HEArtbeat

HEArtbeat of Hanukkah

The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.
- Robert Altinger

In the midst of new COVID variations and a barrage of dark news from around the world, the HEA community chose to glow at our Hanukkah Leke Maka luau. Wednesday evening, over 160 of us gathered on the terrace, in the lobby, and in the social hall, and we shone. From 1 to 90 years old, we gathered, and we lit our new amazing hanukkiah (built for us by our HEArt students) on the 4th night of Hanukkah; then we partied. 

• Our Hanukkah Leke Maka celebration had something for everyone. 
• Our HEArt students led us in the candle lighting blessings.
• Our adult choir led us in traditional Hanukkah songs.
• Our children, assisted by our teens, engaged in dreidel spinning and crafts centered around shedding light.
• Our attendees helped assure families in need that their electricity would stay on, no matter the financial straights that so many find themselves in these days.
• Our hungry members enjoyed wonderful latkes, sliders, and mac & cheese from Cohen’s Cuisine.
• Our inner singers (led by Mordie Kadovitz) came out as the entertainment started. 
• We danced with full HEArts
• We sang with full HEArts
• We cheered with full HEArts
• We celebrated being together.
• We rediscovered that our HEArts are where our home is. Right here at the HEA. 
• We can’t wait for Purim!

Thank you to our hard-working staff and to the volunteers that came to make Wednesday night an amazingly bright night!

Join Rabbi Dollin in his home via Zoom on Sunday, December 5, at 5:00 p.m. for Hanukkah candle lighting, and for a chance to say Mazel Tov on his son Shai's recent wedding. Click HERE.

HEArtbeat:

​​​​​​​the Jewish Soldiers Hanukkah Card project

HEART, HEA Ruach and Torah Sunday, and Hebrew school joined 100 other schools from 35 states to fulfill this mitzvah of bringing joy to Jewish soldiers with cards and letters.

According to the Jewish War Veterans organization, there are currently 15,000 American Jews serving on active duty and an additional 5,000 serving in the Guard and the Reserves. We must teach our children to respect and honor those who serve our country. I know of the added burden that families carry when a family member serves. As a wife of and a mother of former United States Marines and mother of two former IDF soldiers, I hold special respect and admiration for the men and women who chose to dedicate years of their lives to this higher calling.

Yesterday was Veterans Day, a day on which we honor our veterans. “Thank you for your service” is one way to express our gratitude, but beyond words, there are other ways to support our servicemen and servicewomen: Donate to one or more of the many charities (see list below), pay your respect at a military cemetery or memorial, fly the flag proudly, and of course send a care package, a note, or a Hanukkah card as our students did last Sunday.

​​​​​​​Shabbat Shalom!

_____________________________________________________
 
A list of 87 top-rated charities to support military members and their families.

To learn more about The Jewish War Veterans (JWV) of the United States of America, visit their website. 

HEArtbeat: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

It has probably been a while since you were on an airplane, either on your way to a vacation or possibly a business trip. Let me refresh your memory. While you wait for the plane to take off, the flight attendants provide safety guidance to show you how to protect yourself in case of an emergency. One of the directions is to first put the oxygen mask on yourself before you help other people who are struggling. In case you were wondering about the reasoning for doing so, it is simply to help the brain operate properly. When we are under stress, there is an increase in stress hormones; among them are adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. These hormones cause other physical reactions in our body, such as an increased heart rate and muscle tension, which impact our ability to think straight and to act in a reasonable mindset. This is a healthy and normal reaction of your body that protects us from danger and guards us against pain and injury, which can be called the fight (freeze) or flight response. The moment the danger passes, our body goes back to normality and balances the increased hormones. However, when the stress continues for long periods of time, such as during the duration of COVID, it can affect the communication between the brain and the physical body, which may trigger other reactions in the body. Stress can promote other issues in our lives. These include migraines, shoulder or neck pains, stomachaches, fatigue, or sometimes memory issues, which can impact our ability to think and affect our emotions.
           
Moreover, we have different roles in our society, such as being sons, daughters or parents. In these roles, there are certain expectations placed on us that we learn to follow. Therefore, sometimes, when we take care of ourselves first, we are considered selfish or self-centered. However, when we are not taking care of ourselves first, we cannot help our loved ones since we feel high levels of stress, we are overwhelmed, and even angry. This can impact our relationships, communication, performance, and our well-being. When we are stressed, our food intake changes, we increase the use of alcohol and even eat faster, which increases the amount of air that comes into our body and may affect our digestive system.
 
When we begin by taking care of ourselves, we start to have more patience, time, and energy to be there for the people that we care for. Both you and your family deserve that. You can start by taking a deep, slow breath in from your nose while counting to three, and three slow breaths out from your nose. You can make a list of what your need to do. Make sure the list is not too long or not too overwhelming to you. If something is not a necessity, it can wait to be done next week or you can even chose to let it go. Practice being more aware of your surrounding and make an effort to be more kind to yourself and others while working towards accepting and expressing your emotions and who you are.
 
Some elements that can help you reducing stress involve:

• Maintaining a healthy social support system: call and meet with people (even virtually), don’t just text.
• Engage in regular physical exercise. Everything counts, yes, even dancing.
• Have regular sleep hours each night.
• Eat nutrition-filled and balanced meals.
• Identify what you enjoy and do it. Keep it simple
  

_________________________________

I was born and raised in Israel and moved to the US 16 years ago. I am married to Amir, and we have two beautiful daughters, Ayelet, 13, and Avigail, 11. I was a social worker in Israel, and I am now working as a mental health counselor with clients who have different challenges in life. I believe in helping people address the core issues that bring them to where they are today and helping them increase their self-awareness while focusing on the combination of their emotional, mental and physical aspects. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions at 720-235-8598.

​​​​​​​Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat: Angels are Never Late

The shofar has sounded, our fasting is completed, our sukkot are dismantled, and our rejoicing with the Torahs has been danced. So, what’s next? 

Although it’s been a month since Rosh Hashanah, it is never too early to check in on ourselves and see how we’re doing.  As we worshipped together, I found an interesting story in the margins of our Machzor Lev Shalem on page 104. Here we read an account from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s youth when he read the story of the Akedah, the Binding of Isaac, which we read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

This is a very dramatic story, as Abraham and his son Isaac who is an adult in this passage, are put to a test of faith, as Hashem instructs Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son upon an altar. Without question or pause, Abraham follows Hashem’s directives. At the very last moment, before Abraham can land the single blow upon Isaac, an angel intercedes and stops him.   

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel movingly describes the experience as a 7-year-old who hears the Akeda for the first time: 

Isaac was on the way to Mount Moriah with his father; then he lay on the altar, bound, waiting to be sacrificed. My heart began to beat even faster; I sobbed with pity for Isaac. Behold, Abraham now lifted the knife. And now my heart froze within me with fright. Suddenly, the voice of the angel was heard: “Abraham, lay not thine hand upon the lad, for now I know that thou fearest God.” And here I broke out in tears and wept aloud. “Why are you crying?” asked the Rabbi. “You know that Isaac was not killed.” And I said to him, still weeping, “But, Rabbi, supposing the angel had come a second too late?” The Rabbi comforted me and calmed me by telling me that an angel cannot come late. An angel cannot come late, but man, made of flesh and blood, may be.  

We read this story every year, year after year – about Avram’s faith in Hashem and introspectively reflecting on our own. However, this account from Rabbi Heschel gives this story a new perspective. As his Rabbi tells him angels cannot be late, it conceives another question. Are we on time?  

It makes sense why we tell this narrative at Rosh Hashanah. We entered the new year of 5782 to truly reflect inward. Have we asked ourselves, just how on-time have we been in this past year or since the start of the new year? Have we been “there” when we needed to show up? Have we answered “the call” when we’ve been required? Have we made “it” count when the crucial moment presented itself?   
 
Over the past 19 plus months, the COVID pandemic has challenged all of us, almost turning the world on its head. We’ve had to adapt to some changes in how we engage with one another in everyday life. Indeed, we’ve added remote and in-person participation in synagogue services, Jewish learning, and shul activities. And, G-d willing, as we emerge out of this virus, we will begin to show up again, as a Kehillah Kadoshim – a Holy Community, engaging once more in synagogue life, through worship, Jewish learning for the young and for adults, and participation in social activities.   
 
The privilege of joining the HEA professional staff has allowed me to engage with all our congregants, from our many cherished legacy members who’ve helped build our shul to our new members and young families, who are beginning their involvement in Jewish life. We all have so much to contribute with our intergenerational-connectiveness to fondly recall and respect our traditions of the past and creating new traditions and synagogue memories for the future.   

I look forward to seeing many more of you at our upcoming events.   

Let’s make it count.  

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of Adult Education

On the heels of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as we ready ourselves to celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah, we move from the gravity, seriousness, and contemplation of the High Holidays to the Joy of Sukkot and the celebration of our Torah.

You shall hold a festival for the LORD your God for seven days, in the place that the LORD will choose; for the LORD your God will bless all your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy" (Deuteronomy 16:14-15).

Simchat Torah reflects this very same joy. While we often think of the Torah as the scroll we are familiar with, its richness and depth are unlimited. The word 'Torah' in Hebrew means teachings.Torah's expansive meaning is not just the written word in the scroll but also the vast writings and expanded interpretation and explorations of our texts. In every generation, our sages added layer upon layer to our understanding and comprehension of the written and spoken word, providing new perspectives and approaches to our traditions.

We are now continuing in this tradition of offering chudushim (new understanding and ideas) with our HEAdult Education program.

Starting in October, we will offer different opportunities to engage in learning, from text study to more experiential practices, all to inspire lives of meaning through lifelong learning.

Our offerings include the following:

• Talmud: A weekly study of the Talmud tractate.
• Musaf: A weekly Musaf - Shabbat class led by various rabbis and scholars on the Parasha.
• Outdoor Adventure: Monthly outdoor activities combined with the opportunity to connect with Jewish values and concepts.
• Sacred Texts: A monthly study of Jewish texts led by HEA scholars and rabbis.
• Lunch & Parasha: An exploration and discussion of the weekly Torah portion using traditional and contemporary commentaries with Rabbi Gruenwald.
• Family & Parenting: An every-other-month discussion on teaching, practicing, and instilling Jewish values.
• Cooking: A monthly cooking class with various chefs.
• Holiday Journeys with Rabbi Gruenwald: A monthly opportunity to learn about the history, theology, traditions, and customs of every holiday and discuss innovative ways to celebrate and honor them.
• Rabbi Dollin Series: A six-part series focused on the work and writings of Phillip Roth.
• Issues of Our Times: A monthly lecture series about the social, cultural, and political issues that impact the Jewish community.
• Life Stories: An informal monthly conversation with HEA congregants who have led extraordinary lives.
• Light & Easy: An informal monthly educational offering designed to bring people together for conversation, fun, and laughter.
• Beginning Hebrew Conversation: A twelve lesson series designed for beginners to cover basic and entry-level Hebrew.
• Tefillah Hebrew: A twelve lesson series highlighting the understanding of prayer by identifying reoccurring verbs, other grammatical rules, and sentence structure.

We encourage you to start the new year with a commitment to live richer and fuller lives through immersion in Jewish learning and expression. Any of the above classes, series, and lectures are an excellent place to start.
For more information and to register for any of these courses, please go to the Adult Education tab of the HEA website HERE or the HEA calendar HERE.

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of High Holiday Sermons

When I was in college considering the Rabbinate, I spoke to a local rabbi about becoming a rabbi myself. He was leaving the pulpit and I wanted to know why. He said that the main reason was having to write High Holiday sermons every year. He said he would lose 20 pounds in the month of Elul trying to come up with new material. He said that at times, writer's block was no less than terrifying! I must admit that I have been more than a little uncomfortable in late summer knowing that I would soon be on the bema speaking to 1800 adults.
 
It has been a little easier for me to write sermons as my career progressed. But I always wonder if I am reaching people with words that I spend a hundred hours writing and 20 minutes delivering. If you truly want to be kind to your rabbis, send them an email after the Holidays and tell them you loved their sermons. If you don’t like the sermons, look forward to enjoying the next sermon to come that will no doubt be a great one!
 
Your rabbis do have great sermons for these High Holidays. On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Gruenwald will talk about how mindfulness and meditation can help us in these troubled times. In my Rosh Hashanah sermon, I will reflect upon 35 years in the rabbinate, what I will take with me in retirement and what I will leave behind.
 
At Kol Nidre services, Rabbi Gruenwald will speak about how we can return to relationships and community in a post-pandemic world.
 
At Yom Kippur morning services, Rabbi Gruenwald will speak about the HEA’s first rabbi, Rabbi Manuel Laderman (z”l) and his history of civic engagement and how we might use that as a model for our own work on behalf of others (this sermon will take place in the Main Sanctuary). I will be speaking about “Knowing What We Don’t Know” and using the practices of curiosity, listening and humility to move us closer to the truth (this sermon will take place at Bethany).
 
We hope you will find these sermons meaningful and inspirational. If you are not able to hear these sermons in person or online, rest assured that the texts will be posted on the website for you to peruse later.
 
Shana tova. See you all soon.

HEArtbeat of the HEA Preschool: Colorado Shines

HEA Preschool is happy to announce that we have been rated Level FOUR by Colorado Shines, the state’s quality rating and improvement system for early care and learning programs.
 
We are committed to providing a high-quality learning environment that supports your child’s development and gives him/her a strong start on the path to lifelong success. Our Colorado Shines rating is one way that HEA Preschool demonstrates our commitment to quality and continually improving the services we offer. 
 
Our Colorado Shines rating of Level FOUR reflects our efforts to support children’s health and safety, ensure our staff is well-trained and effective, provide a supportive learning environment, and help families be active in their children’s learning.

This score would have been unobtainable without the efforts of our entire preschool staff, especially our Pomegranates and Junipers classes, Dani Wynn and Jamie Lambert.

Looking for tools and tips to support your child’s learning at home? Reading to them or trying out activities from the Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines website  (earlylearningco.org) are easy ways to help your child grow!

If you have questions about the HEA Preschool and our Colorado Shines rating, please contact me.

Shabbat Shalom!

The HEArtbeat of Healing from Rabbi Dollin

We were all disappointed when Simone Biles left the competition this week, citing the enormous pressure on her to be essentially perfect. The Olympics were postponed a year, and there was nobody in the crowds; there was no energy except what the “stressed out” athletes brought for themselves. The last 16 months have taken a toll on even the best athletes in the world.  All the more, it has taken its toll on us.
 
In the Talmud, we learn the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the great 2nd-century mystic who Tradition says wrote the Zohar. When he was declared an enemy of the Romans, he and his son, Rabbi Elazar, fled and hid in a cave for 13 years. When the Roman Emperor finally died, the two rabbis emerged from the cave. Tradition says that Rabbi Shimon was so powerful when he left the cave that he was able to burn trees by just looking at them. Rabbi Shimon became a towering figure in Jewish history, and his grave on Mt. Meron is a site of pilgrimage to this day.
 
In Tractate Shabbat, however, we learn that all was not well with Rabbi Shimon after he emerged from the seclusion of the cave. When his disciple brought him to the bathhouse in Tiberius, one could see that his skin was covered with scabs.
 
The Talmud says that Rav Shimon had scabs, but the warm waters of Tiberius soothed him and healed his wounds.  I would say that we are all in need of healing after these past many months (and as we learned this week, the pandemic is far from over). Where will we find the healing waters of Tiberius in our own life?
 
Tammy and I are taking off a few weeks for rest and relaxation. We have the privilege to travel to Oakland to celebrate Tammy’s mother’s 90th birthday with the whole family present.  Perhaps healing can be found in these kinds of simple and meaningful moments.
 
We look forward to seeing everyone in shul for the High Holidays. Enjoy the rest of the summer, and remember to take care of yourself and find healing waters where you can.

Shabbat Shalom

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

High Holidays

There is a Chasidic teaching that says, “When a person sings, he cannot raise his voice. But when someone comes to help and sings strongly, this in turn gives the first person the ability to raise his own voice. This is the secret of uniting us all, soul to soul.” This year, I ask that we embrace this teaching. Let us come back together this year stronger because we are lifting each other’s voices. For this reason, we are so excited to begin a new chapter of HEA music–our High Holiday choir! Led by our fearless leader, Leah Peer, the choir will incorporate music, both new and old, into our traditional high holiday services. We look forward to bringing this music to you, in person or online.

Be on the lookout for a special Elul Journal to get you ready for the High Holidays.This journal will help guide you through the month of Elul along with our Elul in the Shul program, which we will offer again this year. This special opportunity is designed to help us prepare for the High Holidays with a personal and intimate experience. It will be a moment to reconnect as we share HEA’s story, past, present, and future, with our community.  We look forward to hearing you say: “Hineni, Here I Am.” The Elul Journal also includes the High holiday service schedule on the back cover and is our first High Holiday mailing of the year.

Other updates regarding high holiday services:

• On Rosh Hashanah Day 1, we will have a young family service, a family service (K-6), and a Teen service led by the Mile Chai board.
• On Kol Nidre, we will have a young family service at a nearby park.
• On Yom Kippur, we will have a family service (K-6) and a teen service led by the Mile Chai board.
• There will be a fabulous community tashlich hike on Sunday, September 12.
• We will not be offering babysitting this year.

Stay tuned for more emails with updates as they become available. We are excited to be providing such amazing programming this year and look forward to bringing in the new year with all of you!

Shabbat Shalom!

_______________________________________

Bring your own picnic and bring in Shabbat at HEA! Register for the service HERE. The service will also be livestreamed.

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

HEA's New Senior Rabbi

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I share with you that the HEA Board of Trustees voted this week to offer Rabbi Gruenwald a contract as our next Senior Rabbi. After serving our congregation for the past 13 years with deep commitment, passion, and humility, Rabbi Gruenwald will draw upon his wealth of knowledge about our community to usher the HEA into its 91st year and continue to strengthen our reputation as a hamish and welcoming Conservative congregation.
 
I want to thank the Transition Team (Lisa Soicher, Mark Alpert, Jill Levy, Mona Jacobson, Ceci Lowinger, Wendy Dworkin, Fred Karp, Beth Toth, Shelley Lazear, and Laura Intfen) for their commitment to running a thorough and transparent process and for their insightful feedback and perspective throughout. They worked diligently to engage all of our important stakeholders and provided a way to collect valuable feedback from our members. Furthermore, they developed a job description that reflects HEA’s values and empowers the Senior Rabbi to lead the congregation by putting our members at the core of our sacred work. 
 
The decision to offer Rabbi Gruenwald this position was based on both the positive and specific feedback from our congregants, as well as from community members and leaders. There was a strong consensus that Rabbi Gruenwald reflects the values and ideals of Conservative Judaism and a belief that he would work diligently and with sincerity to strengthen relationships in our shul. His commitment and heartfelt devotion to HEA families, coupled with his compassionate, caring manner, have endeared him to many in our congregation. The feedback in support of him ranged from gratitude for his genuine and empathic pastoral care to his commitment to social justice and inclusivity. His many strengths will provide HEA with the spiritual and inclusive leadership it needs to thrive.
 
We are thrilled that Rabbi Gruenwald will lead the next chapter of HEA’s long and important history.

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

Bursting Out of the Gate

David Brooks, in his column in the New York Times today, speaks of our country bursting out of the gate as it reopens after Covid. People were mostly home for the past 16 months. They didn’t travel, they didn’t go on vacation, they saved their money. But now, the restaurants are filling up, we are going to the mall, and we are getting on airplanes en route to distant destinations. Things are looking up in the US after a terrible year and a half.
 
I have pondered for months about what this pandemic has to teach us. David Brooks writes: “The biggest shifts, though, may be mental. People have been reminded that life is short. For over a year, many experienced daily routines that were slower-paced, more rooted, more domestic. Millions of Americans seem ready to change their lives to be more in touch with their values.”
 
Aligning our lived experiences with our values… a very Jewish concept. When we awake in the morning, we say, modeh ani, “I am grateful to you Lord, for returning my soul to me.” Before our feet even touch the floor in the morning, we express gratitude for life itself. We acknowledge that just being alive for another day is a miracle.   
 
We also say in morning prayer, “these are the deeds that yield immediate fruit and continue to yield fruit in the time to come: honoring parents, doing deeds of lovingkindness, attending the house of study, providing hospitality, visiting the sick…attending to the dead…making peace between one person and another…” The fact that we say these words every day attests to our Tradition’s insistence that we spend time daily in pursuit of living these values we hold.
 
The good that might come out of a terrible year of illness and fear is that it made us slow down: less time commuting, more time with family. Less time at a desk, more time reaching out to friends. Less time at meetings, more time talking to our spouse.
 
The question that faces us now: as the world speeds up again, will we continue to live the lives we crafted in the past many months?  Will the lessons learned continue to guide us as we return to a harried world?
 
Will the values we discovered be the values we live in the year to come?
 
Have a great summer!

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

Our Preschool

At risk of sounding like a broken record, this has been such a year at HEA Preschool. I look forward to the day when the words virtual, Zoom, Covid, masks, vaccines, and social distancing are not part of my everyday conversations, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude to our team of educators who navigated the absolute unknown of pandemic preschool all with 10-12 children in tow. Let’s just assume they were always smiling under those masks! 

Last week we had the pleasure of “graduating” another group of 4–5-year-olds as we send them off to Kindergarten in the Fall.  The mood of this year’s celebration was just that, celebratory. Our graduation led by Francie Anderson and Mara Singer was a perfect reflection our school values, the personalities of the children in their class and their joy! I would love to take a moment to tell you about our Pomegranates. 

When we reopened last summer, a conversation I had with a Pomegranate parent stands out in my memory. Her decision to send her child back to school was driven by the need to have other children to “play family” with as her two real sisters were unable to meet her expectations.  

The Pomegranates have created their own family. In this class we have children who have been at HEA before they were even born, some that joined our class this year and everything in between. 

Regardless of the prompts and set ups the teachers planned for, the dramatic play usually turned into “family” and there was always a cat. 
When children play “family” they are creative, express their feelings, establish rules and expectations, communicate, make plans, cooperate, and when they don’t--solve conflicts, develop empathy, and take care of each other and the cat. 

As with each class of children we graduate, we look forward to lifelong connections among friends and families. Always remember, preschool is just the beginning not the ending to your HEA experiences, visit often, keep having babies and tell your friends. 

Speaking of lifelong connections, I wanted to recognize Staci Kenworthy for 10 years of dedication and service to the children, families, and colleagues of HEA. If you were lucky enough to have Staci as a teacher, you know how blessed your children were to receive her warmth and love. I was fortunate to work as Staci’s teaching partner and have her as Quinn’s 2s teacher. Staci and her husband Mike are thrilled to be retiring, spending time with their family and traveling the world in their RV.  
 
​​​​​​​Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

Our New President

It remains a strange time as we begin to emerge from the pandemic restrictions and separation from one another over the last 14 months. I imagine this disequilibrium mirrors what many of you may be feeling about the transitions happening in our congregation. As I have in my response to Covid restrictions, I am choosing to focus on the silver linings and opportunities rather than the challenges we may confront. And I always try to start with a little gratitude.
 
I want to thank the leaders of our congregation, whose contributions have helped to shape where we are today.To our current and outgoing Board members who have contributed countless hours of work and expertise, to Lynn Geller who has transitioned out of her Past President and Interim CEO roles, both of which were critical to our continuity and success, and to Seth Davis who provided invaluable leadership during this time of unexpected challenges. 
 
Seth has gone above and beyond anything we could have expected from a synagogue president...from leading us through a pandemic and a CEO transition to most recently when he guided us through conversations related to Rabbi Dollin’s retirement. Seth will continue to support the Board’s work as he moves into the role of Past President. And finally, I want to acknowledge and thank our dedicated clergy and professional team, who have worked tirelessly and creatively, meeting every challenge head-on this year. 
 
At the Annual Meeting last Sunday, I spoke about how critical action is to moving us forward, particularly at a time of transition. I shared my belief that action must grow out of process and collaboration, carefully considering the viewpoints of our members. As I begin my term as HEA’s President and together with our board members and professionals, we will listen, we will be thoughtful, and we will act. 
 
While we are at a critical inflection point, our Board, clergy, and professional team are committed to action that will ensure HEA’s vitality; continuing to inspire lives of meaning for years to come. I look forward to working with this Board which represents a true cross-section of our HEA community--with diversity in experience, skillset, and demographics. We are committed to working in an intentional manner; through transparent processes and decision making that is grounded in the values of this congregation. We will ensure that communication to you occurs with every step.
 
To that end, I want to share a few important updates. The first is that our Board of Directors met last night and voted to invite Rabbi Gruenwald to engage in an interview process for the role of the Senior Rabbi. This process will include opportunities for our congregation to hear from Rabbi Gruenwald about his vision for our shul and how he would like to lead the congregation in the coming years. It will also include meeting with our Board and a newly assembled “transition team,” comprised of Board members and congregants. We will create a process for collecting feedback from those who attend these sessions with Rabbi Gruenwald.  The sessions will take place in June; please stay tuned for dates and plan to join us for the opportunity to hear from Rabbi Gruenwald.
 
Our Board, clergy, and professionals are also meeting this Sunday for a leadership retreat with the goal of clarifying our vision and direction. This will help us in articulating the desired qualities, characteristics, and expectations of our next senior rabbi. We plan to communicate with you and share the outcomes of our work. 
 
Finally, because we want to hear from you and better understand what you are thinking about and hoping for from your HEA experience, you will be receiving a congregational survey in the coming weeks. Please take time to thoughtfully complete the online survey so that we can integrate your thoughts into our work moving forward.  
 
Thank you for your dedication to and support of HEA. We look forward to welcoming you back for more in-person experiences and meaningful opportunities to connect with us and each other in the coming months.
 
​​​​​​​Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of HEA: 

Oh, The Times, They Are A-Changin' …

“Come gather round people, wherever you roam.”  Bob Dylan, from the song The Times, They Are A-Changin'

It has been about a year since you have heard from me from here in your inbox.
And oh, what a year it has been.

• COVID came to town.
• Cancer came to me. 
• We learned that Cantor Green will be starting the next phase of her life in NYC.
• We learned that Rabbi Dollin will be starting the next phase of his life in October 2022. 

Transitions are never easy. Even when the change is viewed as positive, the process of leaving, spending time in the wilderness, and starting something new requires energy, clarity, and hopefulness. All items, it seems, have been in short supply this past year.

But here we are. And let’s review where we are:

• COVID is leaving town. Banished due to vaccines and diligent adherence to science and faith. HEA is dedicated to welcoming you home, here within our walls, safely, securely, warmly, and with ruach. 
• Cancer has left me. Banished by chemotherapy and faith, the support from the HEA community, and the love of my family and friends.
• Our new, dedicated Board of Trustees and our amazing staff and clergy will be guiding us through the upcoming clergy transitions. We will be gathering your thought as well as assessing and communicating our process, all with the goal of keeping HEA dedicated to inspiring lives of meaning.  

 We, the HEA community, are in the wilderness, in between endings and beginnings. Not a bad place, really. We have the tools we need to be here. The reaction of the HEA community to the pandemic, my recent cancer diagnosis and treatment journey, and the good wishes expressed to both Cantor Green and Rabbi Dollin upon their announcements proved that we are a community of compassion, intention, tenacity, resilience, bravery, and hopefulness. These are the mana that sustains us in our journey as an organization while we look to define ourselves and move through the yet unseen future forks in our roads.

• We will be coming back together in person this year.
• We will be throwing open our metaphorical (and literal) doors allowing for new members, traditions, and connections.
• We will be entering a new phase of HEA with a different spiritual leadership team. 
• We will be welcoming new lay leaders on our board and will benefit from the gifts of leadership they bring to us.   
• We will work together to envision a new timely reality for a HEA comprised of infinite dreams. 

Are you prepared for the work? We have had both clergy, and members at large lay the groundwork for our community to look at the changes on our own horizons as we come together to steer HEA through upcoming transitions. Our member Shelley Lazear led a small group focused on a personal transition that many of our members will be facing soon or are facing. She steered HEA members’ minds and souls through the life change of retirement. 

Rabbi Gruenwald began a class recently on ritualizing benchmarks in our life. I  have joined this class as I look to begin work again after my cancer treatments and begin a healing process dependent upon myself now that my chemotherapy treatment is complete. 

Our members Bruce Likoff and Rob Novick have gathered and run multiple focus groups for our members to answer the question of “When you think of HEA, what do you think of?” You can help HEA’s future path by working through your own transitions. Our website has sign-ups for all of our classes, worship opportunities, and small groups.

Try something new here at the HEA. As we open up, why not come in for one of our “in-person” Friday night Azamra services? Join our Safety/Greeter team that welcomes people and keeps us safe on Shabbat mornings. Start a new habit and bring food donations for the new collection barrel in front of our building that was placed there by our Tikkun Olam small group. Submit a question online from our website to be answered at our Annual Meeting on May 16; then, attend the meeting. 

In Dr. William Bridges book, Transitions, he introduces and explores three stages of transitions. Transitions are comprised of endings, a neutral zone, and beginnings. He writes, “Endings make us fearful. They break our connections with the settings in which we have come to know ourselves.” In looking at the neutral zone, or what the Jew in me calls the wilderness, he writes, “The neutral zone is that apparently empty in-between time when everything feels up for grabs, ... But it is actually a very important time. During your time in the neutral zone, you are receiving signals and cues ... you are slowly being transformed. It is in transition that we are most completely alive.” 

Dr. Bridges shares in the book that, whether you are an individual or an organization, these two phases are essential for new beginnings. So as we look to the future from where we are, whether we are going through personal transition or being a part of the HEA transitions (or both), we do the very Jewish work of standing on the shoulders of those that came before us and then gathering what they have taught us. All this so that we can be the best HEA community that we know how to be.  As I have learned from this cancer, and as we have learned from COVID, as we have learned through past congregational transitions, we can get through this if we do it together. 

What will your role be in our future? HEA cannot get from here to there without you. Everyone has a gift to give, and all resources are welcome here. Be sure to join us at our HEA in-person and virtual Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 16, 11:30 a.m., so you can meet our new Board members, to stay “in the know” of what is going on, and see what your role in our future can be. Whether you want to be on a committee, be a part of a small group, take a class, teach a class, participate in worship or governance, or give an extra financial gift, I look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting and receiving an email from you at laura@HEAdenver.org letting me know you are ready to be a part of HEA’s future. 

Those words of Bob Dylan that we all sang a thousand times still ring true on this day.

As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'…
For the times they are a-changin'

May we embrace each of our HEA transitions as authentically as we will soon be embracing each other.

On a personal note, there are no words that I know of to show my appreciation for all of the love, support, meals, notes, texts, messages, and prayers from HEA that were received during my illness. I am grateful to God for all the tools that God provides for healing. The love and support shown by this community take up much of that toolbox. I am grateful every day for the space you have made for Tim and I here. An extra todah rabah to your amazing HEA staff and especially to Lynn Geller for taking care of me at the same time they all are taking care of HEA. I have now received both of my COVID 19 vaccinations and will be back in the building to welcome you to Shabbat services starting tomorrow, May 8. Thank you and See you soon.

Laura Intfen, CEO

HEArtbeat of HEA: In-Person Azamra

As many of you know, Rabbi Gruenwald and I have been working hard to create an engaging and musical 6:00 p.m. Friday night service online called Azamra. If you haven’t seen it, feel free to check it out on the HEA Youtube page​​​​​​​! The word Azamra means “I will sing” and it references Psalm 146, telling us to sing with our entire being. I thought this would be a beautiful way to open up every Friday evening service because we should always strive to sing with our whole selves.

It has been a great way for us to introduce some new tunes and a little Torah, all under 45 minutes. But as we begin to see HEA open up its building little by little, we want to take this opportunity to move Azamra to an in-person service. I am very proud of the service we created, but I never wanted to be a TV star!
             
Starting Friday, May 7, we will begin our in-person Azamra service outdoors. Yes, they will all be livestreamed, but we still encourage you to experience it with us live. A number of these services will involve a dinner afterward, including May 7. If you are interested, please sign up on our website HERE.
 
In addition, please feel free to listen to some of the music that I use for Azamra on our website on the Music/Tefillah page HERE.
 
I can’t wait for many weeks of outdoor singing, and I hope that you will join us.
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Shabbat Shalom!