JEWISHcolorado

05/29/2026

"We are introduced to an unusual persona in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Naso: The figure of the “Nazir”. This is an individual who takes on voluntary restrictions — abstaining from wine, avoiding impurity, and letting their hair grow — in order to dedicate themselves more completely to God. We are familiar with figures in the Bible like Samson and Samuel, who lived as Nazirites, dedicating their lives to the service of God, through a bargain made with God by their initially barren mothers in exchange for bearing a child. The case of the Nazir uncovers a tension at the heart of Jewish life: Are we meant to withdraw from the pleasures of the world in pursuit of holiness, or are we meant to engage with all there is to enjoy in life and as a path to holiness?" —Julie Lieber, Chief Jewish Life & Engagement Officer

Your weekly Shabbat Shalom message from the JEWISHcolorado team in Denver.

05/29/2026

As we wrap up this year's Jewish American Heritage Month, learn more about the owner of Sears, Roebuck & Company, Julius Rosenwald, and his efforts to support education in the American south in the early 1900s.

JEWISHcolorado JCRC JEWISHcolorado Israel & Overseas Center JEWISHcolorado Real Estate & Construction Network PJ Library JEWISHcolorado Jewish Explorers, a program of JEWISHcolorado YAD Colorado

05/26/2026

Time is running out to register for the JEWISHcolorado JCRC Candidates Forum on Monday, June 8! This is your opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and better understand where they stand on key issues. We're less than two weeks away - register now & invite a friend!

RSVP here: https://events.idonate.com/2026jcrccandidatesforum

Time is running out to register for the JCRC Candidates Forum! This is your opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and better understand where they stand on key issues. We're less than two weeks away - register now & invite a friend!

RSVP here: https://events.idonate.com/2026jcrccandidatesforum

JEWISHcolorado

05/21/2026

"Recently my 13-year-old came home with an assignment for her Social Studies class. The class was learning about how the introduction of the internet changed the way knowledge is acquired and skills are passed from one person to another. For most of human history, if people wanted something, they had to figure out how to make it themselves. If they wanted to learn a new skill, they had to find someone who knew how to do it and teach them or track down a book that could guide them. The internet has changed all of that and, in many ways, changed how our children learn." — Jenn Abrams, PJ Library Manager https://www.jewishcolorado.org/shabbat-shalom-passing-traditions-and-wisdom/ PJ Library JEWISHcolorado

Your weekly Shabbat Shalom message from the JEWISHcolorado team in Denver.

05/20/2026

Tablet Magazine "About one-third of the Talmud consists of Aggadah: stories, philosophy, and even strange medical advice. In the Aggadah, the rabbis are not simply learned scholars. They are magic-makers. A bird flying over a rabbi’s head is incinerated by his fiery Torah learning. A student who disrespects a rabbi is turned to dust with a glance. Rabbis send golems to each other, and upon accidentally murdering a colleague while drunk, one rabbi raises another from the dead. My modern mind looked at these texts, befuddled: Come on, did this really happen? What is this doing in the highly intellectual Talmud?"

Novelist Ayal Hayut-man’s “Masechet Tehom” creates an illuminating form of fantasy fiction based on Talmudic aggada, with rabbis as wizards

05/20/2026

Celebrate the sweetness of Shavuot with the JCC Denver Shalom Club (50+) and JEWISHcolorado Newcomers Program! 🌾🍰 Join us on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 5:30–7:30 PM for a festive evening of community, creativity, and delicious dairy treats. Sample a variety of cakes, shmooze and mingle with fellow 50+ers, and take part in our Shavuot Cake Contest and Tasting. Bring your best bake or simply come to taste as we celebrate the holiday among friends. Chag Sameach! 💙

05/19/2026

More Jewish American Heritage Month highlights! 🕊️🇺🇸 Meet Emma Lazarus, the Jewish-American poet behind "The New Colossus," the poem written at the base of the Statue of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty Photo: Ximena Torres Rodríguez on Unsplash, Emma Lazarus portrait T. Lazarus and W. Kurtz

Jewish Federations of North America National Museum of American Jewish History JEWISHcolorado JCRC JEWISHcolorado Israel & Overseas Center JEWISHcolorado Real Estate & Construction Network PJ Library JEWISHcolorado Jewish Explorers, a program of JEWISHcolorado YAD Colorado

05/19/2026

It's day 2 of the Jewish Days of Giving! 🤩 Thanks to the generosity of several anonymous donors, we have a $100,000 match for all new donations made to JEWISHcolorado through May 20!
Your gift to JEWISHcolorado today helps ensure a strong, connected Jewish community — supporting Jewish education, caring for those in need, strengthening our connection to Israel, and building a safe, thriving future for generations to come. Donate here: https://www.coloradogives.org/give/JEWISHcolorado

JEWISHcolorado JCRC JEWISHcolorado Israel & Overseas Center JEWISHcolorado Real Estate & Construction Network PJ Library JEWISHcolorado Jewish Explorers, a program of JEWISHcolorado YAD Colorado Colorado Gives Foundation Jewish Federations of North America