The community is invited to experience the energy, music, and unity of the 1st Annual Westy Jewish Music Festival, a vibrant celebration of Jewish culture welcoming the entire Metro Denver and Boulder Jewish community.

Taking place on Sunday, May 17 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Chabad of Westminster, the festival promises an uplifting afternoon filled with live music, family-friendly entertainment, and a warm, inclusive atmosphere for all ages.

Headlining the festival is Soulfarm of NY known for their high-energy Jewish rock sound infused with global influences. Founded in Israel by Grammy Award-winning guitarist C Lanzbom and singer Noah Solomon Chase, the band blends melodic songwriting with dynamic, Mediterranean-inspired rhythms. Soulfarm has performed worldwide and shared stages with artists including Bruce Hornsby and The Wailers.

Also performing is local Denver based music group Gora Gora, adding a strong local and energetic presence to the lineup of Klezmer and Balkan music.

The festival will also feature a wide variety of attractions for all ages, including:

• Exciting kids’ activities
• A fun-filled clown show
• Inflatables
• Creative arts & crafts
• A delicious Kosher BBQ
• A lively, family-friendly festival environment

“This festival is about bringing people together through the power of music and community,” said Rabbi Benjy Brackman of Chabad Westminster, the event organizer. “Today more than ever, our Jewish community is looking for events that celebrate Judaism in a fun and entertaining way—while also instilling a strong sense of Jewish pride. We’re excited to welcome families and individuals from across the region to celebrate together.”

The event is free and open to the public, and guests are encouraged to reserve in advance at:
www.JewishWesty.com/music

The Westy Jewish Music Festival is proudly sponsored by the City of Westminster and The Orchard Town Center.

Event Details:
What: Westy Jewish Music Festival
When: Sunday, May 17 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Where: Chabad of Westminster, 4505 W 112th Ave, Westminster, CO
Parking: at Front Range Community College – West Parking Lot – A 5 minute walk to the location. Gates at 2:30 PM. 
Cost: Free admission

Bring your friends, bring your family—and don’t forget your dancing shoes—for an unforgettable afternoon of music, culture, and community spirit.

Join Boulder Center for Judaism on Sunday, May 17, 10:30 am for a delightful brunch and learn sponsored by Michele Cohen in memory of her sister. Come together with us for a special morning of exploration and community. We’ll hear a talk by Rachelle Halpern and create delicious cheese cakes with our special guest, Chef Miriam Malina.

Rachelle Halpern, a frequent guest at our events, was born in Poland shortly after WWII. Together with thousands of other Jews she was forced to emigrate in 1968, the last of several of Jewish post WWII emigration waves. She had visited Poland multiple times since 2007, and just returned from a unique study tour organized by Fundacja Miszpucha in conjunction with a consortium of three small NGO’s in Poland and sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

As the name „miszpucha” (Polish spelling) indicates, the study tour was a means to get to know each other as members of one large family, those who left Poland, those who stayed and those who left and returned. 

“There were ten of us, from US, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. Young and old. After ten days of intense meetings and touring we left inspired by the people we met, their enthusiasm, their desire to connect to the larger Jewish family while creating a unique way of being Jewish in today’s Poland.” 

Many of us have roots in Poland, the center of Jewish civilization that started a thousand years ago. This is your opportunity to learn about the people who are keeping this civilization alive. Welcome to the family. 

Cost: $18
For more information or to RSVP contact Chany 720-422-6776 or Amy: Schwartzcreative@gmail.com.

Lag B’Omer is known for its Fire, and in a dramatic twist this year Lag B’Omer will combine Fire & Ice (per our forecast). The good news is that snow or shine we can’t wait to welcome you tonight at our annual Lag B’Omer BBQ!  

Join us Tuesday, May 5, 5 pm. Enjoy quality time with the community while feasting on upscale BBQ food and reveling in a jam session led by Josh Raderman and his brother Jay. If you own an instrument please consider bringing it to add your unique spirit and sound to the celebration.

Suggested donation: Adults: $20 / Child $12 / Family $50 

Pay online: Boulderjudaism.com/BBQ or at the door.

Compassion Collective is a new, Jewish-themed intentional community for adults one mile from North Boulder on three acres of land with access to trail systems and biking. We are looking for community focused members on pathways of personal transformation and spiritual growth that are interested in a cooperative, supportive living environment.

There will be weekly community meetings, and house tasks will be equally shared among members. We will have community gatherings and offerings (healing workshops, Shabbats), as well as community meals and projects. Members will have a commitment to community development with a vision to heal ourselves and the world (Tikkun Olam), and agreeing to values of lovingkindness, compassion, respect, safety, tolerance, and non-violence. The community will make use of a conflict resolution system based on restorative mediation that focuses on healing relationships.

First group to start community living by June 1, 2026 with additional members planned for summer of 2026. Member room space includes private, outdoor decks. Home has a shared living room and kitchen, communal spaces, covered patio, and outdoor kitchen. Hot tub, sauna, and vegetable garden are planned. Community equally shares utilities and community food.

For more information and how to apply, contact Eli at esadeh@gmail.com or at 970-294-5447 (voice or text).

East Boulder Community Center (EAST LOT)
5660 Sioux Drive · Boulder, CO
Saturday, May 23 · 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM MDT

Challah, juice, and a view! Come unwind with us on the Bobolink Trail at 9am on May 23. We’ll gather at the East Boulder Rec/Senior Center for a brief Shabbat with challah and grape juice, then take an easy-going walk along South Boulder Creek with plenty of Humanistic Jewish points to ponder. Park at the far east side of the lot and gather at the bridge leading to the trails. Rest rooms are available in the Rec Center.

Bring water and dress for the weather. Expect stunning mountain vistas and a chance to spot the trail’s namesake birds nesting in the tallgrass prairie. It’s flat, it’s beautiful, and there’s snacks, what’s not to love?

Please click here to register so we know to expect you.

Beth Ami is the only Humanistic Jewish congregation in Colorado and is a proud affiliate of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. We celebrate Jewish holidays, learning and life cycle events through the secular lens of history, culture, and reason. We believe in the human capacity to create a better world without supernatural intervention.

Beth Ami is a welcoming community where we connect to Jewish past, celebrate Jewish present and link to Jewish future through a humanistic philosophy. We encourage anyone interested in learning about Humanistic Judaism to attend this and all our events.

Let’s do Jewish together – Humanistically!

Dear editor:

Reading this column (“For Israeli Military Aid: It’s the Standards, Stupid!!” BJN, April 16, 2026) has given me insight into Bruce Ticker’s thoughts on the conflict between Israel and the people who began to call themselves “Palestinians” in 1964. I have long wondered why Ticker has often referred to the 1970 Camp David peace summit as if it was Israel’s only attempt to trade land for peace. After reading this column, I realize that Ticker, as a loyal supporter of the Democrats, cannot comprehend Yasser Arafat’s refusal to accept the path to Palestinian statehood outlined by President Bill Clinton.

But Arafat’s followers had a very different view of the situation. They felt that the offer was not nearly as generous as claimed and could not understand why the deal’s supporters were angry that Arafat had turned it down without even making a counter offer. Speaking as a Zionist, I must admit that I see the utter rejection of the plan as proof that, in the words of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Palestinian leaders think that “Give and Take” means that “Israel gives and the Palestinians take.” In other words, Arafat’s position was that only Israel was required to make concessions; the Palestinians weren’t required to accept any agreement that did not meet 100% of their expectations.

Complex situations cannot be solved by simplistic actions. It was wrong for western governments to slow shipments of arms to Israel as Israel was fighting to prevent Hamas from fulfilling its vow to inflict 1,000 October 7’s on Israel. But some good may result from the slowdowns – Israel is working to increase its production of weapons and ammunition so that it will not be dependent on foreign suppliers.

Toby F. Block
Atlanta, GA

Celebrate 30 Years of Culture, Community, and Connection! The Boulder Jewish Festival is back on Pearl Street Mall for a landmark celebration of Jewish life in Boulder. From soulful melodies and vibrant art to the best local flavors, there’s something for everyone at this milestone event. Join us for the 30th Boulder Jewish Festival on Sunday, June 7, from 11 am to 3 pm at the Pearl Street Mall; admission is free!

This year, the Boulder Jewish Festival offers an exciting interactive activity for the whole family!

Community Art Activities: 

Join the Be Like Ellie Foundation and spread kindness through art. “Simple acts of kindness create positive change.” After Ellie tragically passed away at age six, her family founded the Be Like Ellie Foundation to continue her gift of making the world a better place. Through year-round events and community giving activities, the foundation inspires others to transform the world through simple, everyday acts of kindness.

Join Beautifully Jewish in a community knitting activity, creating items to be displayed at local Sukkot celebrations like hand-painted and written wooden hearts (wooden hearts), knitting Jewish stars (free pattern), and stringing pom poms.

Israeli Dance
Israeli Dancing is vibrant and is danced in cities large and small, literally all over the world. It blends traditional Jewish styles with many other ethnic influences – notably Yemenite, Eastern European, Balkan, Greek, and others. It is alive, as dozens of new dances are choreographed every year, and taught at a variety of Israeli dance camps and dance sessions. Come join us, and see what you’re missing! Presented by Boulder Israeli Dance!

Circus
Spoon Circus spreads the joy of circus arts to all, creating playful, inclusive spaces where creativity thrives, confidence grows, and communities connect. 
Fairy Hair
Fairy Shimmer’s mission, in addition to providing quality fairy hair services, is to invite our clients to wander, discover, and support our local community stores. 

Face Painting
Bring your event to life with high-quality face painting that blends artistry, imagination, and fun with Where the Wild Things Art. From beautiful butterflies to fierce superheroes, each design is thoughtfully created to make every guest feel special. I strive to make each celebration a memorable experience.

Our Commitment
In the spirit of Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World), the Boulder Jewish Festival is a Zero-Waste Event. We are proud to partner with local sustainability leaders to keep our celebration green

Save the date and bring the whole family for an afternoon of joy in the heart of Boulder! More information and the full schedule will be coming soon.

In celebration of Adventure Judaism’s 25th year, Rabbi Alan will be climbing one of Colorado’s fourteeners. 

Adventure Judaism has always been about connecting with community and tradition in nature. Rabbi Alan is looking to elevate this connection, quite literally, by climbing his fifth fourteener, Mount Democrat, on Friday, May 15, 2026.

You can be involved by pledging an amount (from ten cents to five dollars) for every 100 feet in elevation of the mountain. So, if you pledge 25 cents, and Rabbi Alan reaches the top, your donation will be $35 (.25 x 140 = 35). (Yes, the summit of Mt. Democrat is actually 14,295 feet, but we are rounding to make the math easier.)

This is a great way to support the programs and events that lift up everyone in the Adventure Judaism community.

But Wait, There’s More

To make it more challenging, Rabbi Alan plans to cross the ridge from the summit of Mt. Democrat to the peak of nearby Mt. Cameron. If you choose to, you can add some extra incentive by selecting the Double Peak Challenge. If you select this option, and if Rabbi Alan summits both peaks, you would double the amount of your donation.

Details are in the chart below. All funds raised will go to the Adventure Judaism 25th Anniversary Fund.

As we all know, the weather in Colorado can be unpredictable, so if it is unsafe to hike that day, Rabbi Alan will attempt it again on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Please click here for more information, or jump in with a pledge.

Our fourth monthly In-Person Boulder Death Schmooze (Death Cafe), where we talk about all things death, is now scheduled for May 6th. This is a space for anyone to feel welcome: whether you have been present in end-of-life spaces for years or are totally new to Jewish end-of-life practices – you are welcome here.

A Death Schmooze is not a grief group or a therapy group.  It is an opportunity to connect with community around our experiences of death and loss.

In this space we will hear each other’s stories and our struggles and bring curiosity; we will honor moments of beauty and spirituality; and we will reflect on the memories of our loved ones and the legacy they’ve left behind. Share your grief stories, your struggles, your moments of beauty or spirituality, and bring questions about this inevitable lifecycle event. Beverages and snacks will be available.

Free, and donations are welcome.

Boulder Death Schmooze (in-person)
Wednesday, May 6th 2026 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Location: Congregation Bonai Shalom, 1527 Cherryvale Rd. Boulder

We have some fun programs coming up this month and there are some save-the-dates for June!

Please register in advance for all programs, so we can plan accordingly.

• MOTJ Discussion Group: Wednesday, May 6
• Men’s Breakfast: Wednesday, May 13
• MOTJ Hike: Tuesday, May 19
• SPECIAL EVENT: CANASTA NIGHT WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
• MOTJ Book Group & Schmooze: Thursday, May 21 (See book titles below)
• MOTJ Brewery Meetup: Thursday, May 28

SAVE THE DATE: 

• June 15 – Jewish American History Lecture
• June 17 – Bison Ranch Tour & Lunch

Book Titles:

• May     Greene, “The Temple Bombing”
• June     Popper, “The Trolls of Wall Street”
• July      Westover, “Educated”

Looking forward to seeing you in May.

If you have any questions about this or anything about Men of the J, reach out to Maya Harvey at the Boulder JCC.

Caron Blau Rothstein to Join Foundation Team in June 2026

DENVER, CO – (April 30, 2026) –  Rose Community Foundation announces Caron Blau Rothstein as its new Jewish Life Program Director, leveraging three decades of experience as a Jewish communal professional to help lead the Foundation’s efforts to sustain a vibrant, engaged, safe and joy-filled Jewish community in the seven-county Denver-Boulder metro area. 

“We are excited to welcome Caron to Colorado, knowing her extensive experience with a multitude of Jewish communal organizations and programs in different communities will make her a valued and strategic thought partner for our grantees, our team and our community,” said Rose Community Foundation President & CEO Lindy Eichenbaum Lent.  

Caron will begin working at the Foundation in mid-June after relocating to Denver from Portland, Oregon, where she has worked for the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland for the past 15 years, most recently as Chief Planning and Engagement Officer overseeing annual grantmaking, project-managing Portland’s Jewish Community Demographic Study, engaging diverse community groups in Jewish communal planning, and managing the capital campaign, construction and operational launch of Rachel’s Well Community Mikvah.  She held previous roles at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland that involved helping newcomers navigate the Jewish community, launching and managing Jewish Free Loan of Oregon, and managing the PJ Library Portland program.

Her previous roles while in Portland included serving as a consultant and program manager for Yatom: The Jewish Foster & Adoption Network and as outreach and engagement director for Congregation Neveh Shalom. Before moving to Portland, Blau Rothstein served as the founding director of Jewish Volunteer Connection for The Associated | Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and as director of special projects for the Macks Center for Jewish Education. 

An alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship leadership development program for Jewish professionals, she currently volunteers with Jewish Family & Child Service of Portland where she serves on the Holocaust Survivors Advisory Committee, and with Positive Charge PDX overseeing food redistribution to food-security programs.  Blau Rothstein was a past volunteer evaluator for the Slingshot Fund’s annual resource guide of Jewish organizational innovation and a founding board member of Tivnu: Building Justice. 
 
“Having devoted my career to nurturing the Jewish communal landscape, I have long admired Rose Community Foundation’s commitment to building a dynamic and inclusive ecosystem that celebrates the many ways to be Jewish,” Blau Rothstein said. “My professional journey has been defined by passions for strategic grantmaking, community building and fostering the kind of enduring infrastructure that allows Jewish life to thrive. I’m excited to contribute my experience and vision to support the vibrant future of Jewish life in the Denver-Boulder metro region with my new colleagues at the Foundation.” 

Blau Rothstein received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Judaic Studies from the University of California San Diego, her master’s degree in Modern Jewish History from Baltimore Hebrew University, her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and a certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani fell into what could be the Menin trap on a Jewish-related issue, hopefully the first of many to come in the remaining 3 1/2 years of his administration.

Mamdani does have bigger problems, but he was forced to choose between Jewish New Yorkers and the anti-Israel mob last week when he vetoed a City Council bill requiring security perimeters around school facilities during demonstrations. Mamdani has yet to hear an anti-Israel chant – like “globalize the intifada” – that he would condemn.

The buffer-zone sideshow – of Mamdani’s own making – is a natural lose-lose conundrum. To wit:

“I don’t know how anyone in their right mind can be against students having the right to enter and exit the school facility,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said last Saturday, according to New York Jewish Week.

Menin was so quoted at an appearance before her fellow Jews at a Downtown Minyan while major Jewish groups voiced their ire toward the politically inexperienced mayor.

The council speaker is in a strategic position to be the anti-Zohran after she was unanimously elected council speaker last Jan. 7. However, she said she gathered a majority of votes for speaker by last Thanksgiving. As leader of the 51-member legislative body, she has long experience in city government and proved with the buffer-zone outcome that she could throw Mamdani off balance.

Menin proposed two bills authorizing security perimeters when she was formally elected speaker. The bill applying to school facilities was passed 30-19, four votes short of a veto-proof majority, leaving Mamdani the opportunity to veto it, as he did.

The bill requires police to provide the mayor and speaker with a plan to control risks posed by protesters without denying them their First Amendment free-speech rights, according to The New York Times. The police commissioner is also mandated to provide a public point of contact relating to any bid to mitigate a protest.

In a statement, Mamdani said the bill “is not a narrow public safety measure; it is a piece of legislation that has alarmed much of the labor movement, reproductive rights groups and immigration advocates, among others across this city. Nearly a dozen unions have raised the alarm about its impact on their ability to organize. That is why I am vetoing this legislation.”

If the police were doing their job, this legislation would not be necessary. It is inherent in law enforcement to prevent demonstrations from spiraling out of control.

Mamdani must be joking. The groups he mentions usually behave themselves, so they need no special treatment.

We know who Mamdani is helping. This bill would deny the mayor’s progressive friends the ability to make themselves obnoxious when they protest Israel.

Their repulsive conduct during a protest outside a modern Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side spurred passage of the two bills. Last fall, they got into the face of Jews waiting to attend an event hosted by the nonprofit organization Nefesh B’Nefesh, which aids North American Jews move to Israel, including Judea and Samaria (a.k.a. the West Bank).

The demonstrators were chanting “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada,” the latter being a common Israel-hostile phrase that Mamdani refuses to condemn. In the past, the mayor was also filmed chanting “Free Palestine,” and he created a pro-Palestinian group when he was a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Me. His parents and wife are all anti-Israel.

Menin initially proposed that police secure a perimeter of up to 100 feet around houses of worship, but she agreed to weaken the twin bills after resistance from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish, and others in the administration.

Progressives predictably opposed the bills on grounds that they would expand unnecessary policing and stifle free speech, according to the Times. Translated: The bills would preclude them from harassing Jewish New Yorkers. The synagogue bill was passed with enough votes to override the mayor’s veto.

Last Friday, Mamdani said that while he still opposed the bill, he would neither sign nor veto it, as if he had a choice. “Following a thorough legal review, I do not believe it poses the same risks it once did, and that is why I will allow it to become law,” he said in his statement. “That said, I disagree with its framing of all protest as a security concern.”

If Mamdani was trying to talk like a constitutional scholar, it did not work. He sounded desperate.

What Menin did was shrewd, if unintentional. If her strategy was to distract and agitate Mamdani, she probably succeeded. The controversy played out in public view. Interestingly, both the Jewish community and Mamdani’s core supporters won some and lost some, so neither party was satisfied.

The Menin trap, if that’s what was intended, is a textbook example of how to take on activists for the so-called Palestinians: Put them on the spot.

Mamdani took on a massive task to govern America’s largest city, population 8½ million. He already must find a way to eliminate a $5.4 billion budget deficit. How will this sideshow help his fellow New Yorkers?

The race is not over, as Stephen Boyd told Charleton Heston after the chariot race in Ben-Hur. Council members immediately considered another vote to establish security perimeters for educational facilities. They would attempt to make the vote veto-proof next time.     

On Saturday, April 26th, 2026 (9 Iyar, 5786), Sammy Hausler was called to the Torah as Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Bonai Shalom. Sammy read from Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim.

Boulder Jewish News encourages Bar and Bat Mitzvah students to submit their d’var torah and information about their Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam projects.  For more information, please email editor@boulderjewishnews.org

On Saturday, April 26th, 2026 (9 Iyar, 5786), Levi Markowitz was called to the Torah as Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Nevei Kodesh. Benji read from Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim.

Boulder Jewish News encourages Bar and Bat Mitzvah students to submit their d’var torah and information about their Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam projects.  For more information, please email editor@boulderjewishnews.org.

On Saturday, April 26th, 2026 (9 Iyar, 5786), Maisy & Tucker Kellogg, children of Hillary & Dan Kellogg, were called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem. Maisy & Tucker read from  Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim.

Boulder Jewish News encourages Bar and Bat Mitzvah students to submit their d’var torah and information about their Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam projects.  For more information, please email editor@boulderjewishnews.org.