Four Questions with Barb Steinmetz the Lighter of the Shamash at Chanukah on Pearl

Each year, the Boulder Center for Judaism asks a member of the Boulder Jewish to participate in the menorah lighting on the Pearl Street Mall.

The same place where, just six months ago, firebombs were thrown at a group of Jews. Why? Because they were Jews.

Some of those present were injured physically, all were traumatized, as was the entire community.

According to Chany Scheiner, co-founder of the Boulder Center for Judaism, they chose Barbara Steinmetz for a number of reasons, but the most important is that, according to Chany, “she is always such a light against the darkness.” Additionally, she was injured in the attack that day.

She went on to say that Barbara is, “an amazing woman. She has been through so much in her life, and she spends a lot of time speaking to groups about her Holocaust experiences, but she doesn’t dwell on the past.”

Each year the Chanukah honoree is asked the same four questions – we know, it’s not that holiday, but four is a good number for this too.

What brought you to Boulder?

It began with a family trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in June of 1963 or ’64. She and her husband Howard took their three small children camping in an old military tent—and it snowed. Being from Michigan, the snow didn’t faze them, but camping with three kids under five meant they needed a heater. So, they drove the unpaved streets to Montgomery Ward—near what is now the Pearl Street Mall—to buy one.

“It never occurred to us to stay in a hotel.”

Along the way, Howard kept catching glimpses of the Flatirons and falling in love. “We are moving here!” he announced.

“We can’t,” Barbara said. There was no easy way to move a family across the country, and, more importantly, “My parents didn’t schlep their family around half the world escaping the Nazis only to have their family, their grandchildren, move so far away. They would never see them. We cannot leave Michigan. I can’t do that to my parents… they have suffered enough.”

End of conversation.

But, over the years, life kept pulling them west. Their daughter Julie married in Michigan but settled in Boulder. They visited often. Then their daughter Monica left New York for Boulder, married here, and stayed.

Eventually their children were scattered—New Jersey, Chicago, Boulder.

When they sold their business, Howard was diagnosed with cancer. After years of treatment in Michigan, they came to Boulder for another visit. This time, when Howard said, “We’re buying a house and moving,” Barbara didn’t say no.

They returned to Michigan, and Howard—already weak, but excited about move—packed everything in the house. “He sorted nothing,” said Barbara, smiling at the memory. “He didn’t want to be buried in Michigan.”

What does Chanukah represent to you, and can you share a favorite Chanukah memory?

I never knew anything about Chanukah as a child. When our family came to the USA, we didn’t have Chanukah at home. My parents were always working.

After Howard and I married, we moved to Saginaw, Michigan, and joined a synagogue. That’s when we started celebrating.

Our children were very young, but each year our celebrations got more robust, sharing with our friends in our very tiny Jewish community. It was always joyous as we sang Chanukah songs, retold the inspiring story, lit a multitude of menorahs, and shared the celebration.

One of the memorable Chanukahs was when Howard was receiving treatment at the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor. Our kids came home for the holiday, and we gathered in our hotel room, lit several menorahs, and sang our songs in a small room illuminated only by our candles.

Tell us about a situation in your life, where you saw darkness transformed into light.

I’ve had so many darknesses and somehow always managed to find the light.

From the very beginning, my life included uncertainty, change, challenges, new languages, new countries, and more. I was lucky to have had positive role models. Everything I experienced made me strong and wary – always looking to see what’s next. When one door closed, there was always another one to kick open.

All this doesn’t mean that I’m never heartbroken, sad, disappointed, and angry. It means accepting those parts of life without stirring in that soup.

Do you have a message for the Jewish community regarding Jewish pride and fighting antisemitism?

This question is the most challenging.

The only message I have is: Get educated about Jewish history!

Knowing what has happened to Jews, how we were treated, what we had to do to come out of the well of despair, discrimination, deportation, separation… should make us sensitive to what is being done to others.

Use our history to be tolerant, understanding, helpful, and as a means of defending the Jewish right to be, to have a piece of land that is our own.

Use our history to stand up tall, with pride at the accomplishments of the Jewish people, the strength we have exhibited to survive under all kinds of circumstances, and to stay alert as life is so unpredictable.

Recognize that each of us has the strength within us to overcome, to speak up. We know we have the courage because our ancestors came out of Egypt. They made a decision to go out into the wilderness without knowing what obstacles they would find in their search for freedom, for liberty. And all Jews today are descendants of those strong people.

We have every reason to be proud of who we are. We have made, and continue to make, contributions to the planet – to live by the code of Tikum Olam (repairing the world).

My father used to say, ‘what are you doing, sitting around? Make yourself useful. Be a contributor. Make a difference!’ He was right then. He is right now.

 Come, join us, sing Chanukah songs, eat sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), drink hot chocolate, and cheer as Barbara helps to add Boulder’s light to the light of Jews all over the world. Monday night, December 15th, starting at 5:30 pm.

For more information on this and other local Chanukah celebrations go to Boulderjudaism.com.