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Amid the cries of shock and statements of concern, sometimes it’s the familiar rituals that help communities move forward after tragedy. After the appalling June 1st antisemitic firebomb attacks of the Jewish community in Boulder, CO, left 15 injured, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, The Blue Card reached out to Congregation Bonai Shalom with a simple gesture of support. On Saturday, June 15, The Blue Card sponsored a kiddush lunch at the Boulder temple, where several victims of the violence are members and were attending morning services.
Run for Their Lives—the group targeted In Boulder—holds weekly peaceful marches across the country to call for the release of the remaining hostages taken to Gaza. Among the participants was Barbara Steinmetz, whose family fled Italy and wandered country to country after Mussolini stripped Jews of their citizenship in 1938. Nine decades later, another unspeakable act has reactivated that nightmare. As we witness this growing string of antisemitic hate crimes and acts of political violence, Jews in the US are becoming increasingly fearful about our personal safety and the safety of our institutions.
In such troubled times, the traditional kiddush blessing and meal serves as an important reminder of our strength, resilience and shared values. During the service, which was live streamed, Bonai Shalom’s rabbi told the congregation about the mission of the organization in assisting survivors, promoting Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism, but the overriding goal was to honor the victims and demonstrate the solidarity of the Jewish community. The Blue Card also provided resources and information about how to get help for Holocaust survivors and those experiencing trauma from these events.
Bonai Shalom’s Co-Executive Director expressed the temple’s appreciation for the show of unity and caring from the national nonprofit. “I just wanted to thank The Blue Card again for the generous contribution to support our communal kiddush last Shabbat,” she wrote. “It was great meeting you, and I hope you enjoyed getting to know our community a bit. Thank you for introducing us to your mission to assist Holocaust survivors in need. It is always important for us to learn more about the programs available.”
About Blue Card
The Mission of The Blue Card is to provide direct financial assistance to needy Holocaust survivors. Of the nearly 3,000 Holocaust survivor households The Blue Card serves, three-quarters are over the age of 78 and nearly 70% live alone. Many of these survivors struggle to afford basic needs, such as adequate food and healthcare; more than half of them fall 200% below the federal poverty line, meaning their income is less than $24,980 annually.
Dignity was forcibly taken from them during the Holocaust, and now they are vulnerable once again. The Blue Card provides direct financial assistance to ease the financial burdens and ensures that its clients don’t lose their dignity once again, in their last years.
