HEArtbeat

HEArtbeat: A Look Back at HEArt Religious School

Click the image below to take a video trip through the 2022-2023 HEArt Religious School year!

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat - A Time and Season for Everything
Important News about Leadership Transitions at HEA

In this week’s Parsha – Emor – we read about how our ancestors observed the cycle of the Jewish year. In Leviticus 23, the holidays are referred to as mo’adim – appointed times – whereas, in a similar review of the festivals in Deuteronomy 16, the holidays are referred to as haggim – meaning celebrations. According to Rashi, Leviticus – with its concern for proper ritual observance – uses the word mo’ed to emphasize the importance of observing these sacred occasions at their precise time on the lunar calendar. 

Whereas haggim (celebrations) have a sense of expansive exuberance, mo’adim are discrete periods of time, defined by a beginning and an end. Our holidays are both expressions of joy and gratitude, as well as solemn moments that recognize the cyclical nature of time and the experience of changing seasons. 

Communities also go through mo’adim, cycles of beginnings and conclusions. Healthy organizations like ours welcome new staff and volunteers, giving them the support they need to succeed and thrive for however long they are with the organization. And when it is time to say goodbye, we help ease transitions with grace and gratitude. “There is a time and season for everything,” says Ecclesiastes (3:1), and this continues to be a season of change for HEA. With this in mind, we want to share with you the transitions happening this month at HEA. 

Executive Director Search
The Executive Director Search Committee – chaired by Stephanie Geller and Beth Toth – is currently conducting reviews of applicants to identify our most viable candidates. As we begin interviews, there will be ample opportunities for community members and staff to participate in the selection process.  In the interim, Rabbi Gruenwald and Rabbi Shulman have taken on staff and programmatic management, while financial matters will be assumed by a newly-created position of Finance Director.

Finance Director
We are pleased to announce that Caryn Osterman will assume the permanent position of HEA’s Finance Director after having filled the post in an interim role for the last several months. Caryn brings a wealth of experience in non-profit operations and financial management. If you have questions about membership, billing, or dues, please get in touch with Caryn 

Director of Congregational Engagement
After 13 years of service to our community, Shira Teed will be stepping down from her position as Director of Congregational Engagement on May 19 to pursue other professional opportunities and spend more time with her family. Since joining our staff in 2012, Shira has held several roles, most recently as Director of Congregational Engagement, helping to cultivate small groups, welcome new families, forge meaningful relationships with and between our members, and oversee programs and events. We are incredibly grateful to Shira for her dedication to our community, and we look forward to seeing her and her family at shul as members. Please join us in wishing Shira well as she makes this transition. You are welcome to email Shira. 

Musical Director
We are thrilled to announce that our board of directors has reached a 3-year contract agreement with Eitan Kantor to continue as our Musical Director. Eitan has accomplished a great deal in his first year in the role.  He has introduced new music to all our worship services, enhanced musical education in the religious school and preschool, started choirs and musical groups, trained new service leaders, staffs the Warm & Welcoming Initiative, and has contributed in countless ways to all our programs and events.  We look forward to growing our musical offerings with Eitan and supporting him in the years ahead in his professional development. You can share your good wishes with Eitan.  

Ritual Coordinator
We wish Mallory Bustow and her husband Aaron blessings for joy and wellbeing as they expect their first child in the coming weeks. While Mallory is on maternity leave this summer, please contact Joyce Perlmutter or Eitan Kantor to volunteer for Torah reading and service leadership.  You’re welcome to share good wishes with Mallory.  

Board Members
As she concludes her term as president, we thank Caron Blanke for applying her calm wisdom and expertise in Jewish communal leadership to help guide HEA through a time of transition and change. Next week at our annual board meeting, we will vote on the nomination of Evan Kline as Board President and welcome incoming board members Shelley Lazear, Bruce Bendell, and Ken Saliman, who will take over as VP of finance for Mark Alpert. Peter Gottlieb will fill the role of VP of Development, being vacated by Evan. We thank Mark Alpert, Jeff Aronheim, and Seth Davis for their leadership as they conclude their terms on the board. 

We encourage you to attend the annual meeting on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at HEA. We will vote on the new board slate and hearing updates from VPs. Click HERE for more information. 

The Torah has another term for holidays – Mikra’ei Kodesh – “holy convocation.” Mikra Kodesh has a sense of public gathering, a calling out to the community to participate actively. As a mikra kodesh, this moment is a reminder that it takes all of us – our staff, volunteers, and members – to continually build and maintain this holy congregation. As we enter a new season, we can observe both Mo’ed and Hag – cycles of time, and celebration. We mark these transitions with warm farewells and with greetings to welcome new leadership. And we thank and celebrate all our professionals and volunteers for their contributions to our kehillah kedoshah – our sacred HEA community. 

One thing will never change – HEA is always committed to serving the spiritual and communal needs of our members. If you have any questions or comments about these leadership transitions, please reach out to Rabbi Gruenwald or incoming Board Chair, Evan Kline.

Moadim L’Simcha – May this be a season of healthy transitions.

Shabbat Shalom

HEArtbeat -

Modim Anachnu Lach: Sharing Gratitude Aloud

When we repeat the Amidah prayer in our daily services, there is one particular section in which the entire congregation is required to speak aloud, and not just the prayer leader. That section begins with the words “modim anachnu lach” meaning “we thank you.” Why repeat this section aloud and not others? Because this blessing expresses gratitude for God as the bedrock of our lives, and gratitude is at the essence of what it means to be a Jew. Indeed, the ability to express gratitude for God and God’s creations is so core to who we are as a people that the very word for our religion, Judaism (Yehudah), means “thank God.”
 
But it’s not enough to feel thankful. Rather, Judaism requires us to express our gratitude. The Hebrew root of modim and Yehudah (י.ד.ה.) implies both gratitude and acknowledgement simultaneously. What a gift to all of us to receive a holy nudge to be open and expressive with our appreciation! For after all, how many times have we felt appreciation for someone’s deeds or words, and yet we did not express it?
 
With that in mind, I would like to invite our community to join us tomorrow at synagogue in the Traditional Service or Shir Hadash to communally express our gratitude for the service of Laura Intfen, our CEO, who will be moving on from her position as of May 1st.
 
Throughout her time at HEA, Laura has led with her values, including modeling the very act of sharing gratitude to all in our community who contribute on volunteer and professional levels. In fact, one of the factors that drew me to HEA as a prospective hire last year was Laura’s warmth as well as the culture of gratitude that she has set for all around her. Since joining the HEA team, it has been a privilege for me, as for all our staff, to get to work with Laura as a colleague, mentor, and friend.
 
So from all of us, Laura, I want to share aloud today, tomorrow, and every day “todah rabbah”  - thank you for your dedicated service, for your tremendous leadership, and for your warm, unwavering smile.
 
I hope you’ll join me in thanking Laura aloud this Shabbat and in the coming week. And then, as we do after reciting the words, “modim anachnu lach,” I pray you’ll give yourself the opportunity to let those words of gratitude sink into your own heart and soul and elevate the deep well of gratitude in you.
 
Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat: HEA's Annual Meeting on May 9

I have always found that the Jewish holidays are among the best markers of time. So too, is our annual meeting and change in board leadership.  It is fitting that this year we will celebrate HEA's annual meeting on May 9, the holiday of Lag B'Omer. This minor holiday is often remembered because it is the only day during the 49 days of counting the Omer between Passover and Shavuot when it is halachically allowed to celebrate a wedding, get a haircut, or have a bonfire! We will host a special Lag B'Omer celebration as we vote in two new board members and board president-elect Evan Kline!
 
Many of you may know Evan, his wife Ellen, their triplet daughters - Monica, Cheris, and Elana, and their six grandchildren, who have been members of our HEA community for 28 years. Evan is a Denver native with deep roots in the Denver Jewish community. He was instrumental in bringing Rabbi Gruenwald to Denver 14 years ago and has remained engaged in various leadership positions over the years. I will be working closely with Evan as we make this transition during the month of May.  
 
I am so pleased that Evan will take over as president of the HEA board, particularly as we continue to experience transition in our congregation. Evan and I have been meeting regularly with Laura and the rabbis over the last several months, and I am confident that he deeply understands the shul's short and long-term needs and goals. Together with our board, I anticipate we will see HEA continue to grow and prosper in the years to come.
 
It has been such an honor to serve as the HEA board chair for the last (nearly) two years.  Working in partnership with an incredible team of professionals and clergy and a dedicated group of lay leaders has been both fulfilling and illuminating. I have loved watching our new Bema Team lead congregants in times of celebration and with deep kavanah (intention). We have made it out of the significant challenges brought about by Covid and have resumed meaningful in-person gatherings that build community. I remain grateful to be part of this special community and look forward to watching incredible accomplishments take place!
 
Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat:

Hiddur Mitzvah - Enhancing the Sacred with Beauty

In this week’s double parasha, Vayakhel-Pekudei, we learn about the elaborate craftsmanship of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. From its colorful clasped curtains to its gold-inlaid wooden ark, the Mishkan is as beautiful as it is functional, and the Torah spares no detail of its ornate design. 

The Mishkan built before our eyes this week is a striking example of the Jewish principle of hiddur mitzvah, or the beautification of sacred rituals. Our tradition encourages us to enhance our observance of the mitzvot through artistic touches, like using beautiful Judaica for celebrating Shabbat or adding our own flair in decorating a sukkah. 

For those of you who know my role as Ritual Coordinator at HEA, you can probably guess where I am going here: the art of reading Torah and other biblical passages is also hiddur mitzvah. A core reason that we musically chant the public readings of our most sacred texts – rather than simply say them in a reading voice – is to elevate this ritual experience. Ba’alei K’riyah, or Torah readers, provide a service to the HEA community by bringing beauty to the mitzvah of Torah learning. I wish a hearty yasher koach to all of our current readers, and invite any of you who are interested in learning to read Torah to take my next Introduction to Torah Trope class, to be offered next in Fall or Winter 2023, or reach out to me to begin leyning sooner.

Shabbat Shalom

HEArtbeat: The Fun of Purim

Where did the fun go?

I mean, the past few years have been challenging. With COVID, national turmoil, and overall feelings of uncertainty, we can miss out on moments of lightness. It's easy to forget that we are living and not just alive when we fall into the trap of focusing on getting through the day and losing the journey's joy.

I often hear that you should do one thing every day that scares you. I've wondered, what if instead we did something every day that was just for fun or a laugh? For studies have shown that laughter is linked to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. I'm proud that during my time working at Denver Public Schools, I received the core value pin of 'Fun' from my peers as much as any other core value. Thanks to my Jewish upbringing, I recognized early in life the crucial need to have joy in learning. Traditional education practice can feel like it's missing that piece. Experience has shown me the profound importance of having fun with children outside of educational expectations to build relationships and trust with each other. As an educator, I am known for making silly voices while teaching, incorporating creative movement into lessons, and planning times to celebrate in class.  

It's not a coincidence that Judaism has a holiday like Purim, where the fun is built into the mitzvot of the holiday. Purim follows the same rhythm as many Jewish holidays: they wanted to destroy us, we survived, let's eat! While that is a joke, it's also an accurate depiction of how Judaism views fun and survival. Purim is a holiday that reminds us to celebrate being here even when others want to destroy us. Recently, I was explaining Purim to some non-Jewish friends, and they couldn't understand why we dressed up. I had to internally chuckle because there isn't a real halakhic reason other than literally celebrating that we are still here to tell the tales of our ancestors through the mitzvot of reading the megillah and sharing an over-the-top seudah (feast) together. 

Thankfully, we are not strangers to fun at HEA. I hear it through the halls during the Preschool's Friday Shabbat Sing. I see it as I've watched Darth Vader dance the hora during our Hanukkah Celebration. I feel it when I watch Religious School students put on a play for the rest of the school. I even smell it when we share Shabbat together every week. Our walls are full of it. So, I ask you again, where did the fun go? Don't fret. It's right here at HEA!

Wishing you all a fun Purim,
Amanda 

HEArtbeat: Mischloach Manot

When I tell folks that I live just three houses away from HEA, they tend to give me a look of either delight or dismay. Those who exude enthusiasm remark, “How convenient it is for you and your family to live so close to the synagogue, especially with such young children!” On the other hand, those who give me a look of sympathy or concern question, “Do you have any privacy?”  
 
The truth is that our family loves living down the street from the synagogue for walkability and convenience, but also because the warm and personable community of HEA now extends from 3600 South Ivanhoe to our doorsteps. Just yesterday, I was walking home from work with several heavy bags, when a member of our community graciously offered to help me carry my belongings to my home. Although I was “making it work,” I really did need the help. Likewise, when we first moved to Denver in July, we were overwhelmed by the acts of hesed (loving-kindness) that we received from community members who stopped by our home with green beans from the HEA garden, homemade challah, clothes for our children, or heartfelt words of welcome.  
 
In today’s world it is nearly taboo to knock on the door of another’s home. We do it on such rare occasions as trick-or-treating, selling Girl Scout cookies, or offering to shovel a neighbor’s driveway. The holiday of Purim offers us a special opportunity to safely break down barriers of isolation by delivering Mishloach Manot (meaning in Hebrew “sending gifts”) to the homes of each person in our HEA community. I am looking forward to driving (or walking) a few routes to visit those around us and engage in this meaningful mitzvah. I hope you are too. While we couldn’t possibility all live on the same street as many of our founders did on the Westside, we can feel as if we do on Purim through the practice of Mishloach Manot.  
 
I’ll close by sharing a relevant and beloved memory of when Lielle and I were biking around town to deliver Mishloach Manot back in California. We stopped at a gentleman’s house and rang his bell, but there was no answer.  Just as we were about to leave, we heard a voice calling to us from the garden. We made our way through the pea plants to find this elder member of our community motioning us to help him harvest his fava beans. We ended up spending the afternoon helping in his garden and snacking on vegetables straight from the vines as we chatted. I am not certain if we delivered all our Mishloach Manot bags that trip, but we did make a friend that day. 
 
May we appreciate Purim anew this year as a holiday that invites us to come out of our homes and stretch ourselves in gift giving, in receiving, and in celebrating Jewish moments together. The purpose of Mishloach Manot, after all, is not consumption, but connection. 

We look forward to celebrating Purim with the HEA community in the coming weeks. 
 
Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat: Shabbat Shirah - A Time of Many Celebrations

Tomorrow is Shabbat Shirah (Sabbath of Song) when we read the Torah portion that includes Shirat Hayam (the Song of the Sea). Shirat Hayam is a song of celebration, an expression of gratitude for our deliverance from oppression in Mizrayim.

Jews traditionally commemorate Shabbat Shirah by making their prayer services extra-musical and joyous. HEA will be following in that tradition by featuring several new melodies in tomorrow’s services:

• Vatikach Miriam by Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe (will be sung during Traditional Torah Service)
• Hallelujah (Psalm 148) by Joey Weisenberg (will be sung during Shir Shacharit)
• My setting of Ein Keloheinu, which premiered online today (will be sung at the end of Traditional Mussaf)

We will also savor many of the rich melodies that have been with our people for many generations. Some of my favorite traditional melodies that we will sing together tomorrow include Zeidel Rovner’s Bei Ana Racheitz, the Western Sephardic Shirat Hayam, and Solomon Sulzer’s Torah Service, sung here by my cousin Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro.

This time of year is not only a time to sing joyous songs celebrating the Israelites’ crossing of the sea. It is also a time to celebrate Black History Month and Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). Consider starting your celebrations by checking out my friend Tony Westbrook’s TikTok video series celebrating Black Jews or by attending our JDAIM-themed Azamra service on Friday, February 10. If you do not identify as part of the disability community, check out this list of 5 Ways to be an Ally to People with Disabilities. If you are not black, check out this list of 106 Things White People can do for Racial Justice or read the article How Tokenism Affects Jews of Color and 5 Ways Allies Can Interrupt It. There are many great ways to celebrate Black History Month and JDAIM!

The act of singing together opens our hearts. As I read in Joey Weisenberg’s book The Torah of Music, “Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said: ‘It’s good for a person to accustom himself to reviving himself with a nigun (melody), because nigun is a powerful and mighty tool, and it has the great strength to awaken a person and point his heart towards the Blessed Name.’” I hope that the singing we do tomorrow awakens us to the experiences of others and points our hearts with empathy toward the divinity in each person. As we sing joyous songs celebrating the liberation of the Israelites, may the coincidence of Shabbat Shirah, Black History Month, and JDAIM remind us that our liberation as Jews is “bound up,” to use the words of Lilla Wilson, with the liberation of all people. I can’t wait to sing and celebrate with you tomorrow.

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat: HEA Warm & Welcoming Initiative

I am Clarissa Cohen. Some of you know me as the mother of Miles (the kid drummer on the Shir Hadash davening team) and Ellis (the kid who runs around shul looking for decaf coffee, extra sugar and creamer). Some of you know me as the wife of Blake, the talkative bearded guy who loves when Jews get together and kibbitz about life. And some of you know me as the chair of the Warm & Welcoming Initiative (formerly the DEI Committee, more on that below). I'm writing to update you on the progress our group has made thus far and the work that lies ahead to ensure that HEA is an inviting and inclusive community.  
 
In his Kol Nidre sermon this year, Rabbi Gruenwald spoke about the many different paths that bring people to the Hebrew Educational Alliance, and he reminded us that, as Jews, we bear a responsibility to work for a more just world by confronting hatred of all kinds. Personally, for my family and me, the rise in hate crimes, specifically targeting Asians and Jews, has been deeply distressing. Rabbi Gruenwald's message inspired me to accept the invitation to lead this effort, and I have the privilege of working with an amazing group of smart, thoughtful HEA members who themselves represent a broad swath of our community.  
 
Our working group was tasked with three initial responsibilities accomplished in phases. The first two phases have been completed, and we just began the third phase this week! They are:
 

1. Articulate a statement of values to guide our efforts.
2. Learn more about our congregation and the experiences of our members with regard to diversity and inclusion.
3. Identify specific areas of opportunity for how we can improve our warm and welcoming culture.

 
After much work, revision and reflection, I am proud to share the following Warm & Welcoming statement:
 
The Hebrew Educational Alliance practices the value of b'tzelem elohim, seeing humanity and dignity in all. We honor the unique and layered identities, and experiences each and every individual brings to our community. We endeavor to ensure everyone feels valued, respected and supported on their Jewish journey.

Congregation HEA opens its doors to anyone seeking a spiritual and communal home in an authentic and dynamic Jewish setting. We are a pluralistic and diverse community grounded by our commitment to Conservative Judaism. We are connected to one another and the synagogue through a shared observance of Jewish law and ritual.
We travel many different paths. We are one Alliance.
 
Guided by this statement, we carried out our second task – a survey of the community to learn more about the experiences of our diverse members. As Maya Angelou said, "You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been." We received over 280 responses. The feedback was illuminating, and I have attached a few of our findings to the end of this letter.
 
With the survey complete, we have moved to our third task – collaborating with staff and HEA's Board of Directors to examine how HEA can be more inclusive. Based on survey data and much discussion, we have chosen to focus our initial efforts in two areas:
 

1. Serving multicultural households and families that include people who are not Jewish.  
2. Meeting the needs of people with diverse abilities, including those who are neurodivergent or otherwise need additional resources to access Jewish life.   
   

 
Over the coming months, the Warm & Welcoming team will examine how HEA can better serve these populations in every area of synagogue operations. Next, we will shift our focus to ensuring the implementation of those action steps and continue to develop recommendations.
 
Additionally, through our survey and one-on-one conversations we learned that for some people, use of the term "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" (DEI) evokes political rhetoric in the larger culture. I want to emphasize that the Warm & Welcoming Initiative does not represent a change in objective for our congregation. This initiative is not about dividing our congregation into disparate groups based on identity. Rather, this initiative is about continuing the long HEA tradition of striving to provide warm, engaging and nurturing Jewish communal experiences for all people seeking a spiritual home in our authentic and dynamic Conservative Jewish congregation.
 
As we delve into details of organizational policy, I don't want to lose sight of the power of small actions by individuals in sustaining a warm and welcoming environment. In that vein, I invite you to come sit next to me and my family next time you are at HEA. Thank you for reading our update and if you feel moved to participate in this initiative, please reach out to me. I welcome your ideas and questions wholeheartedly!  
 
Shabbat Shalom, 
 
Clarissa Cohen
Warm & Welcoming Initiative Chair

__________________________


Here are just a few interesting findings from our survey:
 

• 9% of respondents identify as a person with a disability and nearly 11% have a member of their households besides themselves that identifies as a person with a disability.
• 8% of respondents identify as neurodivergent, and 24% have a family member, besides themselves that identifies as neurodivergent.
• Of married/partnered respondents, 9% have partners/spouses that are Jewish by conversion, and 8% have partners/spouses that are not Jewish.
• 9% of respondents were born outside the United States, and 26% are the children of immigrants. 
• 5% of respondents identify as gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, or queer and over 11% have a member of their household besides themselves that identifies as LGBTQ.
• HEA's members have diverse Hebrew skills, and a lack of Hebrew proficiency has been a barrier to congregational engagement for many respondents. 
• Some of the areas in which HEA received the least favorable inclusivity ratings from survey respondents related to welcoming multicultural/multifaith families, welcoming people who are neurodivergent, welcoming people who do not speak English as their first language, and welcoming people of all income levels.
• Some HEA families feel that they have been treated unfairly in congregational life based on their political views, religious practices, or religious background.

A Message for 2023 from Rabbi Bruce Dollin

As 2022 comes to a close, it is worth considering our hopes for the year to come. We learn the following story in the Talmud:

“The Gemara relates that one Shabbat evening, Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa saw that his daughter was sad. He said to her: My daughter, why are you sad? She said to him: I confused a vessel of vinegar for a vessel of oil and I lit the Shabbat lamp with vinegar. Soon the lamp will be extinguished, and we will be left in the dark. He said to her: My daughter, what are you concerned about? He Who said to the oil that it should burn can say to the vinegar that it should burn.  [As it turned out,] That lamp burned continuously the entire day, until they brought from it light for havdala.”

Rabbi Hanina was able to teach something profound to his daughter. If it is God who makes oil in such a way that it burns, God can certainly create a miracle and make the vinegar burn as well. Perhaps we might even say that the fact that oil burns at all to give light is a miracle in itself. To go even further, perhaps we can say that almost everything about the natural world is a miracle brought by God.

The Midrashic concept that applies here is “hashgachat peratit,” Divine providence whereby God is intimately involved with the world and its inhabitants at every moment. Accordingly, olive oil is not flammable until God makes it so the moment one puts a flame to it. Our world, our lives, our souls are intimately interconnected with God and God’s miracles this very minute and always.

For me, that is how I hope to see the world in the coming year. I want to see every blessing as a miracle. Everything becomes so vital, interesting, and meaningful when you see miracles everywhere, even in the simple things. We just finished Hanukah, where we stated: nes gadol hayah sham: a great miracle happened there [then]. For 2023, let’s observe the miracles that happen here, every day.

Happy New Year from the family and me.

Shalom,

Rabbi and Tammy Dollin, Yoni Dollin, Shai and Rebecca Dollin, Kivi and Michelle Dollin, Vivi Dollin and (her fiancée) Ryan Fleischer.

It’s time to get out your lightsabers and prepare yourselves to boldly go where no one has gone before as we blast off to the stars with HEA’s Intergalactic Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, December 18, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
 
The evening will be out-of-this-world with a latke bar, a moonwalk adventure, music with Eitan and the HEA All-Stars, a DJ laser dance party, PJ Library, 360 Camera, and our big community candle lighting! Make sure to bring your menorah to light together.

HEArtbeat:

Where the Structural Meets the Spiritual

 
אִם אֵין קֶמַח, אֵין תּוֹרָה. אִם אֵין תּוֹרָה, אֵין קֶמַח
Where there is no flour, there is no Torah. Where there is no Torah, there is no flour.
- Mishnah Pirkei Avot 3:17

I had the honor of inheriting my great-grandfather’s hand-written sermons as a wedding gift. My maternal great-grandfather, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Glancz, was a rabbi and cantor in Bay City, Michigan, in the early 1900s. He scribbled down his sermons in a mix of Yiddish and English for a wide range of occasions, from Purim to funerals. From time to time, when I seek inspiration, I open his sermon notebooks and read through his words, imagining his thought process and inner spiritual life as a father, grandfather, and immigrant from Romania.
 
As I have studied his words over the years, I’ve noticed that one topic emerges from his writings more than any other. You might expect a rabbi to write often about grief or mitzvah, learning, or community. But while he addresses all these subjects in his writings, none of these are the most frequently visited trope of his rabbinate. Rather, the issue he returns to again and again is none other than the synagogue’s mortgage! In fact, one of the most celebratory sermons in his collection is a beautiful charge that he wrote to deliver to the congregation when the synagogue had finally paid off its mortgage and could burn the mortgage papers. What a fascinating discovery – that even more than the holidays, this Orthodox rabbi spoke about meeting the financial needs of his community.
 
On the one hand, we might wonder how a rabbi could possibly spend so much time dedicated to matters such as a mortgage, facilities, and fundraising. On the other hand, we are reminded of the wisdom of our rabbinic ancestors who wisely taught, “Ein kemach, ein Torah,” meaning “without flour, there is no Torah.” At the root of all holy acts are basic structural human needs. Taking care of our spiritual community must always be in partnership with taking care of our physical community, just as we cannot live a holy life while desecrating the body given to us by God to inhabit in this lifetime. Judaism compels us to live a full and integrated life with attention given to all our needs -- including the interaction of the physical and spiritual, financial and emotional – as well as the needs of those around us. 
 
With this framework in mind, I want to share a hearty yasher koach to this community for meeting and exceeding the $100,000 match for the Pathways campaign this week. I want to thank each and every person who contributed to this campaign. If you haven’t already done so – it’s not too late. You can contribute online here or by mailing a check to the HEA office.  
 
Thank you for celebrating with Rabbi Gruenwald and me last weekend and for making our installation an act of true partnership and brit. As we move forward in renewed covenant, it makes me proud to serve a community that attends to its structural needs alongside its spiritual needs. It makes me proud to contribute my own financial gift to this community that I have grown to love so much, a gift towards building a sustainable and inspiring future together. And it makes me proud to know that my great-grandfather would be smiling down on us today, inspired by our commitment to the holy work of both flour and Torah.
 
Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of Gratitude

Laura Intfen, CEO
laura@HEAdenver.org

Thankfulness has an inner connection with humility. It recognizes that what we are and what we have is due to others and above all, to God.
- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

If you are of a certain age, you can't think about Thanksgiving without thinking about Les Nessman. Les was a character in the 70s sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. In the Thanksgiving episode, he intently reports on a live publicity stunt put on by the radio station in which live turkeys are dropped from an airplane with tragic results. At the end of the clip, the owner of the station, the one responsible for the decision to run the failed promotion, bows his head in defeat and announces, "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." For some Thanksgiving belly laughs, you can watch the whole scene HERE.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Was it full of laughter? Did you recall a loved one and share a memory? Did you get excited when your favorite float appeared on your TV from the Macy's Day Parade? Did you root for your favorite football team? Did you get outside and play football in the beautiful weather we experienced? What did you do to actualize gratitude?

As Jews, we take care in preparation for so many of our Jewish holidays and holy days. We plan our gatherings and meals, we shop specifically for Pesach, we atone before the Days of Awe, we dig in our closets for the perfect Purim costume, and we clean last year's wax off of our hannukiot in preparation for Hanukkah. I add to my list of gratitude preparation for Thanksgiving.

There are moments all through the year when we feel anger or disappointment. These are the seeds of resentment. Whether this negativity is directed at someone else or turned inward toward ourselves, these thoughts appear, and we all deal with them differently. Many of these moments are easy to recall in our minds and oftentimes rent space in our heads as unwanted tenants. 

But what about the gratitude? Do you remember seeing the snow-capped mountains and being so thankful that your home is in Colorado? Did you get a call, text, or email from someone that made you laugh at a moment in your life when happiness was elusive? Did you wake up and notice that an ache or pain that controlled your yesterday had loosened its grip on controlling your today? Did you mark the moment with a thought of gratitude? Did you say out loud, "Thank you."? What if, starting today, you keep track of those moments? Literally, write them down and put them in a jar. Then, what if you opened the jar on Thanksgiving 2023 and read through all the moments of gratitude you experienced over the last 12 months? Let your moments of gratitude fly (unlike turkeys) for Thanksgiving. Preparing for Thanksgiving can become a year-long exercise in gratitude spotting. And opening up your jar and living your past year through moments of gratitude makes God your witness. 

As God as your witness, you have had grateful moments. Why not start the new tradition of a gratitude jar this year to say it out loud and help you remember that every day is a good day to feel grateful? What moments will you include?

Author and Holocaust survivor Ellie Wiesel reminds us that every day can be Thanksgiving if we just remember to notice it. "For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart every time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile."
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With gratitude... Shabbat Shalom!

HEArbeat: Opening the Door to Belonging

Alice Levin
HEA Greeter / Safety Team Volunteer

Volunteering to serve as a greeter for shul would seem to most almost inconsequential. Open the door, smile, say “Shabbat shalom,” and keep safety and security in mind. And yet, this small mitzvah became the doorway through which I would walk to find myself at home at HEA.
My husband and I have been members of HEA for several years. We would, on occasion, attend Shir Hadash together; I would venture to the Traditional service alone some weeks. Family services and Tot Shabbat were our go-to as we could socialize in the perpetually interrupted and self-effacing way that parents do. Together or alone, we would shake hands with a few total or near-strangers, perhaps encounter a face or two we had some familiarity with, and would depart after the service – kiddush seemed too much to two people who feel the pangs of social anxiety (though we fake it well).

A little less than a year ago, an email went out to the HEA membership from James McKeon, Director of Communications, whom I happened to know a bit through the adult b’nai mitzvah class in which we were both enrolled. He was calling for volunteers to participate in the Greeter/Security Team. I don’t know what it was about his email, but something compelled me to raise my hand, to take the step to volunteer in a way that seemed accessible to someone who felt “outside,” a participant but not fully vested in some way. I met the requirements: I am accustomed to being on my feet, don’t mind being outside regardless of the weather, can open doors (albeit heavy), and can be generally pleasant and safety conscious. So it began, a journey I never anticipated, a journey that brought me closer to the Judaism I chose and the “Jewish family” I never had.

It felt a bit strange the first time I was a greeter. My face was unfamiliar to most. The “Greeter” lanyard we wear provided some comfort: “I belong. I’m official. I’m not a stranger.” That first shift, Amir Kaufman, HEA Safety Team leader, made me feel at ease in the way only an Israeli can, and afterward, he and Rabbi Gruenwald raised a l’chaim with me in honor of my first greeter shift. It felt… communal; that I had done something for and with my community. I had engaged in a way that was more than coming to services and scurrying shyly out afterward.

Each time I serve as a greeter, whether I enter into the service – or not, go to kiddush – or not, I am enveloped by a sense of community. Amir, James, Leslie, Adam, Ted, Steve, Arnie – the list goes on and on. These are faces and people I now know. These are smiles and hugs or handshakes or both that I am now greeted with whether I am a greeter, attending services, or yes – even kiddush.

When I tell our daughter we are going to see “our Jewish family” at synagogue – and she sees those smiles and the community embracing us, she sees that it is real. That Judaism and HEA are home. That we are home. That we belong.
 
Shabbat Shalom!

HEArbeat: Standing Up to Hateful Rhetoric and Bigoted Violence

Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald

Four years ago, on October 27, 2018, we all witnessed the deadliest attack ever on the Jewish community in the United States. This week we mark the anniversary of the antisemitic attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were murdered and 6 others wounded. It was a shocking event to the nation, but for us Jews, it came as no surprise. 
 
Antisemitism has been steadily on the rise for several years, along with hate crimes directed at other minority communities. And according to the FBI, Jews are the most targeted religious group in the US. Since 2010, there have been over 15,000 religious-based hate crimes in the US. Over 50% of those attacks were directed against Jews, even though Jews make up less than 3% of the US population.  
 
Antisemitism is as old as the Jewish people and has taken many forms, but today in America, antisemitism has taken a virulent and violent turn, fueled by conspiracy theories and political movements on the extremes across the ideological spectrum. On college campuses, Jewish students are singled out for hostility by those who deny the right of Israel to exist.  According to one ADL study, fully one-third of Jewish college students report having experienced antisemitism. Christian Nationalists and White supremacists fuel their violent hatred with myths of Jewish control over media, banking, or government. What all of these have in common is a reliance on pernicious conspiracy theories about alleged Jewish power and influence. 
 
Recently, one of the most prominent hip hop artists and cultural icons in America threatened to go “DEATHCON 3” on the Jewish people (whatever that means), whom he accuses of controlling the entertainment industry – an industry that has made him very wealthy while indulging his odious views, dismissing his antisemitism and bigotry as mere artistic eccentricity. His antisemitism is hardly new, but it is shocking that media and apparel companies continued to give him a platform until the recent public outcry. 
 
It can be tricky to publicly challenge expressions of antisemitism. When the Jewish community speaks up against antisemitism – calling on companies to distance themselves from celebrities like Kanye West – it can feed into the very antisemitic tropes of Jewish power and influence he disseminates. Nonetheless, we must speak up loudly against antisemitic rhetoric online because online conspiracy theories have real-world consequences. The attacker in Pittsburgh was motivated by “replacement theory” – a belief he acquired online that purports a Jewish-led conspiracy to flood America with dark-skinned foreigners. 
 
And antisemitism cannot be separated from other hate ideologies. As the “replacement theory” shows – antisemites don’t discriminate when it comes to the targets of their hatred. Wherever we see antisemitism thrive, we also find racism and other expressions of bigotry. Antisemitism is the proverbial “canary in the coal mine” warning us that hatred is on the rise.   
 
Yet we also have reasons to be hopeful. Four years ago, when the Pittsburgh synagogue was attacked, I was at that time the President of the Rocky Mountain Rabbis and Cantors association. In that role, I witnessed the outpouring of support for the Jewish community that came from everywhere in Denver. At the vigil our community organized in the wake of the terrorism, there were people of all races representing the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. And, when just five months later, a mosque in New Zealand was attacked, I was proud to stand alongside the faith community in supporting our Muslim neighbors. 
 
What gives me hope is when I see that people of goodwill from every faith community and racial group coming to understand that antisemitism is integral to the DNA of American racism. We cannot combat hate in our own silos.  
 
While it breaks my heart to witness antisemitism on display, perhaps Kanye West did us a favor this week when we remember the domestic terrorism of the Tree of Life attack. He exposed the reality that antisemitism cannot be decoupled from other forms of hatred. And just as we Jews have to be vigilant for our own safety, we need to unite with other marginalized communities to stand up to racism and bigotry. 
 
That is why we at HEA work so hard to be both a secure and a welcoming, inclusive community. We will do everything in our power to protect ourselves, and we will never lock our doors to anyone seeking unity and peace with the Jewish people. 
 
Let us resolve to hold one another in love and compassion as we stand up to hate and violence.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald