Join us for JFest, a month of special programming and events at the Boulder JCC, as Executive Director Jonathan Lev shares the story of his participation in the 2022 JCC Krakow Ride for the Living. The Ride for the Living is a three-day experience in Poland that combines Holocaust education with a powerful 60-mile bike ride from the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau to the JCC in Krakow, Poland. The Ride coincides with the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, the world’s largest presentation of contemporary Jewish culture. Every year the Festival features almost 300 events during 10 days with 30,000 participants worldwide.

Jonathan’s trip was more than a bike ride, but was a journey where he experienced Krakow’s Jewish past, present, and future all at the same time. Jonathan will use photos, videos, and stories to share the complex rebirth of Jewish life in Krakow while reflecting on his graduate research in Holocaust memory.

As Jonathan says, “Traveling to Krakow to experience the Ride for the Living impacted me and my wife Lyndsay profoundly. We were able to experience the complexity of Poland’s past while celebrating the vibrant and thriving state of Jewish life in the present day. Additionally, seeing the work being done by the Krakow JCC to support newly identified Jewish people, serve the influx of Ukrainian refugees, and bring attention to the fact that Jewish life is alive and flourishing in Eastern Europe, was something we learned greatly from and will never forget.”  

Jonathan Lev has been the Executive Director of the Boulder JCC since 2010. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration in Nonprofit Management (MPA) and a Master’s in Hebrew and Judaic Studies (MA) from NYU. He is a Wexner Field Fellow, Schusterman ROI Community Member, and received the 2020 Boulder Chamber of Commerce Community Impact Award.

We hope you will join us at this free event on Tuesday, February 7 from 6:30 – 8 pm at the Boulder JCC. Register HERE.