Weekly Edition: February 21st, 2025

Shabbat Shalom!

With the release of seven hostages (three alive, four bodies) in the last week from Gaza through the latest ceasefire deal, it is imperative that we continue to support the hostages until they are all home. The weekly walk in support of the hostages continues this Sunday, February 23. Meet at 1 pm at Pearl St. and 8th. Hopefully, we will celebrate the release of the next group of hostages from this deal.

Here is Morah Yehudis‘ take on this week’s Torah portion.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our brothers and sisters under attack in Israel, Ukraine, and the women of this country. Am Yisrael Chai!

Here are the stories from this week:

News/Columns/Letters

• Column: Gaza’s ‘Riviera’: Pro-Arab Mob Out-Trumps Itself (2/20/2025) - Pro-Arab voters are disillusioned with both Trump and Harris, feeling betrayed as they grapple with the consequences of political choices amid ongoing Palestinian suffering. Continue Reading
• 4th Open Letter to Boulder City Council on Upcoming Muslim Declaration (2/20/2025) - Rabbi Greene urges Boulder's City Council to revise a Declaration on Muslim hate, warning against comparing suffering between Muslims and Jews. Continue Reading
• 3rd Open Letter to Boulder City Council on Upcoming Muslim Declaration (2/20/2025) - Rabbi Soloway expresses concern about rising antisemitism in Boulder, particularly from progressives, urging community leaders to address the feelings of insecurity among Jewish residents. Continue Reading
• Letter: Arabs Responsible for Palestinian Plight (2/20/2025) - The author argues Arab leaders created instability in the Middle East, worsening the Palestinian situation and failing to assist refugees, while promoting anti-Israel sentiments. Continue Reading
• Letter: Margaret Brennan and CBS News: Hitler’s Useful Idiots (2/20/2025) - Margaret Brennan of CBS News inaccurately attributed the Holocaust to "weaponized free speech," ignoring the true responsibility of societal antisemitism in Nazi Germany. Continue Reading
• 2nd Open Letter to Boulder City Council on Upcoming Muslim Declaration (2/19/2025) - Once again, we feel the need to approach you about this council’s bias with regard to how it responds to the needs of Jewish constituents. Continue Reading
• Opinion: A Coloring Book for Future Terrorists (2/18/2025) - When is a coloring book not just a coloring book? When its purpose is to incite children to hate Jews and glorify violence. Continue Reading
• Open Letter to Boulder City Council on Upcoming Muslim Declaration (2/18/2025) - Once again, we feel the need to approach you about this council’s bias with regard to how it responds to the needs of Jewish constituents. Continue Reading

Jewish Life

• Gabriella Lakritz Bet Mitzvah (2/20/2025) - On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Gabriella Lakritz will be called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem. Continue Reading
• A Taste of Shabbos – Parashat Mishpatim (2/18/2025) - Mishpatim is replete with down to earth, interpersonal laws like borrowing and lending, and guarding people’s property. Many apply the quip to this parasha: ‘After the ecstasy, comes the laundry.’  In other words, after the transcendent revelation at Sinai where, as Rashi puts it, the three million were as ‘one person, with one heart,’ the… Continue Reading

Arts and Culture

Events

• JEWISHcolorado’s Jewish Community Relations Council Announces Honorees for Annual Leadership Luncheon (2/20/2025) - (DENVER) -- JEWISHcolorado’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) will host its annual luncheon on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Denver Art Museum. The event will honor Matt Most, former chair of the JCRC, with the Community Leadership Award, and the Honorable Dafna Michelson Jenet with the Legislative Leadership… Continue Reading
• Israeli Art and Global Politics—The Uncut Version with Shirel Horovitz at the Boulder JCC (2/18/2025) - Join the Boulder JCC on Wednesday, March 5, from 6 - 8 pm for Israeli Art and Global Politics - The Uncut Version with Israeli artist, educator, and activist Shirel Horovitz. She will present the political landscape through art with a unique twist. “This past year created a rift between the Israeli art world and… Continue Reading
• Walk Together: Support the Hostages in Boulder (2/18/2025) - Run4TheirLives Boulder will walk for the 65th consecutive week this Sunday in support of the hostages being held in Gaza. Please join us. Continue Reading