On not-knowing, bearing witness, and the Jewish heart of a Zen practice

By Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder

“The place where you stand is holy ground.” — Exodus 3:5

Summer, 2026. Each November for the past three years, I make my way back to Poland as the rabbi-in-residence at the annual Zen Peacemakers Bearing Witness Retreat at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Together with people from around the world, Mozambique to Finland, Prague to Seattle, Jewish descendants of the Shoah, Buddhists, Christians, people of no tradition at all, children and grandchildren of German perpetrators, we gather on that ground and simply walk and sit as we connect with this place. We do not debate history. We do not explain or fix. We bear witness.

People ask me, quizzically and sometimes with consternation in their eyes: Why do you keep going back? It is a fair question and one I do not fully understand myself. I was born into a family with a mother and grandparents who survived while other family members perished in this camp. My mother and her parents were the fortunate ones who walked out of Birkenau. That ground holds my blood, my name, my history. And yet I return not only to mourn. . .  I return to practice.

The Bearing Witness retreat is grounded in the three tenets articulated by Roshi Bernie Glassman, the Brooklyn-born Zen teacher and social activist who founded the Zen Peacemakers Order in 1996. Their guiding principles are: not-knowing, bearing witness, and loving action. These tenets move in sequence, but they are not truly separate ~ each one flows into and holds the others.

Not-knowing means arriving without fixed ideas, without the armor of certainty. Bernie used to say it is like entering as a child, with every bone, every cell, every hair of your body open to what is actually there. At Auschwitz, this means resisting the temptation to already know what one may feel, to make meaning, and to shape words to attach to the experience. It means letting the place land on you before you begin to interpret it or as we like to say, “we are there to listen to the soil.”

From that open ground, bearing witness becomes possible. Not testimony, not performance, but a dissolving of the distance between the one who looks and what is looked at. When I sit on the frozen ground at Birkenau, reading and hearing names spoken aloud, I am not observing history. I am, for a moment, inside it. The crumbling barracks, the rusted wire, the absence that hums through every inch of this place. . .  I let it enter me. I do not protect myself from it.

And from bearing witness, loving action arises ~ not planned or prescribed, but emerging naturally from genuine presence. Sometimes it is tears. Sometimes it is kaddish. Sometimes it is a conversation with a German participant whose relatives were Nazis that neither of us could have scripted. The action is not something we bring to the retreat. It is something the retreat gives birth to.

As a daughter of survivors, I grew up with a grief that had no edges. It was not spoken of directly; it lived in my mother’s silences, in what was not said at the dinner table, in the stories that stopped abruptly before the hardest parts could be revealed. This is the nature of intergenerational trauma. It does not end with the generation that endured it. It migrates. It settles in the bodies of children who were never there. When I first stood at Auschwitz-Birkenau as an adult, I felt something I had not expected: recognition. Not of a place I had visited, but of a place I had somehow already been carrying. The retreat has taught me that this inheritance is not only a wound, it is also a form of memory that the body shields on behalf of those who could not speak. Going back is a way of honoring what my mother and her parents survived. It is a way of saying: I have not looked away.

The Hebrew word teshuvah is usually translated as repentance, but its root is simply shuv ~ to return. It is the same root in hashivenu: return us. Return us to You Oh Mystery, return us to ourselves, return us to what we know to be true. Teshuvah is not about punishment. It is about the courage to turn back toward what matters and aligning with my truth~ the truth that is contained in all parts of me.

Each time I return to Auschwitz, I am doing teshuvah in the most literal sense. I am turning back toward the ground of my mother’s and grandparents’ survival. I am practicing the not-knowing that Bernie taught, arriving without answers, open to whatever arises. And I am bearing witness in the deepest Jewish sense of the word: eid, witness, the one who was present and does not forget.

Friends and members in my community wonder about a rabbi sitting at a Zen retreat. I understand the question. But what I have found, year after year, is that this practice has deepened my Judaism rather than displaced it. Sitting in silence on that frozen ground, chanting Kaddish with Christians and Buddhists and people who have never entered a synagogue — I have felt the full force of our obligation to memory, to witness, to zachor~ to remember.

Bernie himself was a Jewish boy from Brooklyn. The three tenets he gave the world were not separate from his heritage. They were, I believe, another expression of who he was and what he came into the world to be. Not-knowing is the beginning of awe. Bearing witness is the work of every Jew who reads names aloud on Yom HaShoah. And loving action?  Is this not tikkun olam? The Zen frame gave me new language for something Judaism has always asked of us.

That is why I return. Not only for my mother, or my grandparents, or the six million. I return because this practice: arriving open-minded and open-hearted and staying present allows action to arise from love as a form of prayer. The ground of that place still speaks. And because, as long as I am able, I want to be someone who listens as a way to remember. To remember is not sentiment. It is mitzvah, obligation, the act by which we as a people remain a people across time and exile.

The rabbis taught: B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatza miMitzrayim:  in every generation, each person is obligated to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt. Memory, in Judaism, is never merely historical. It is always present tense. It is always I, not they.

The Yizkor prayer asks of us: May our memories of the departed be both tender and true, undiminished by time, not falsified by sentimentality. Let us recall them and love them as they were. This is zachor. This is why I return to the holy ground of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Not to dwell in the past, but to carry it forward, alive and insisting, into everything I do. I carry my mother’s and grandparent’s survival, and the memory of all those who did not survive, into how I aspire to live. That is the only return that matters.

Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder is a spiritual leader and artist, designing transformative learning, lifecycle and ritual opportunities to provide seekers with joyful and creative approaches to Judaism.  R’ Eva retired as the Rabbi of The Shul of NY and most recently, as ‘Rosh Hashpa’ah, head of Spiritual Direction for the ALEPH Ordination Program, supporting the spiritual development of the seminary students and faculty. She is honored to return for the fourth year as the rabbi-in-residence at the Zen Peacemakers Bearing Witness Retreat in Auschwitz-Birkenau. An alumna of CLAL’s trans-denominational Rabbis Without Borders and the IJS Clergy Leadership Program, she is also a teacher of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation, Mussar, Wise Eldering and the Jewish Studio Process, integrating the expressive arts into her rabbinate. R’ Eva maintains a private practice as a mashpiah, a Jewish spiritual director.

Statewide chapter of the American Jewish Alliance is building a visible, action-oriented and unapologetically Zionist presence across Colorado

COLORADO – The Jewish Alliance of Colorado (JAC), the statewide chapter of the American Jewish Alliance, is part of a growing national grassroots movement built around a simple idea: Jewish communities need people willing to show up.

The American Jewish Alliance grew from the Chicago Jewish Alliance, created amid the dramatic rise in antisemitism following October 7, 2023. The Chicago experience demonstrated the need for an organization capable of mobilizing Jews quickly, advocating publicly and giving community members a direct way to become involved. That model is now expanding nationally, including in Colorado.

JAC is proudly and unapologetically Jewish and Zionist. Its work extends across the Front Range and throughout Colorado, supporting Jewish communities, students and individuals who need advocacy, visibility and a stronger voice.

JAC does not seek to replace Colorado’s established Jewish organizations. It fills a complementary role: grassroots, visible and action-oriented. The organization mobilizes people to engage at city councils, school boards, college campuses and community events; support Jewish students; confront antisemitism; stand visibly with Israel; and build relationships across Colorado.

That philosophy is reflected in JAC’s leadership. Dr. Charles Jacobs serves on the organization’s Board of Directors, bringing decades of experience confronting antisemitism, defending Israel and building organizations designed to act when emerging threats are too often ignored. Jacobs co-founded The David Project to address hostility toward Jewish and pro-Israel students on college campuses and has held leadership roles in organizations focused on media accountability, human rights and Jewish advocacy.

“Charles has spent decades recognizing challenges facing Jews and Israel early and then building institutions to do something about them. That perspective is vital to what we are building. We believe Jewish advocacy must be thoughtful and fact-based, but it also has to be courageous, visible and willing to act.”

– JAC President Aaron Brooks

For Brooks, founding JAC is also deeply personal. For more than two years, he has been actively engaged in Jewish advocacy across the Front Range, from municipal meetings and public demonstrations to college campuses and community events. He has also participated every week in Boulder’s Run for Their Lives gathering in support of the hostages held by Hamas.

On June 1, 2025, Brooks was present on Pearl Street when an antisemitic terrorist attacked members of that community. He stood only feet from the attacker and then helped injured community members in the immediate aftermath.

“Having witnessed firsthand where antisemitic hatred can ultimately lead, I became even more convinced that Jews cannot retreat from public life,” Brooks said. “We need greater engagement, confidence, visibility and community. That conviction is a major reason I decided now was the time to build the Jewish Alliance of Colorado.”

JAC welcomes Jews from different political, religious and personal backgrounds, while remaining unequivocal about its identity. Zionism, the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland, is foundational to the organization.

“Our purpose is simple,” Brooks said. “We are here to help more people find their voices and make sure that when they use them, they don’t have to stand alone.”

Learn more: jewishalliance.com | colorado.jewishalliance.com

The 3rd Annual Broomfield Jewish Festival will return on Sunday, August 16, from 4:00–7:30 PM at the Palisade Park Amphitheater, bringing together hundreds of residents for an afternoon celebrating Jewish culture, community, music, and food.

The free, family-friendly festival is open to everyone and features authentic kosher cuisine, matzah baking, arts and crafts, inflatables, face painting, balloon art, a Baby Sensory Play Area, a community service project with Our Giving Kitchen, and a full lineup of live music throughout the afternoon. Performances will include Bradley Manosevitz from the Roaring Fork Valley and Jesse Leor from New York, leading up to a headline concert by Chicago’s acclaimed Rogers Park Band from 6:30–7:30 PM.

“The Broomfield Jewish Festival is about bringing people together,” said Rabbi Yossi Rapoport, co-director of Chabad of Broomfield. “Our hope is that people of every background come to experience Jewish culture, meet their neighbors, and leave with a greater appreciation for the diversity and warmth that make our community so special. There truly is something for everyone.”

For Rogers Park Band, performing at community festivals across the country is about much more than music.

“We’ve had the privilege of performing in communities across the country, and every place has its own unique spirit,” said Mordy Kurtz, lead vocalist of Rogers Park Band. “Music has a way of bringing people together, and we’re honored to be part of festivals that celebrate culture, strengthen community, and create lasting memories. We’re excited to experience Broomfield and celebrate with everyone there.”

Now in its third year, the Broomfield Jewish Festival has grown into one of the area’s largest Jewish cultural celebrations, welcoming Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike for an afternoon of connection, learning, and fun.

The event is free and open to the public. Security will be present. More information is available at www.broomfieldjewishfestival.com.

Two $10,000 awards will fund original research on infertility in Jewish populations

Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF), a national nonprofit supporting families through infertility since 2015, has opened applications for a new research grant aimed at REI (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) fellows. The grant will award $10,000 each to two fellows conducting original research on infertility among Jewish individuals and couples.

Little research exists on how genetics, culture, and community shape fertility and access to care within Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi populations. JFF started the grant to fund early-career researchers taking that on.

Fellows can propose research on genetic factors affecting fertility, access to reproductive care, recurrent pregnancy loss, LGBTQ+ family-building, fertility preservation, or the psychological impact of infertility.

“Jewish patients have long been underrepresented in fertility research, despite unique genetic, cultural, and community factors shaping their experience of infertility,” said Elana Frank, CEO & Founder of the Jewish Fertility Foundation. “This grant invests directly in the science and the scientists, who will help transform fertility care for Jewish families for generations to come.”

Applicants must be current REI fellows in an ACGME-accredited program in the U.S. Applicants do not need to be Jewish. The application deadline is November 30, 2026, with awardees notified between February and March 2027.

More information and the application are available here.

About Jewish Fertility Foundation

JFF has helped families struggling with infertility since 2015: financial grants, support groups, education, whatever’s needed. JFF operates in 11 locations around the country, as well as offers national programming, and has helped fund over 400 births to date.

Each year, the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization (IDFWO) hosts an annual Bar and Bat Mitzvah program for children who have lost a parent while serving in Israel’s security forces. As part of the program, 28 children from across Israel participated last month in a three-week delegation to the United States. The trip began in Chicago, where participants stayed with local host families, before spending nearly a week at Camp Chi in Wisconsin alongside American children. The delegation then traveled to New York City and New Jersey, with activities including visits to Times Square and a Broadway performance. For many of the participants, it was their first visit to the United States and an opportunity to travel independently from their families for an extended period.

The program is designed to bring together children who have experienced the loss of a parent and provide opportunities to build relationships with peers who share similar experiences, while also connecting them with Jewish communities abroad. Participants come from communities across Israeli society, including Jewish and Druze families, and the delegation is supported by counselors, including former participants who return to accompany younger children. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah initiative is part of IDFWO’s broader work supporting bereaved families through programs, assistance, advocacy and long-term support. Founded in 1991, IDFWO currently supports more than 18,000 widows, widowers and orphans across Israel, providing support throughout different stages of their lives through educational, social and welfare programs, financial assistance, advocacy and community initiatives. Since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron War, the circle of bereavement has expanded significantly, including 364 new widows and widowers, among them 48 pregnant widows, and 912 new orphans.

Speaking to a counsellor on the final day of the trip, participant Talia, who had struggled during a previous summer camp experience, said: “I don’t want to get out of bed. This was the best summer trip ever! I don’t want to go home. I can’t wait to see everyone at the next Otzma camp!”

Another participant, Rona, reflected on the personal impact of the experience: “I’ve changed during this trip. Now I share, even when it’s not easy for me, because I see my friends’ needs.” 

“The IDFWO Bar Mitzvah Trip is one of the most powerful programs we have, and I believe it is among the most important things we do here in the United States. These children have already experienced a loss no child should ever have to know. Bringing them here at this moment in their lives is our opportunity to surround them with love, celebrate them, and show them, in a way they can truly feel, that they are part of a family that will always be there for them.”

– Dan Elbaum, Executive Director of IDFWO

The Month of Elul: Preparing to Begin Again

This Hebrew year we began a new column with Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz. This month is the final offering of a 12-part column exploring the spiritual and psychological wisdom of each Hebrew month. Drawing from Torah,  Kabbalah, Mussar, and seasonal awareness, each installment has highlighted core themes, practices, and reflections to help ground us in sacred time. Links to the first 11 months’ columns are at the end of this post. Thanks, Reb Charna, for taking us on this journey!

Over this past year, we have traveled together through the Hebrew months, exploring the ancient Jewish understanding that time is not empty. Each month carries its own qualities and offers particular opportunities for growth. Now we arrive at Elul, the final month of the year, and the month that prepares us to begin again.

Rosh Chodesh Elul opens the forty-day journey that culminates in Yom Kippur, recalling the forty days Moses spent on Sinai before returning with the second set of tablets. The broken relationship between God and Israel was not simply restored. Something had to be learned, repaired, and renewed. Elul asks the same of us.

Jewish tradition finds a beautiful hint in the letters of the word Elul: Ani l’dodi v’dodi li — “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.” During these weeks, our relationship with the Holy One is imagined not primarily through distance or hierarchy, but through intimacy. The Hasidic tradition describes this as the time when “the King is in the field.” We do not have to make our way into the palace. The Sacred comes out to meet us in the fields of ordinary life.

According to the mystical system of Sefer Yetzirah, Elul is connected with the Hebrew letter yod and with the faculty of action. Yod is the smallest letter of the alef-bet, little more than a point, yet it contains enormous potential. It is the seed before the plant, the thought before the sentence, the possibility before it takes form.

But possibility alone is not enough. Elul is connected with action because teshuvah, return, asks something of us. Where do I need to apologize? What needs to change? What have I learned this year that I now need to live? What have I been postponing?

Elul is also associated in this system with the tribe of Gad, whose story carries the energy of the warrior. We might understand that warrior energy not simply as fighting an external enemy, but as developing the strength and discernment needed to confront what keeps us from becoming who we are capable of being. Sometimes spiritual growth requires gentleness. Sometimes it requires the willingness to cut through an old pattern and say: I do not want to carry this into another year.

This is why the practices of Elul turn us both backward and forward. We look back over the year and ask what needs repair, what deserves gratitude, and what can finally be released. Then we look ahead. What kind of life do I want to build? What blessing am I ready to ask for? What greater alignment between my values and my actions might become possible?

A Simple Elul Practice
Set aside ten quiet minutes two or three times each week during Elul. Divide a page in half. On one side write: What am I ready to complete, repair, or release? On the other: What do I want to strengthen, create, or welcome in the coming year?

Do not try to solve everything at once. Choose one item from each side and identify one action you can take before Rosh Hashanah. Make the phone call. Offer the apology. Finish what has been lingering. Begin the practice you keep saying matters to you.

Elul reminds us that inner work becomes real through action. The point of reflection is not self-judgment, but greater alignment between who we understand ourselves to be and how we actually live.

As I write this final article in our journey through the Hebrew months, I am especially grateful to all of you who have traveled with me. Month by month we have explored the letters, tribes, seasons, senses, and spiritual qualities our tradition associates with Jewish time. Beneath all these teachings has been a single question: How might we become more conscious participants in our own lives?

Perhaps that is also the invitation of Elul. We do not have to enter the New Year perfected. We enter awake. We bring what we have learned, what we regret, what we cherish, and what we are still becoming.

May this month offer each of us the spaciousness to listen deeply and the courage to act where action is needed. May the shofar awaken what has fallen asleep within us. May we recognize the good that has already grown during this past year, repair what we can, and prepare ourselves to receive the possibilities of the year ahead.

Thank you for sharing this journey through the Hebrew calendar with me. May your preparation for the High Holidays be meaningful and fruitful, and may the coming year bring blessing, wisdom, and peace.

Chodesh Tov,

Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz
Check out Shulchan.net for more information about R’Charna’s offerings

Here is a list of Rabbi Charna’s monthly columns in the series:

1. Tishrei
2. Cheshvan
3. Kislev
4. Tevet
5. Sh’vat
6. Adar
7. Nissan
8. Iyar
9. Sivan
10. Tammuz
11. Av
12. Elul

Mel Brooks’ band of psychiatrists in “High Anxiety” went goofy when they shielded two young girls from adult language as they scrutinized “woowoos” and “balloons,” but modern-day psychologists now sport Keffiyehs at mental-health conferences and attend programming focused “on Palestinian liberation.”

On July 31, an organization calling itself Psychologists for Justice in Palestine – how did they come up with that name? – shared an email on a listserve encouraging attendees at a convention to “send a clear message to APA and our fellow psychologists: Psychologists do – and must – care about justice, liberation and the lives of Palestinians.”

It does not mention justice for the lives of Jews and others massacred in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Or the liberation of Israeli hostages that were held in Gaza.

Psychologist Daniel Balva recalled the email’s contents in a Times of Israel op-ed prior to last week’s American Psychological Association 2026 Annual Convention that was held in Washington, D.C. He states that the convention was promoted as the “largest gathering of psychologists in the world…to share research, build collaborations and discuss ways to advance the profession.”

Balva goes on to write: “The email urged conference participants to show solidarity by wearing a keffiyeh or ‘Palestine colors,’ read a prewritten ‘Land and Genocide Acknowledgement’ before professional presentations, attend programming focused on Palestinian liberation and participate in an open meeting hosted by the Psychology Coalition for Justice in Palestine, comprised of Psychologists for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Psychologists for Justice, Society for the Psychology of Women, Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity…Psychoanalysis for Social Responsibility and the Asian American Psychological Association.

His listing of all these groups makes me wonder if he mistakes the word “psychologists” for patients seizing control of the asylum.

Balva raised further concerns, but readers should get the idea by now. He serves on the executive board of Psychologists Against Antisemitism and he is a Council Member for the Voice of the People Global Cohort led by Israeli President Isaac Herzog where he collaborates with Jewish leaders worldwide to address challenges facing Jewish communities.

After APA wrapped up its convention last Friday, the Anti-Defamation League expressed “deep disappointment” over the organization’s decision that day “to delay the vote – for the second time this year – on recognizing the Association of Jewish Psychologists as an Ethnic Psychological Association” in a press release published in The San Diego Jewish World.

“By denying Jewish psychologists the same representation afforded to other ethnic minority groups, APA is applying a double standard to Jewish identity and acting in direct contravention of APA’s own rules,” the press release states.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, “With antisemitism rising within the psychology profession and the APA itself, recognizing American Jewish psychologists is long overdue. APA had two opportunities to acknowledge the lived experiences of Jewish psychologists but instead failed to act…It’s about whether APA is willing to confront antisemitism within its own ranks with the same seriousness it brings to other forms of bias.”

“AJP’s application became entangled in political debates that had nothing to do with the APA’s criteria for Ethnic Psychological Association status,” said ADL Vice President Shira Goodman. It was not “the Council’s responsibility…to referee political disagreements or impose ideological litmus tests on a Jewish professional organization.”

The ADL also cited “reports from Jewish psychologists who have experienced harassment, exclusion and hostility because of their Jewish identity or their views.”

I cannot cease wondering how masses of highly educated professionals can buy into the “Free Palestine” mob’s rigid and distorted tales about the Arab struggle. While legitimate concerns exist, anyone who believes their version must be mentally unstable. Here we have mental-health professionals sporting keffiyehs. They’re the ones who need help.

The convention was yet another jaw-dropping moment in this Israel-bashing moment. This occasion constitutes another sickening milestone. It is one matter for mathematicians or engineers whose work is technical to tout this propaganda, but not for a profession where thinking and empathy are the core elements of their scholarship.

Mel Brooks – possibly the sickest mind in comedy writing – has yet to create a movie that rivals the APA convention for “ludicrous speed” caliber, to paraphrase a line in Brooks’ “Spaceballs.” The best he ever accomplished to spoof MH professionals was a scene in his 1977 “High Anxiety” when Brooks addresses a conference of fellow patients…er, psychiatrists…on “the female erogenous zone.”

The conferees were already speaking in code because one member walked in late with his two young daughters. When Brooks mentioned the zone, a Dr. Colburn corrected, “You mean the balloons?”

Brooks: “Lower, much lower. Where the babies come out. The woo…The woowoo.”

Colburn: “The woowoo?”

Brooks: “Yes! The woowoo. Perhaps the most significant psychological feminine component known to mankind.”

The scene was funny enough, but it would not be nearly as sidesplitting if a comic would exploit the material produced by the APA convention. What a gifted comedian can do with keffiyehs at a psychological convention.

Hopefully Jewish and other rational mental health professionals can shake up the APA over this. I wonder if anything can be done to punish members who politicized the convention.

My only other suggestion: If in the future the anti-Israel mob arrives with keffiyehs wrapped around their shoulders, then Jewish attendees should dip into their pockets and adorn their heads with yarmulkes.

On Saturday, August 8th, 2026 (25 Av, 5786), Gavin Lang, child of Rebecca & Adam Lang, was called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem. Gavin read from Parashat Re’eh.

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, August 8th, 2026 (25 Av, 5786), Adelia Schare was called to the Torah as Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Bonai Shalom. Adelia read from Parashat Re’eh.

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

Shabbat shalom!

Sunday is the 3rd annual Broomfield Jewish Festival, and we’re lucky that the weather has cooled down to enable everyone to enjoy being outside once again.

Last September, we began a new column with Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, a 12-part column exploring the spiritual and psychological wisdom of each Hebrew month. Drawing from Torah, Kabbalah, Mussar, and seasonal awareness, each installment highlights core themes, practices, and reflections to help ground us in sacred time. Join us on this monthly journey through the Jewish calendar. We are now in Elul, the final month of the series, so be sure to check out this latest entry. Links to her earlier columns (months 1-11) are included.

Here are the stories from this week.

News/Columns/Letters

• Jewish Alliance of Colorado Brings Grassroots Jewish Advocacy Statewide (8/13/2026) - The Jewish Alliance of Colorado is a grassroots organization promoting Jewish advocacy, visibility, and Zionism, addressing antisemitism and supporting communities across Colorado. Continue Reading
• Jewish Fertility Foundation Launches Research Grant for REI Fellows (8/13/2026) - The Jewish Fertility Foundation is offering two $10,000 grants for REI fellows researching infertility among Jewish populations, addressing underrepresentation. Continue Reading
• Column: When Keffiyeh-Wearing Patients…er, Shrinks…Take Over the Asylum (8/13/2026) - Bruce Ticker critiques modern psychologists' political advocacy at conventions, particularly relating to Palestinian liberation, while expressing concern over the lack of acknowledgment for Jewish issues and rising antisemitism within the profession. Continue Reading
• Rose Community Foundation Names Karli Sherwinter as Director of Collaborative Philanthropy (8/10/2026) - Karli Sherwinter is appointed Director of Collaborative Philanthropy at Rose Community Foundation, enhancing regional philanthropic efforts and community engagement. Continue Reading

Jewish Life

• Bereaved Israeli Youth Reflect on Transformative U.S. Bnei Mitzvah Journey (8/13/2026) - The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization hosts a program for bereaved children, offering them support and memorable experiences through trips abroad. Continue Reading
• Twelve Tribes, Twelve Months: Elul (8/13/2026) - Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz’s article on Elul emphasizes inner reflection, preparation for renewal, and actionable steps to align values with actions as the new year approaches. Continue Reading
• Gavin Lang Bet Mitzvah (8/13/2026) - On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, Gavin Lang was called to the Torah as Bet Mitzvah at Congregation Har HaShem. Continue Reading
• Adelia Schare Bat Mitzvah (8/13/2026) - On Saturday, August 8th, 2026, Adelia Schare was called to the Torah as Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Bonai Shalom. Continue Reading
• Ten Years of Sunshine, Songs, and Self-Discovery: Celebrating a Decade of Cherryvale Day Camp (8/10/2026) - Cherryvale Day Camp, established in 2016, has become a beloved summer tradition in Boulder, fostering community, friendship, and growth over ten successful years. Continue Reading
• Shomrei HaZmanim: A Nature-Based Jewish Teen Community Comes to Boulder County (8/10/2026) - Shomrei HaZmanim, a Jewish nature community for teens, is coming to Boulder County this fall, fostering connection, mentorship, and outdoor experiences for personal growth and belonging. Continue Reading

Arts and Culture

Events

• Broomfield Jewish Festival Returns Sunday with Live Music, Food, and Family Fun (8/13/2026) - The 3rd Annual Broomfield Jewish Festival this Sunday celebrates Jewish culture with music, food, and activities for all ages. Continue Reading
• Mountain States Delegation to Join Thousands This Fall for the Global Conference for Israel (8/10/2026) - The 2026 Global Conference for Israel will gather thousands, including the Mountain States delegation, focusing on Israel's future and community support. November 12-15 in San Diego. Continue Reading

When the Boulder JCC opened the doors of its current campus at the corner of Cherryvale Road and Oreg Avenue in 2016, it wasn’t just launching a new facility; it was laying the foundation for a summer tradition. A decade later, Cherryvale Day Camp has evolved from an ambitious new program into a cornerstone of summer life for families across the Boulder area.

Over the past ten years, thousands of campers have spent their summers running through green fields, creating art, learning to care for animals, and making friendships that outlast the season. Reaching the ten-year mark is more than just a calendar milestone; it is a testament to a community built on intentionality, inclusion, and joy.

In its inaugural summer of 2016, Cherryvale set out to offer a classic, outdoor-centered camp experience rooted in universal values like community, care, growth, and generosity. What started as a handful of bunks has expanded into a multi-faceted summer hub catering to children ages 4 to 13, spanning programs from rising kindergartners to young teens.

While the camp’s offerings have grown, its heart has remained remarkably consistent. Walk across campus on any July afternoon, and you’ll find the same core elements that defined day one. Campers stay grouped by age, affectionately named after Colorado wildlife like Bighorn Sheep, Elks, and Bears, to build their own unique team identity throughout each session. Hands-on learning thrives at the campus’s Milk and Honey Farm, where kids harvest vegetables, feed the goats, and practice environmental stewardship. Above all, an intentionally inclusive atmosphere welcomes children of all faiths, backgrounds, and gender identities to try new things without fear of judgment.

Over 10 years, Cherryvale has continuously adapted to meet the changing interests of Boulder youth. What began primarily as a classic traditional day camp has expanded to include specialized tracks that let kids dive deep into specific passions:

The introduction of dedicated programs like Kinder Crew helped smooth the transition into camp life for the youngest campers. Meanwhile, specialized tracks in STEM, culinary arts, theater, and fine arts give older campers the space to sharpen specific skill sets while keeping the social warmth of a traditional day camp.

Ask any former camper what they remember most about their summer at Cherryvale, and they won’t just list the activities; they’ll tell you about their counselors. Over the last decade, Cherryvale has served as a training ground for hundreds of young adults. For staff, working a summer at Cherryvale isn’t just a summer job; it’s an intensive masterclass in mentorship, conflict resolution, group management, and social-emotional leadership. The culture of empathy modeled by camp leaders trickles down directly to the campers, creating an environment where kids feel safe to step out of their comfort zones.

As Cherryvale Day Camp reflects on ten years of songs, water games, farm harvests, and campfires, its vision for the future remains clear: providing an unplugged space where kids can recharge, connect, and grow.

Central to that spirit is how Cherryvale wraps up every week with Shabbat, especially at the 10-year birthday celebration this past Friday. Campers celebrated with joyful, high-energy traditions: writing birthday cards to Cherryvale, skipping around the room together to celebrate the camp’s big milestone, baking fresh challah covered in sprinkles, and topping it all off with cake. In a world that moves increasingly fast, having a dedicated place to slow down, get dirt on your hands, celebrate community, and form real face-to-face connections is more valuable than ever. Here’s to ten years of unforgettable summers, and to many more decades of memories on Cherryvale Road.

A delegation from the Mountain States at the 2023 Global Conference for Israel in Denver

Thousands of supporters of the land and people of Israel, including a nearly 100-person delegation from the Mountain States, will gather at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in San Diego from November 12–15, 2026, for the Global Conference for Israel, which has grown from several hundred attendees to the largest annual gathering of Zionists in the United States. Now drawing nearly 3,000 participants, the conference will bring together influential voices, philanthropists, and supporters from around the world to hear directly from innovators, community leaders, and changemakers working to strengthen communities across Israel’s North and South.

As Jewish National Fund-USA marks 125 years of impact, the conference will commemorate this milestone while focusing on the work that lies ahead to secure Israel’s future.

“This anniversary isn’t just about celebrating our history; it’s about learning from it to better serve the changing needs of Israel’s border communities in the years ahead,” said Jewish National Fund-USA’s Global Conference for Israel and Missions Recruitment Chair Mark Meyer. “Attendees will hear firsthand stories from Israelis whose lives have been positively impacted by our work, helping them truly understand our mission and how their own time, leadership, and generosity can make a real difference. That sense of connection and purpose is what has helped this conference grow so much over the years.”

The four-day event will feature dozens of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions featuring internationally recognized speakers. Attendees will also enjoy networking opportunities, live entertainment, and the opportunity to shop for Israeli goods at the World’s Largest Zionist EXPO.

Confirmed speakers announced to date include:

• Co-creator and star of the internationally acclaimed Netflix television series Fauda Lior Raz
• Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Ronen Bergman
• Award-winning author and Tell Institute founder Dara Horn
• New York Post columnist, Commentary Magazine editor, and bestselling author John Podhoretz
• Israeli actress and star of The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem and the upcoming film Tankistas Swell Ariel Or
• Former Miss Israel and IDF combat medic Noa Cochva
• Middle East expert and former Member of Knesset Ruth Wasserman Lande
• Comedian and content creator Yechiel Jacobs

“There are very few places where you’ll find bestselling authors, military leaders, journalists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and Israelis whose personal stories bring this work to life sharing the same stage,” said Jewish National Fund-USA’s Mountain States President Yaron Marcus. “Bringing those diverse perspectives together gives attendees a more complete understanding of Israel and the role they can play in shaping its future.” 

Reflecting Jewish National Fund-USA’s commitment to developing the next generation of Zionist leaders, the conference offers discounted registration, exclusive networking opportunities, and dedicated programming for young professionals, as well as discounted rates for Jewish communal professionals.

For more information, including additional speakers and programming as they are announced, sponsorship opportunities, or to register for the Global Conference for Israel, visit jnf.org/global.

Rose Community Foundation recently named Karli Sherwinter as Director of Collaborative Philanthropy. In this role, Karli leads the Foundation’s giving circle initiatives and other collaborative-giving programs – enhancing the culture of philanthropy in our region. A skilled facilitator and relationship builder, Karli brings extensive experience designing and leading programs that foster community engagement, develop leadership and connect people around a common purpose. 

Karli’s career spans Jewish communal organizations in the United States and internationally, with expertise in philanthropy, donor engagement, program development and community-building. Most recently, she led philanthropic engagement efforts for Congregation Bonai Shalom’s capital campaign and served as co-interim executive director during a period of organizational transition. Prior to that, she directed resource development for Aloney Yitzchak Youth Village in Israel, cultivating relationships with donors and connecting supporters to the organization’s mission of serving vulnerable youth. Earlier in her career, Karli managed family engagement initiatives at the Boulder JCC, creating programs that connected families across diverse backgrounds and experiences. 

Throughout her work, Karli has been guided by her belief in the power of relationships, thoughtful dialogue and collaborative action to strengthen communities. Her experience as a Qi Gong instructor, along with training in trauma-informed practice and nonviolent communication, informs her approach to facilitation and group leadership. 

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Karli holds a master’s degree in political science from Washington University  in St. Louis, where she was an Olin Fellow, and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and Japanese from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a Fulbright Scholar and has served in a variety of leadership and volunteer roles within the Jewish community. Karli lives in Boulder with her family and enjoys spending time reading, practicing Iyengar yoga, and walking the trails. 

This fall, Boulder County welcomes the first cycle of Shomrei HaZmanim (“Guardians of the Times”), a nature-based Jewish community for teens in grades 9 through 12. Rooted in mentorship, wilderness skill, emotional depth, and belonging, the program offers young people immersive time outdoors and in real relationship … a place to strengthen their connection to self, to community, and to Jewish life at the tender, formative threshold between childhood and adulthood.

Teenagers often drift away from Judaism after the B’nei Mitzvah threshold, yet our tradition offers significant guidance, connection and community as Teens mature towards adulthood. Shomrei Hazmanim fills this gap, creating an on-going place of deep connection that meets teens where they are in exciting ways.

Registration is open now, and we begin in the Fall.

Learn more: https://www.schoolofwildbelonging.com/event-details/shomrei-hazmanim-jewish-nature-group-for-teens-grades-9-12

Questions: Email John Wolfstone, lead mentor, at j.wolfstone@gmail.com

DENVER, Colo., August 5, 2026 – The Mizel Arts and Culture Center will present the 2026 Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music Festival, known as Neustadt JAAMM, throughout October. This year’s festival features magic, comedy, music, film, interactive entertainment and cultural experiences that explore contemporary Jewish life and creativity. Tickets are now on sale.

The festival begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, with Denver-raised magician and mentalist Max Davidson. Davidson combines mentalism, storytelling, memory demonstrations and audience participation to create a performance that changes each night based on the people in the room. 

Davidson, who grew up attending JCC Denver programs, now performs 150 shows a year around the world. His credits include performances in New York City and Las Vegas, including at Caesars Palace. The opening-night performance is for audiences 14 and older.

“The Neustadt JAAMM Festival brings artists in a variety of industries to Denver whose work reflects the evolving Jewish experience,” said Tim Campbell, program director at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. “Through unique arts programming, the festival creates opportunities for conversation, cultural discovery and meaningful connection for the entire Colorado community.”

Additional festival highlights include:

·      October 10, 8 p.m. – Jared Freid: The New York-based stand-up comedian and podcaster brings his observations about dating, relationships and modern adulthood to Denver.

·      October 13, 7 p.m. – Jewish Dating Game: Modern matchmaker Linnea Sage hosts a hilarious interactive dating game show featuring audience participation and prizes. Singles and couples are welcome. 

·      October 20, 7 p.m. – “Maintenance Artist”: A screening of the documentary about Denver-born groundbreaking public artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the New York City Sanitation Department’s artist-in-residence.

·      October 22, 8 p.m. – Avourneen: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen: The Denver-based Celtic folk band will perform music from throughout Cohens career. 

·      October 23-35 – KlezKolorado: A weekend-long celebration of Klezmer music, Yiddish culture, and creativity featuring live music, hands-on workshops, participatory music sessions, dancing, food, family-friendly activities, and more.

·      Thursdays through Sundays in October – “Always a Boy”: Based on the memoir “Never a Girl, Always a Boy,” the play follows a young man on his trans journey through different phases of life and self-discovery. The production is presented in partnership with Ground Floor Theatre of Austin, Texas. 

Ticket prices vary. To fully support our values and mission, the Mizel Arts and Culture Center uses a sliding scale for many events. Participants are asked to be honest in evaluating their own circumstances and self-selecting the pricing tier that is right for them. 

To view the full lineup and to purchase tickets, visit jccdenver.org/macc/jaamm/. Patrons can also email or call the box office at boxoffice@jccdenver.org or (303) 316-6360 for more information. The box office is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Friday from 12- 4:30 p.m. and one hour before all in-person events. Free parking is available.

ABOUT DENVER MIZEL ARTS AND CULTURE CENTER AT THE JCC 

As one of the Rocky Mountain region’s premier arts organizations, the Mizel Arts and Culture Center at the JCC illuminates the human experience through creative and cultural programs in the performing, visual, cinematic, and literary arts for the Jewish community and the Denver community at large. The Mizel Arts and Culture Center is a Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) and is guided by a mission that is focused specifically on arts and cultural programs. A variety of festivals and offerings occur throughout the year including Denver Jewish Film Festival, Neustadt JAAMM Festival (Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies, and Music Festival), and Wolf Theatre Academy. The Mizel Arts and Culture Center is also home to the Denver Children’s Theatre, which provides students with the opportunity to experience live theatre. The Mizel Arts and Culture Center is located at 350 S. Dahlia Street, Suite 100, in Denver. For more information, please visit www.jccdenver.org/macc or call 303-316-6360.

ABOUT STAENBERG-LOUP JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

The Staenberg – Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver) serves the metro-Denver area through educational, social, cultural, fitness, sports, and other programs that are rooted in Jewish tradition and values. The JCC Denver’s mission is to create a vibrant and inclusive family and social gathering place that is guided by these timeless Jewish values. The JCC Denver offers a wide range of programs and options for people in all ages and stages of life. The JCC Denver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 350 S. Dahlia Street in Denver. For more information, please visit www.jccdenver.org, like us on Facebook and Instagram @jccdenver, or call (303) 399-2660.