• Shrinking To Infinity (3/9/2023) - “The only ones afraid of guns are those who have many gods and one world. Those who have one G-d and many worlds are not afraid.” This was the response of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, when a prison guard tried to stop him from praying. Continue Reading
• Column: As Spencer Tracy Would Say: God Speaks to Eric Adams, and NYC’s Mayor Tells the World (3/9/2023) - New York City Mayor Eric Adams may well fit in somewhere between the great actor Frederic March’s portrayal of a fanatical lawyer delivering God’s instructions to the world, and that of lesser-known actor Jay Robinson as a frenzied Caligula when, as Rome’s emperor, he demands his court to “kneel…kneel…kneel to your God.” Continue Reading
• Hazon and Pearlstone Now Adamah (3/2/2023) - Two organizations at the center of the Jewish environmental movement, Hazon and Pearlstone, today launched a new identity for their merging organization: Adamah. Continue Reading

Jewish Life

• Passover Seder: Recovery Edition at Har HaShem (3/28/2023) - Leah Miller, a resident of Boulder who is passionate about recovery in Jewish communities, is hosting her second annual Recovery Seder in Boulder, Colorado on April 8, 2023. Continue Reading
• Volunteer at the 2023 Boulder Jewish Festival (3/28/2023) - When you sign up to volunteer you can come to the Volunteer Kick Off Party on Monday, May 1 to learn more about the volunteering opportunity, logistics and meet the other volunteers. Continue Reading
• Beth Ami Congregation to Host “Passover Seder Plate” (3/26/2023) - We will provide a Seder plate of ritual foods, a Humanistic Haggadah, songs and the opportunity to "do Jewish" in a meaningful way. Enjoy the ritual and contemporary content. Continue Reading
• The Beauty of Living (3/26/2023) - Why do I feel joyous, calm, and inspired when I observe seniors living with astounding physical, and sometimes mental challenges; why do I feel so uplifted? Perhaps it is because for some, the mitzvah is living.   Continue Reading
• We’ve Saved You a Great Seder Seat! (3/23/2023) - Boulder Center for Judaism will once again host and prepare a mouth-watering multi-course feast replete with delicious wine and handmade Matzo for friends of our community who wish to celebrate Passover together. Continue Reading
• Baruch Dayan HaEmet – Dan Fraenkel z”l (3/9/2023) - Dan Fraenkel, longtime member of Bonai Shalom, passed away at 76. The funeral is Friday, March 10, 2023. Continue Reading
• Julian Sonnenberg and Scarlet Cohen B’nai Mitzvah (3/5/2023) - On Saturday, January 28th, 2023 Toby Ellis and Tyler Emdur will be called to the Torah as B'nai Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem. Continue Reading
• Purim in the (Boulder) Holyland! (3/2/2023) - Rabbi Pesach & Chany Scheiner, the co-directors of the Boulder Center for Judaism, personally invite you to partake in our grand Purim Celebrations this year. Continue Reading
• Crowdfunding Campaign for Camp Scholarships Begins March 6 (3/1/2023) - On March 6 and 7, the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver) will host its annual crowdfunding fundraiser called Tzedakah 4 Kids (T4K). T4K is a two-day long effort to raise money for the Robert E. Loup Scholarship Fund. Continue Reading
• Hadassah Shabbat on Shabbat Parashat Zachor (2/28/2023) - Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. announces the observance of its annual Hadassah Shabbat to be held on the Shabbat preceding Purim, Shabbat Zachor, March 4, 2023. Continue Reading
• Purim Celebration with Special Guests Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel (2/23/2023) - The Purim Celebration for families at the Boulder JCC will be on Sunday, March 5. This program is designed for children 10 and under with their caregivers. Continue Reading
• Hamentash Bake In Boulder: You’re Invited (2/22/2023) - Boulder Center for Judaism proudly invites you to a Hamentash Bake this Sunday, February 26.  Continue Reading
• Purim Celebration at the Boulder JCC! (2/22/2023) - The Purim Celebration for families at the Boulder JCC will be on Sunday, March 5. This program is designed for children 10 and under with their caregivers. Continue Reading
• Video of “Jewish View of Death and Burial” Presentation Now Available (2/21/2023) - Last Thursday, February 16, noted author and speaker Doron Kornbluth gave an incredible presentation about the Jewish View of Death and Burial at the Boulder JCC. Video now available. Continue Reading
• NEW! Womens Seder Scheduled for March at the Boulder JCC! (2/16/2023) - The Women of the J have organized an evening of dinner, learning, singing and community building to inspire and educate leading up to the Passover Seder.  Continue Reading

Arts and Culture

• Why Are So Many Gentile Actors Playing Jews? (3/23/2023) - Join Kathryn Bernheimer at the Boulder JCC on April 3 for a conversation about the constant casting of non-Jews in specifically Jewish roles. Continue Reading
• Boulder JCC to Present a Unique Theater Experience: “We Are Our Stories” (3/19/2023) - Whatever your story may be, bring it to our Playback Theater performance and see your story transformed into introspective, thought-provoking art, on stage and in the moment. Continue Reading
• New Singing Circle Starts at the Boulder JCC (3/16/2023) - Michelle Wolf and Susan Berman will create an instant mini-choir experience on Tuesday March 21 at the Boulder JCC.  Continue Reading
• Chai Life Group Presents “Irena Sendler: The Angel of the Warsaw Ghetto” (3/16/2023) - The Chai Life Group is Boulder's new group for single older adults (70+). Our next program, Irena Sendler: The Angel of the Warsaw Ghetto, is a one-woman show that will be performed at Congregation Har HaShem on Thursday, April 13. Continue Reading
• Solo Dance Performance, “Gone,” Featured at Boulder JCC (3/9/2023) - Upon return from an international tour Robert Sher-Machherndl's Lemon Sponge Cake delivers a highly developed, all new solo work "GONE" - Thursday, March 23 at the Boulder JCC. Continue Reading
• Highlights from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (3/5/2023) - Join us for a fascinating lecture given by Sophia Berry Lifschitz, curator at the Department of Modern Art at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The talk will begin with a short introduction to the history of the Museum with its unique connection to the establishment of the State of Israel. Continue Reading
• From Dustin Hoffman to Mr. Haffmann – BIFF Offers Many Titles of Interest (3/1/2023) - The Boulder International Film Festival returns with something for everyone, including Jewish audiences. Continue Reading
• Upcoming Activities for Colorado Hebrew Chorale and Kol Nashim (3/1/2023) - This Sunday, March 5, Kol Nashim will continued its series, Jewish Leading Ladies of  Broadway.  Mimi Raizen will focus on Barbra Streisand who is a legendary actress and whose career has spanned over six decades. Continue Reading
• “I’VE GOT YOU IN STITCHES,” a Play by Wendy Miller at the Dairy Arts Center March 10-12 (2/28/2023) - Take this meshuganah ride with Wendy and her friends as she travels through time and space in an effort to discovery the truth about herself.  The story is full of hilarity and chutzpah. Continue Reading
• NEW! Singing Circle Starts at the Boulder JCC in March (2/28/2023) - Michelle Wolf and Susan Berman will create an instant mini-choir on March 21 at the Boulder JCC. Singing together in a group can boost mental and emotional well-being, increase social connection, reduce stress, and improve cognitive skills. Continue Reading
• Denver Jewish Film Festival Brings Israeli and Jewish Cinema to Denver March 11-29 (2/23/2023) - The 27th annual Denver Jewish Film Festival powered by The Chotin Foundation at the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center will include 39 films including nine shorts and one TV mini-series showcasing cinema from 14 countries. Continue Reading
• A Bridge to Nowhere (2/23/2023) - A new poem from Lisa Tremback. Continue Reading
• 9th Annual Hebrew Schmooze-A-Palooza Concert (2/21/2023) - Each year, the Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder presents a music festival featuring Hebrew-language students, alumni, faculty, and members of the broader public. At this year's in-person concert, the most iconic collection of songs in the Hebrew/Israeli repertoire will be performed. Continue Reading
• Canine Scientist, Zionist Hero, and Her Dog-Training Techniques Were Used by the Nazis (2/20/2023) - Toward the end of her life, the Austrian-born Jewish scientist Rudolphina Menzel acknowledged a horrifying reality: the dog-training techniques she pioneered had been used by the Nazis to commit atrocities. Continue Reading
• Playback Theatre: American Stories (2/5/2023) - Whatever your relationship to this nation and its stories of itself, bring your American Stories and see them transformed into thoughtful, thought-provoking art on stage and in the moment. Come to listen, watch, and connect! Continue Reading

Events

• Save the Date: Boulder Jewish Festival on June 4 (3/26/2023) - This free annual event features a full day of festivities, including bands and performances, a Jewish food festival, a curated marketplace showcasing fine art and Judaica, and family-friendly activities provided by our community organizations. Continue Reading
• Pause and Action Community Grief Town Hall (3/23/2023) - The Boulder community has been struck by many recent tragedies. When communities are faced with compounding crises, it can be helpful to take a pause and offer space for grief and healing. Continue Reading
• “Straight Talk” Program Brings Israeli and Palestinian Musicians Together in Boulder (3/13/2023) - The word “Dugri” comes from Arabic – meaning straight. Israelis and Palestinians both speak their minds. Straightforward talk with no apologies.  For better or for worse… you will know exactly what they think.  Continue Reading
• Song Circle for Every Voice at the Boulder JCC (3/5/2023) - Do you love to sing? Does your heart open when singing with others? Do you miss being in community, joining voices? Continue Reading
• Hope and Grief in the Age of Climate Change: Queer Disability Politics and Ancient Jewish Story (3/5/2023) - Can Jewish text and tradition offer resources for navigating the emotional terrain of climate change? In her presentation, Prof. Watts Belser will examine ancient and contemporary stories about Jonah, the biblical prophet who famously turned away from God’s call.   Continue Reading
• “Straight Talk” Program Brings Israeli and Palestinian Musicians Together in Boulder (2/28/2023) - It is rare for Israelis and Palestinians to sit down together to talk, let alone make music together. On March 20th, this program will include music, storytelling and a brutally honest discussion about the conflict in the Middle East. Continue Reading
• First Friday: Why Holocaust Education Matters for US Foreign Policy (2/23/2023) - Come join us at Bonai Shalom on March 3rd when Special Envoy Ellen Germain talks about diplomatic efforts in these areas past and present and how knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust informs current U.S. foreign policy. Continue Reading
• A Child Survivor Gives Testimony: Judith Winkel at CU Boulder (2/20/2023) - Co-organized by CU Boulder's Program in Jewish Studies and the Louis P. Singer Endowed Chair in Jewish History, the program is co-sponsored by CU Boulder's History Department.  Continue Reading
• Creating Caring Communities: Responding to Mental Illness (2/16/2023) - Help to address Mental Health in Faith Communities. Rabbi Sandra Cohen will present, followed by an interfaith panel. Continue Reading
• Women of the J Presents Soup Cookoff and Social (2/15/2023) - Back by popular demand! Women of the J is proud to host a Soup Cookoff & Social on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at the Boulder JCC. Continue Reading
• Boulder JCC Hosts Blood Drive on March 1 (2/15/2023) - Blood donation is an essential health care activity and we need your help to make sure patients in our community have the blood they need! Continue Reading
• Program on U.S. Support for Holocaust Education at Home and Abroad (2/15/2023) - US Special Envoy Ellen Germain will be in conversation with Dean of the CU School of Education Kathy Schultz on Wednesday, March 1 at the Boulder JCC. Continue Reading
• Celebrate the Boulder JCC at the JFest Party! (2/14/2023) - JFest wraps up with an in-person celebration party on Saturday, February 25. No more assigned-seated dinner, long program, or paddle raise! Rather, this new, community-centric way of fundraising focuses on what best fits our unique and growing organization. Everyone is welcome to attend this party! Continue Reading
• Boulder JCC Hosts Shalom Boulder, a New(ish) to Boulder Welcoming Event (2/14/2023) - Meet your neighbors and learn more about the thriving local Jewish community at this free in-person gathering at the Boulder JCC on Tuesday, February 28. Continue Reading
• This Week’s Highlighted JFest Social Events (2/12/2023) - JFest is in full swing at the Boulder JCC this month! The featured social events will offer great opportunities for people to gather, meet new people and reconnect with friends. Continue Reading