I am not a musician, but music has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. My late wife Claire, may her memory be a blessing to all who knew her, was an amateur musician in the Denver area for many years. Moreover, several of my sons are also amateur musicians with their children following in their footsteps.
I established the Alpert Family Memorial Fund in honor of my late wife. The intent of the fund is to bring Jewish musical programming of all kinds to our community, as music is at the heart of our tradition. I learned of Joey Weisenberg - leader of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute - several years ago when three of our congregants spent a week in New York learning from Joey. He is well-known throughout the US and Canada and brings his unique talents of music interpretation to inspire and excite audiences of all ages. Our wonderful Eitan Kantor studied with Joey for nine months as a fellow of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute and has brought some of Joey’s now familiar melodies to our congregation.
Please join me and Caryn on January 27 for theSongs of Ascent concert. It will be a joyful and uplifting musical evening. I’d like to thank Lee Weisbard and David Rosenthal, Ken and Joan Saliman, Congregation Bonai Shalom, BMH-BJ Congregation, Congregation Rodef Shalom, base Denver and other special friends for helping to sponsor the event.
I am not a musician, but music has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. My late wife Claire, may her memory be a blessing to all who knew her, was an amateur musician in the Denver area for many years. Moreover, several of my sons are also amateur musicians with their children following in their footsteps.
I established the Alpert Family Memorial Fund in honor of my late wife. The intent of the fund is to bring Jewish musical programming of all kinds to our community, as music is at the heart of our tradition. I learned of Joey Weisenberg - leader of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute - several years ago when three of our congregants spent a week in New York learning from Joey. He is well-known throughout the US and Canada and brings his unique talents of music interpretation to inspire and excite audiences of all ages. Our wonderful Eitan Kantor studied with Joey for nine months as a fellow of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute and has brought some of Joey’s now familiar melodies to our congregation.
Please join me and Caryn on January 27 for theSongs of Ascent concert. It will be a joyful and uplifting musical evening. I’d like to thank Lee Weisbard and David Rosenthal, Ken and Joan Saliman, Congregation Bonai Shalom, BMH-BJ Congregation, Congregation Rodef Shalom, base Denver and other special friends for helping to sponsor the event.
With antisemitism on the rise, HEA’s security costs have more than quadrupled. Yet we will not be deterred from our mission of inspiring lives of meaning through the wisdom and practice of Judaism.
Donate any amount today to help HEA provide safe and welcoming space for inspiring Jewish experiences and deep community connections. We have nearly reached our goal of raising $300,000 by the end of December. Now it’s your turn. Everyone matters and every donation helps. Your gift of $5, $18, or $36 goes a long way. All donations made by December 31 will be matched 1:1, and may be eligible for up to 50% back on your taxes, under the Colorado Childcare Tax Credit.
As our Pathways campaign for 2023 comes to an end, Rabbi Sarah Shulman reflects on the impact the Alliance has had on her young family. Click the image below to launch the video. And thank you for your overwhelming generosity!
Click the image below to play the latest Pathways Campaign testimonial video and hear Leslie & Steve Levine tell their story of how they connected with HEA.
Help HEA get to $300,000 by December 31 and your gift will be matched 1-to-1. Your donation helps HEA sustain the important work we do to support families like yours and make Jewish life available to anyone seeking the warm and welcoming community we offer.
My father grew up in a small town in pre-war Eastern Poland, now Western Ukraine, called Kopyczynze. Jews, Poles and Ukrainians each accounted for 1/3 of the town’s population of 8,000 people.
Within the Jewish community, people looked out for each other. The richer members of the town were called the Poritz which was also the Yiddish word used for large landowners often non-Jews. When someone ran into problems and needed help, they would approach the Poritz to help whether with work, money, food, etc. Jews have always looked out for each other.
We are all now looking out for our brothers and sisters in Israel at this difficult time, but we really need to do that for each other here in the US as well. HEA is one of our institutions which is helping many of us cope with the challenging times we are facing not only in Israel, but also in the US and around the world as antisemitism has again risen its ugly head. Our Pathways campaign is our major fundraiser to help the shul help our community. The war has increased the need for programming to put things in context. It has increased our need for security to make sure everyone coming to HEA is safe. Many people who may have been more peripherally involved as Jews are coming back home and recognizing the value of Judaism and the perspective our HEA community can give their lives.
We have an ambitious goal to raise $300,000 from this year’s campaign. Every donation counts and every donation will be matched 1:1 due to the generosity of several families. Our dues are not enough to cover the cost of providing these services and we are looking to increase the number of families participating. We are more than halfway to our goal and hope to reach it by year’s end with every member’s help.
Thank you for helping HEA a pillar of our Denver Jewish Community now and into the future!
Am Yisrael Chai!
Peter Gottlieb, MD Vice-President of Development Hebrew Education Alliance
Mark and Caryn Osterman Alpert Jodi Asarch Jeff and Terri Auerbach Marcy Balogh Albert Banker Bob and Marcia Bankirer Birdie Becker Anna and John Beckerman Bruce and Jennifer Bendell
Joshua and Shannon Berman Harvey and Jacqueline Bolshoun
Ted and Dee Brooks David and Marla Brown Clarissa and Blake Cohen Steve and Jo Ellen Cohen Shell and Lisa Cook David and Vicki Dansky Katie Dealy David Dworkin and Wendy Feiner Dworkin Rabbi Mark and Alice Fasman Jerry Feiner Monica and Ethyn Feldman Terry Fenner and Dawn Richard Anat and Eran Fraenkel Louis Gelfand Joe and Cynthia Gensheimer Hal Gibbons Alison and Duncan Gilliam Mark and Janel Goldberg Peter and Gabriela Gottlieb Rich and Eileen Greenberg Melanie and Salomon Gruenwald Avi and Raynor Halzel Marc and Lynn Harvey Marc and Lynn Hellerstein Richard Huttner and Lisa Schwartz Sandra Isser Sandra Jeffery Michael "Mordy" and Sherri Kadovitz Fred Karp and Judy Wilner Alexandra Kasdin and Michael Gordon Susan Katz
Cheris Kline Berlinberg and Adam Berlinberg Evan and Ellen Kline Jamie and Michael Lambert Ken and Shelley Lazear Dr. Jeffrey Levine Steven and Leslie Levine Sherry Levitt Jill Levy Michael and Cynthia Lowinger Elana and Andronik Mamayan Donna Mandel James McKeon Abby and Leon Merker David and Gail Miller
Rick and Mindy Miller Louis and Laurie Morris Eileen Naiman Rebecca and Eric Paradis Ann Passer Jeffrey and Leah Peer Jay and Lisa Perlmutter Martin Pfefer Rabbi Eliot and Dr. Hilary Baskin Julie Riley Jane E. Rosenbaum Kenneth and Joan Saliman Stewart and Merna Saliman Paul and Mara Sax Cherie Karo Schwartz Gregory Schwartz and Jody Tanabe Jim and Debbie Shpall Max Silverman Howard and Jill Snyder Keren and Aaron Sturtz Harvey Sundel Beth and Thomas Toth Wayne and Kimberly Turnbow Bonnie Wallack Adam and Olivia Wallen Daniel and Elizabeth Weiner Alan Wernz Howard and Sandra Wolf Steve and DiDi Zeichner
This year we celebrated Hanukkah with heavy hearts, as we continue to pray for the safety of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. In these troubling times, HEA’s mission of inspiring lives of meaning through the support of Jewish community is more urgent than ever. The response we’ve seen for our annual Pathways Campaign is evidence of how important our synagogue is at times like this. As of today, we are nearly two-thirds of the way to meeting our goal of raising $300,000. We are so grateful to the families who have given thus far (see below).
If you haven’t yet given to the annual campaign, please consider making a donation today. Thanks to several donors, every donation made before December 31 will be matched 1:1. And, in addition to State and Federal tax deductions, you may qualify to get back up to 50% of your gift to this year’s Pathway’s Campaign under the Colorado Child Care Tax Credit (consult your tax professional).
Most importantly, your donation helps HEA sustain the important work we do to support families like yours and make Jewish life available to anyone seeking the warm and welcoming community we offer.
Click the image below to play Keren and Aaron Sturtz's Pathways Campaign testimonial video, and hear how the Alliance has impacted their family.
PATHWAYS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Mark Alpert and Caryn Osterman
Albert Banker
Bob and Marcia Bankirer
Birdie Becker
Anna and John Bekerman
Harvey and Jacky Bolshoun
David and Marla Brown
David and Vicki Dansky
Mark and Alice Fasman
Wendy Feiner Dworkin and David Dworkin
Jerry Feiner
Monica and Ethyn Feldman
Joe and Cynthia Gensheimer
Hal Gibbons
Duncan and Alison Gilliam
Mark and Janel Goldberg
Peter and Gabriela Gottlieb
Richard and Eileen Greenberg
Melanie and Salomon Gruenwald
Marc and Lynn Harvey
Sandra Isser
Michael "Mordy" and Sherri Kadovitz
Fred Karp
Susan Katz
Cheris Kline Berlinberg and Adam Berlinberg
Evan and Ellen Kline
Jamie and Michael Lambert
Jeffrey Levine
Steven and Leslie Levine
Jill Levy
Cynthia and Michael Lowinger
Elana and Andronik Mamayan
James McKeon
Abby and Leon Merker
David and Gail Miller
Louis and Laurie Morris
Rebecca and Eric Paradis
Anna Passer
Jeffrey and Leah Peer
Kenneth and Joan Saliman
Stewart and Merna Saliman
Mara and Paul Sax
Cherie Karo Schwartz
Gregory Schwartz and Jody Tanabe
Jim and Debbie Shpall
Max Silverman
Aaron and Keren Sturtz
Harvey Sundel
Beth and Thomas Toth
Wayne and Kimberly Turnbow
Bonnie Wallack
Adam and Olivia Wallen
Daniel and Elizabeth Weiner
Howard and Sandra Wolf
Make a Year-End Gift to the Pathways Campaign Today!
Hanukkah is here and we are filled with gratitude for the generosity of our members and their contributions to our Pathways Campaign. Tax-deductable gifts made to HEA are crucial in allowing us to continue building the capacity of our operations, providing monetary assistance to families in need, and supporting our growing security needs.
We are asking for your help to meet our goal of raising $300,000 – our most ambitious annual campaign ever, and every donation made before December 31 will be matched 1:1, thanks to the generosity of several families in our congregation.
YOUR GIFT TO HEA CAN ALSO BENEFIT YOU
In addition to State and Federal tax deductions, you may make a qualified monetary contribution to promote child care in Colorado and claim a Colorado income tax credit of up to $100,000 per year for 50% of the total contribution via the Colorado Child Care Credit.
Most importantly, you will be helping sustain the important work of our HEA community.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR 2023 PATHWAYS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION Mark Alpert and Caryn Osterman Jodi Asarch Albert Banker Rabbi Birdie Becker Anna and John Bekerman Rabbi Mark and Alice Fasman David Dworkin and Wendy Feiner Dworkin Monica and Ethyn Feldman Joe and Cynthia Gensheimer Hal Gibbons Duncan and Alison Gilliam Peter and Gabriela Gottlieb Marc and Lynn Harvey Sandra Isser Mordy and Sherri Kadovitz Evan and Ellen Kline Jamie and Michael Lambert Steven and Leslie Levine Jill Levy James McKeon Abby and Leon Merker David and Gail Miller Louis and Laurie Morris Jeffrey and Leah Peer Kenneth and Joan Saliman Stewart and Merna Saliman Mara and Paul Sax Gregory Schwartz andJody Tanabe Max Silverman Harvey Sundel Beth and Thomas Toth Howard and Sandra Wolf REPORT DATE: Friday, Dec. 8, 8:15 a.m.
Our HEArtbeat message for Friday and the Chai-lights monthly newsletter for December have fallen on the same day--today. And the first Pathways Campaign video testimonial is also ready to roll. So we thought, why not package up everything for you in one email?
The Hebrew Educational Alliance is fueled by the love, talent, and creative investment of each of our community members. Yet membership dues alone do not cover our growing expenses. We are asking for your help to meet our goal of raising $300,000 – our most ambitious annual campaign ever. We are thrilled to announce that every donation made before December 31 will be matched 1:1, thanks to the generosity of several families in our congregation. Click the image below to play Elana and Andronek Mamayan's Pathways Campaign testimonial video, and hear how the Alliance has impacted their young family.
The above link is a secure access page on our website. You must be logged into our website in order to see it. If you haven't completed your online account setup or have trouble logging in, email us atinfo@HEAdenver.org.
Our HEArtbeat message this week is in the form of a Nigun of the Week video from our Music Director, Eitan Kantor. Click the image below to watch the video on YouTube.
The Hebrew Educational Alliance is fueled by the love, talent, and creative investment of each of our community members. Yet membership dues alone do not cover the growing expense of operating one of Colorado’s most dynamic synagogues.
We are asking you to donate to this year’s Pathways Campaign with the ambitious goal of raising $300,000. And we invite you to the HEA’s Anniversary Event, rescheduled for March 10, 2024, to honor over 90 years of the Hebrew Educational Alliance’s impact on the lives of our members and the Denver Jewish community. At a time when Jews everywhere feel vulnerable, supporting our synagogue is an expression of our individual commitments to live proudly as Jews through spiritual growth, learning, and friendship. The war in Israel, and its ripple-effect on Jews in the diaspora, has brought into sharp focus the importance of strengthening our Jewish communities. The best way to inoculate ourselves from hatred is to claim our inalienable right to the free exercise of our faith and culture.
HEA is making an impact in the lives of our members every day:
HEA stands with the people of Israel and is responding to the war with programs, resources and advocacy to support our members and affirm our commitment to Zionism.
Rabbi Gruenwald and Rabbi Shulman are joining the JEWISHcolorado delegation to the March for Israel in Washington DC on November 14.
Our USY youth group educates our students about Zionism and Israel, fortifying our teens who face an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in public schools.
Our HEArt religious school is thriving with 114 students currently enrolled. With a new class of 30 kindergartners, HEArt is poised to grow beyond pre-pandemic levels in the coming years.
HEA Preschool continues to exemplify excellence in Jewish early childhood education and serves as a welcoming entry point to synagogue involvement for young families.
HEA recently joined ADL’s Kulanu program, to train synagogue leaders in effective ways of responding to Jew-hatred and all forms of bigotry.
This week we launched Life Long Limmud - a monthly evening of adult learning - with a class on musical improvisation with Eitan Kantor, an open discussion of the situation in Israel with Rabbi Gruenwald, and a powerful interfaith dialogue with Rabbi Shulman and Ismail Akbulut of Multicultural Mosaic Foundation.
This wonderful programming and so much more happens because of the financial support of our community. We are enrolling new members at a rate not seen since before the pandemic; yet, more families are in need of financial assistance. Increasing security expenses and the rising cost of hiring and retaining talented hard-working professionals means we need your support to build on the success of the last year.
We are asking for your help to meet our goal of raising $300,000 – our most ambitious annual campaign ever. We are thrilled to announce that every donation made before December 31 will be matched 1:1, thanks to the generosity of several families in our congregation.
Mark your calendars for the HEA Anniversary Event on March 10, 2024, and join us for an evening of fun and laughs featuring Jewish stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff. The event will culminate our Pathways campaign and will honor HEA’s founding families and their vision of vibrant Jewish life in Denver that we carry forward into our future. Ticket sales have resumed on our website and we invite your family or your business to be an event sponsor or take out a tribute journal ad.
Limmud (למוד), Hebrew for learning or instruction in Jewish subjects. And we invite you to learn with us starting Thursday, November 9!
We're offering three new classes led by our clergy... Jewish Genealogy Project 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Trace our family histories and create memories to last from generation to generation Rabbi Gruenwald and Sherri Kadovitz.
The Power of Musical Improvisation & Prayer 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Let's sing togetherand explore the power and playfulness of musical improvisation in the context of services with Eitan Kantor.
Dialogue Through Difference with Rabbi Shulman & Ismail Akbulut 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Rabbi Shulman and Ismail Akbulut, Director for Multifaith and Intercultural Engagement from the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation, will help us explore avenues to dialogue with one another during difficult times.
Our hearts continue to ache as we follow the events unfolding in Israel. Amidst our overwhelming feelings of sadness and fear, we affirm our solidarity with the people of Israel and our desire for peace and security in our homeland. And, now perhaps more than ever, we need our synagogue for support and guidance, affirming the enduring spirit of “Am Yisrael Chai” (The Jewish People Live!). We want to share with you how our community is responding, and some ways we all can turn our fear and sadness into compassionate action.
Solidarity Shabbat – Saturday, October 28, 9:30 a.m. (Traditional and Shir Hadash) We invite you to attend services this Saturday for Solidarity Shabbat as we join with synagogues around the world in standing with Jewish people everywhere. In the face of rising hostility toward Israel and Jews, showing up and participating in Jewish life is a powerful act of love and pride.
Safety and Security The safety of our campus and well-being of our community members, students, guests, and staff is a top priority. With every new threat that has arisen in recent years, we have developed a robust security posture that deploys multiple layers of human, technological, physical, and informational resources. If you have questions or feedback about safety and security at HEA, please contact Caryn Osterman. For Shabbat, holidays and other large gatherings, we will continue to contract with Denver Police officers to patrol the facility and support our trained Security/Greeter team.
Starting November 6, we will be working with a private security firm to provide armed security guards to patrol the building Sunday through Friday, during preschool and office hours, as well as during religious school. This is in addition to our reception staff who check in visitors and monitor our entrance and security cameras.
In an immediate response to the events of October 7th, our trained Security/Greeter team and staff went above the call of duty to provide additional staffing around the building and at the lower entrance from the main parking lot during preschool and office hours. Please thank them on Shabbat for their dedication to the well-being of our community.
We are in continuous contact with law enforcement and security experts, in coordination with JEWISHcolorado and Security Community Network, to monitor and reevaluate our security protocols and procedures to ensure we are doing all we can to keep our community safe.
These additional measures come at a considerable cost, and we are grateful to donors who have come forward in the last week to support our efforts, and we thank our members who have contributed through their annual security assessment. If you wish to contribute to the Security Fund, we've provided a link below or you can call our office. To learn more about safety and security at HEA, we will soon have a resource page on our website (currently under construction).
Supporting One Another Our rabbis and staff continue to support individuals and families who have been affected by the tragic events of the past few weeks and we will continue to respond to the needs of our community for as long as it takes. If you or someone you know has been impacted by the war, we want to know and offer our help.
In the coming weeks, we will be offering resources and programs, classes and groups, to help our community process, learn, and discuss. We will soon announce the formation of a grief support group led by trained mental health professionals. Please check back as we set up a resource page on the HEA website.
What Else You Can Do Stay informed: Find a trustworthy news site to keep abreast of the news. You can also find many helpful spiritual and practical resources on the website of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Be an advocate: Write an email, send a text, or make a phone call to your elected representatives or leaders of local universities. Your advocacy has a real impact. Find your elected officials HERE.
Show Up: The HEA and Denver Jewish communities are ramping up our response to the crisis with programs and events. Showing up sends a message that we will not be deterred from living proudly as Jews.
Give: There are several organizations fundraising for Israel, and we encourage you to find ways to give that match your values and priorities. JEWISHcolorado has established an Israel Emergency Fund in conjunction with Jewish Federations of North America. These funds are allocated where they are needed most and to an array of relief agencies working on the ground.
Engage in Productive Discourse: Our community is constituted by a membership with a range of political views, both in America and Israel. Now is a time to meet passion with compassion, and to hold together the many ways we express our shared desire for Israel to live at peace with its neighbors. At HEA we value productive open discourse, kindness, curiosity, and generous listening by encouraging inquiry and learning rather than debate and persuasion.
Reach out: While we cannot remove someone’s pain, the act of letting someone know that they are not alone is an important gesture. Reach out to those impacted by the war here and in Israel. Send a text or email letting them know they are in our hearts.
Pray: Prayer is how we give expression to our hopes for our world and tilt God’s will towards making those hopes a reality. Our souls need prayers now more than ever. At home, in the synagogue, wherever you are – now is the time to give expression to our feelings through prayer. We will be adding prayers to our daily and Shabbat services throughout this crisis, including the traditional prayer below, which has been recited since the Middle Ages on behalf of Jews in captivity and in crisis.
I love Shabbat! Growing up, Shabbat was a main character in my home. I would often ask my mother questions like, “What are you up to this weekend? What are you having this Friday night dinner? Do we have to go to synagogue again?” The answers I hear to these questions, respectively, would be, “Oh, Shabbat is in town! A special Shabbat meal! But it’s Shabbat!”. Over time, through these experiences, I came to learn, as so many of our students at HEA do, that Shabbat is precisely what makes the weekend special, joyful, and something to look forward to. One Shabbat, we started a tradition of sharing gratitude during our Friday dinners. It was a small idea that made a big impact on my family. Before I knew what mindfulness was, we were using Shabbat as a mindfulness meter, a way of taking our temperature and having a moment of presence with each other.
The Hebrew Educational Alliance thrives through Shabbat. Our lively Azamra program has us waiting all month for the next one. Our Saturday services reflect traditions rooted in historical liturgy in a mix of spiritually inspiring, musical prayer. We end Shabbat services together as one community with a delicious kiddush or a tough game of mahjong. We also pride ourselves in our Shabbat programs for youth and young families. HEA is a place where kids can enjoy Shabbat. And dare I even say it, a place where they want to come.
As we celebrate A Year of Shabbat, I’d like to highlight some of the variety of Shabbat programs we offer for youth and families that you should know about so you can enjoy them! Last year, we successfully launched our newest program, Shabbat-Along. Shabbat-Along is a young family Kabbalat Shabbat program geared towards preschool and elementary age and their parents and grandparents. We start at 4:30 p.m. with an optional bridging program with child-friendly activities for those who can come early or don’t want to go home. This is followed by a family-friendly service and dinner. Our first Shabbat-Along of 5784 is Friday, October 27. You can register HERE. Our USY hosts monthly USY Shabbat Dinners with a different theme every month, from Casino Night to Pajama Party. Teens in 8th through 12th grade are welcome to join us for community bonding, prayers, food, and fun. Our next USY Shabbat is on Friday, November 10. Register HERE. If you would like to get added to our USY emails, please reach out to Yuri Tavbin to be added.
Our monthly Tot Shabbat is an excellent program for those looking to bring their young child to synagogue on Saturday mornings and connect with other young families. Our amazing PJ Library representative, Ilyse Beckerman, hosts a playdate starting at 10:45 a.m. with snacks and toddler-friendly toys. Our rabbis, Dani Tavbin and Yuri Tavbin lead an age-appropriate family service that your toddler is going to love. Once a year, we host New Baby Shabbat, which offers special prayers and a service for families with babies that were born within the last year. This year, our New Baby Shabbat is on Saturday, March 2. If you would like to participate for yourself or a grandchild, please email me. If you were at the Yom Kippur Mincha service this year, you would see our talented youth leading the service. Don’t worry if you missed it; you can catch them on February 10 for Youth-Led Shabbat. Our teens will help lead all aspects of Shabbat services on this day. Our 6th and 7th graders can get a taste of B’nai Mitzvahs through our Taste of Shabbat program. This is designed for families who are still figuring out what service they want to do for their B’nai Mitzvahs and get a taste of our different service offerings.
Twice a year, our HEArt Religious School has Shabbat School! Instead of students coming on Sunday, we have families come to pray and learn on Shabbat morning. Our goal for Shabbat School is for students and their families to gain a better understanding of the Shabbat service while feeling a part of our larger community. We start with a family service where students help lead prayers for us. Students then have learning time. In the past, we have done activities ranging from Setting Up your Shabbat Table to understanding The Flow of Shabbat Service. Finally, we all end up together with the community for kiddush because intergenerational social connections are a hallmark of what makes a Shabbat at HEA so special. Additionally, we host annual HEArt Mensch Academy Shabbat dinners for our middle schoolers as they move into preparing for their B’nai Mitzvahs and a 4th and 5th grade Shabbat dinner to strengthen those class communities as students head into middle school. And many of our families cherish their time with their Shabbat Clubs as well!
There is so much community and fun to be had at HEA on Shabbat! Be on the lookout for new Shabbat programs to come for youth and families, and let us know if you have ideas for how to enrich Shabbat at HEA by joining ourShabbat Task Force. So, I invite you to make HEA your Shabbat better and find some moments of gratitude together.
We have made the difficult decision to postpone our Anniversary Celebration that was to be held on October 29. We plan to reschedule the event for spring 2024. All ticket purchases, sponsorships, and tributes will be honored and are much appreciated. Please contact theHEA office if you have additional questions or concerns.
Come to HEA
Please join us this evening for a special Prayers for Israel Azamra service at 6:00 p.m. You do not need to register if you are just coming to the service.
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Rally for Israel at State Capitol
Give to Israel
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to accept your donations to Magen David Adom in Israel by Ayelet Kaufman, a young HEA member with family and friends in Israel. Donate HERE.
Your Prayers are Answered: The HEA Anniversary Celebration is Here!
Esther was a devout Jew who went to shul every week. And every Shabbat she had the same prayer, “God, please let me win the lottery!” Finally, after living a long life, Esther dies and meets God. She immediately starts complaining: “God, all my life I went to shul every week. I helped build the synagogue, I volunteered with the sisterhood, I baked cookies for the religious school, I did everything I could for my shul. All I ever asked of you is to win the lottery. Why didn’t you answer my prayer?!” God replied: “I tried, Esther, but you never bought a ticket!”
Take a lesson from Esther and don’t forget to buy your tickets to the HEA Anniversary Event on October 29th. You won’t win the lottery, but you’ll be rewarded for your dedication to your synagogue with an evening of fun and laughs featuring Jewish stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff. The event is dedicated to honoring HEA’s founding families and celebrating their vision of vibrant Jewish life in Denver that we carry forward into our future.
Time is running out. Don’t miss your chance! Tickets are on sale now, through October 20th. Opportunities available for your family or your business to be an event sponsor or take out a tribute journal ad. Journal ad sales close on October 12.
On behalf of the HEA clergy and staff, we would like to blow the shofar in praise for all the High Holiday volunteers who helped make our High Holidays a success! From Erev Rosh Hashanah to Havdalah on Yom Kippur evening, we held about 18 programs and services in multiple locations, often concurrently! We couldn't have accomplished this without the generosity of time, spirit, and expertise of our volunteers. To the greeters at the doors welcoming everyone with a smile, the ushers helping people get to their seats, the laypeople who assist with the services, the Shir Hadash davening team, and the choir leaders and singers who spent weeks rehearsing, we say, THANK YOU!
How was your High Holiday experience? We encourage you to participate in this brief but important survey. Your responses are anonymous and will be combined with those of other respondents for analysis. Click HERE to begin the survey.
Want to watch, share, or rewatch one of our rabbis’ inspiring sermons? Find recordings of Rabbi Gruenwald’s and Rabbi Shulman’s Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sermons HERE.
If you are interested in helping to elevate our weekly Shabbat Experience, please consider joining our Shabbat Task Force.
Loosen, loosen baby You don’t have to carry The weight of the world in your muscles and bones Let go, let go, let go.
Holy breath and holy name Will you ease, will you ease this pain? - “Loosen” by Aly Halpert
I had a conversation with a member of our community a few months ago in which she shared with me that she began to come to services each week to say the name of her grandson aloud and pray along with the community for his healing. So many of us can relate to the pull she feels to pray for healing. We all have names to say; we all have loved ones in our lives who need healing; we all have bodies that break, spirits that need repair, and souls that yearn for wholeness.
Asking for healing has become such an important part of our community since the outbreak of COVID-19 that our morning minyan made the radical and empathetic decision to recite a mi sheiberach for healing not just on Torah reading days, as is traditional, but on every single day of the year. There is inexpressible power to asking for healing aloud and together as a community. For the very act of praying for healing is, in itself, healing.
We invite you to join us on Yom Kippur afternoon for a Healing Service of song and story, conversation and prayer outside on the HEA Sukkah Patio at 4:00 p.m. Whether you come to ask for healing for yourself, for another, or to support the healing of those around our circle, we know your presence will be healing. We want to thank you for bringing light into dark places, expansiveness into narrow places, and healing into moments of pain for so many in our community.
We look forward to spending the holidays with you.
G’mar Chatimah Tova – May you be inscribed for good and for healing
My favorite time to listen to recorded music is in the last few hours before Shabbat or a holiday. As I scramble to wash dishes, iron clothes, make phone calls and finalize tune selections for services, Jewish music in the background helps me calm down and enter the mindset that I seek during holy times.
I’ve created a playlist for you of mostly new melodies that I’ve been listening to prepare for the Yamim Nora’im (High Holidays) this year.
You can listen HERE. Many of these songs will be featured in our services alongside the classic tunes that I love singing with you year after year. I hope this list gets you in the mindset of forgiveness, compassion and communal care.
Shabbat Shalom and L’Shana Tova. I look forward to seeing you soon, B”H.
Mordy Kadovitz, Community & Engagement Event Coordinator
Many of us may recall from childhood the well-known Dr. Suess book “Horton Hears a Who.” The story tells of a huge elephant who can hear the voices of the people of Whoville who live on a tiny speck of dust on the smallest fragment of clover. Even though Horton is so big, the Whos cannot see him, and the Whos are so microscopic, yet Horton can hear them.
Horton does everything to protect the Whos as their world experiences calamities even though his life is threatened. They both encounter parallel distress testing their fortitude. It isn’t until the people of Whoville shout as loud as they can crying out “WE ARE HERE!” that they are spared.
WE ARE HERE!
HENEINI! - I AM HERE!
These are the words Abraham responds with when G-d calls upon him to sacrifice Isaac in the story of the Akeda, which we read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Up to this point, he had faced many tests of faith in G-d. Escaping death for his belief in monotheism, being a stranger in a strange land, famine, wars, the captivity of Sarah, and ultimately Isaac’s end. Albeit Abraham is far greater than the fictional Horton and the Who’s, it is the example of the word HENEINI that matters most when we are called upon to the important moments' life throws at us.
HENEINI - can make all the difference in the world.
In our Machzors, we find an account from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who as a child, became sad when he read the story the Akeda. His rabbi asked him, why he was upset, to which Rabbi Heschel replied, “what if the angel had been late to save Isaac’s life?” His rabbi responded, “Angels are never late. The question is ‘are we on time?”
As we enter Rosh Hashanah, we always take time to reflect on the year behind us, and the year ahead. How many times have we said “Heneini” this past year? Did we show up when called upon? Did we hold the door for the person behind us? Did we help make the minyan? Did we volunteer when we could at HEA? Did we greet the stranger on the street with a simple smile of acknowledgement? Were we there when our community needed us most? Were we humble? And what will we do to make it “count” in the months ahead?
The most important line in the Horton story is "A person's a person, no matter how small". I want to take that a little further. “A mitzvah is a mitzvah, no matter how big, and no matter how small.”
Let us welcome this year of 5784 not only with joy and sweetness, mazal and good health, but with kindness – No Matter How Small.
L’shana Tova!
If you would like volunteer this year at HEA, please sign-up HERE.
It has been a busy back-to-school time at HEA for both Preschool and HEART.
At a recent directors’ meeting, I suggested Amanda and I co-author this week’s Heartbeat, focusing on the similar approaches we take to meaningfully educating children.
As a preschool, we take a play-based approach to early education, where children explore their world with natural curiosity and sensory experiences. With Rosh Hashanah just around the corner, preschoolers will crunch juicy apples dipped in sticky, sweet honey. Their small arms will knead dough, the play kind, to create round challah. They will hear the loud blast of the Shofar and peaceful Shabbat melodies. When we bring tangible Jewish practice to young children, we leave memories that will last them beyond their preschool years. Last Sunday before the picnic, I found joy in seeing our preschool “graduates” in new HEART classrooms, curious about the new ramp wall in the hallway, making new connections, and being ambassadors in our building.
When children graduate from preschool, you may ask yourself, what’s next? How do I continue my child’s or grandchild’s Jewish education and continue growing their sense of Jewish community? At HEArt Religious School, we are the bridge that takes up where preschool left off. We welcome students into our laboratory of Jewish learning experiences to continue exploring their Jewish identity while building on friendships from preschool. With a focus on experiential learning and value-based programming, students will deepen their understanding of Judaism while finding joy in it and with each other.
How do we do this? We immerse students in an Israeli shuk to taste different foods from the area. We explore prayer through an interactive scavenger hunt from the Torah to the garden. Our middle school students not only learn about concepts of tzedakah and tikkun olam but also put them into practice by volunteering at a local organization. Through chugim (electives), we offer students the opportunity to explore different topics of art, music, and movement, all through a Jewish lens. In our upcoming year, we are framing a Sukkot program with a social justice theme that explores the topic of “what is a home” that is applicable to a child’s everyday life. On Simchat Torah, we will be dancing our Torah down the street to celebrate and learn with students from Sinai Temple. And this is just to name a few!
HEA’s Preschool and Religious School work in partnership to ease the transition for children as they move into Elementary School. While kids move to different schools and can experience the anxiety of change, we want them to know they always have a home and family at HEA.
If you are interested in our programs, please reach out.
Ahad Ha’am, the early 20th-century Zionist thinker, famously wrote, “More than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.”
Shabbat – the idea that humans must rest, just as God ceased from creating – is perhaps the greatest gift that the Jewish people have given humanity. And for Jews, Shabbat has upheld its profound significance throughout history, acting as a vital thread, weaving the Jewish people together across generations. This weekly respite serves as a touchstone for reflection, tradition, and unity, grounding the Jewish people in their identity.
Shabbat offers us the opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle of our workdays and rededicate ourselves weekly to our friends, family, and our own spirit. Rabbi Abraham Joshuah Heschel described Shabbat as a sanctuary in time, a respite from the ceaseless march of daily life.
This Shabbat, as we usher in the new month of Elul, we kick off “A Year of Shabbat” at Congregation HEA. We will be dedicating the coming year of 5784 to renewing our relationship with Shabbat as a spiritual practice that can bond us to one another and nourish our souls. We will come together as a community through programs, events, and educational opportunities to explore the meaning and beauty of Shabbat and how we can incorporate its practices into our lives.
We invite you to join us this weekend for “Elul in the Shul,” featuring scholar-in-residence Rabbi Corey Helfand of Congregation Ohr Kodesh in suburban DC. Rabbi Helfand will lead us in music, prayer, and learning, inspiring us to explore how Shabbat can enrich our lives as individuals and as a community.
Rabbi Heschel wrote, “Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to be attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of a year.” We hope you will find opportunities this year to step into the sanctuary of sacred time with us.
Prepare your spirit for the holidays as we kick off the season withElul in the Shul, August 18-20, featuring scholar-in-residence Rabbi Corey Helfand. Join us for spirited music and learning on the value of Shabbat in our lives.
High Holiday Guides will be hitting mailboxes this week and tickets will be mailed starting the following week. Remember to Log onto your member account to renew your membership, fulfill your dues commitment and review your contact information to ensure you receive your High Holiday information packet and your family’s tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Remember your loved ones in the 2023 Yizkor Book, order your lulav & etrog for Sukkot, and check out the High Holiday schedule of services and programs at www.HEAdenver.org/high-holidays.
This past year has felt like a year of re-membering. People are recalling what it was like to belong to sacred community and re-membering – once again re-engaging as members of HEA. After years of societal disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, people are remembering the value of sacred community and spiritual connection. Attendance at worship and programs is growing, volunteers are stepping up in numbers not seen in years. From our Hesed committee that provides care to HEA members in need to our greeter/safety team that ensures a secure and welcoming environment on Shabbat, people are rediscovering the transformative power of joining with others in creating community and connection.
We invite you to re-member this year. Your involvement makes our community possible, and we need you to do your part. “The day is long and the work is boundless…” say Rabbi Tarfon, “You are not obligated to finish the task, but you are also not free to neglect it” (Pirkei Avot 2:15).
There are countless ways you can be part of this exciting time of re-membering at HEA. The first and most important thing you can do is show up. Below are links to ways that you can support HEA and re-member:
Log onto your member account to renew your membership, fulfill your dues commitment and review your contact information to ensure you receive your High Holiday information packet and your family’s tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Prepare your spirit for the holidays as we kick off the season withElul in the Shul, August 18-20, featuring scholar-in-residence Rabbi Corey Helfand. Join us for spirited music and learning on the value of Shabbat in our lives.
Register your kids for youth and family High Holiday programs and worship services. And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to sign your student up for HEArt – HEA’s religious school programs. Contact Education DirectorAmanda Eckert.
Volunteer to help with greeting and ushering on the holidays. Enjoy schmoozing while providing an invaluable service to our community.
Join our Hesed volunteers to help our elderly and home-bound members connect with community during the holidays. Volunteers prepare meals, offer rides to shul, or just call to wish someone a “Shannah Tova!”
Participate in services by accepting an honor to open the ark, take an aliyah, or carry the Torah. Please contact Joyce Perlmutter.
Remember your loved ones by adding their names to our annual Yizkor Book.
Enhance your High Holiday experience by joining us for the Tashlich program on Tuesday, September 19, at Belleview Park or the Healing Serviceon Yom Kippur afternoon.
We look forward to celebrating the new year with you and your family and we hope that this year’s High Holidays inspire you to re-member your connection to the HEA community by finding meaningful opportunities to get involved.
On behalf of the clergy, staff, and volunteers who make up this wonderful community, we wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and meaningful new year filled with opportunities to re-connect, re-discover, and re-member.
Because we value an informed and engaged community, we want to update you about the process of hiring for open positions at HEA and preparations for the High Holy Days. Here is a summary, followed by more details:
We are pleased to announce that the HEA Board has approved the hire of Caryn Osterman as Interim Executive Director. Caryn, who has for the past several months been serving as our Director of Finance, will take over the duties of Executive Director temporarily through the end of January 2024 while the search for a permanent Executive Director continues. At the same time, we are accepting applications for a new Director of Engagement. Finally, to aid in the transition, HEA’s former Executive Director, Neal Price, will coordinate logistics for the upcoming High Holy Days.
Executive Director Search In May, we initiated a search for a new Executive Director to help lead HEA. Under the leadership of co-chairs Beth Toth and Stephanie Geller, the search committee received several applications and identified three potential candidates. We conducted a thoughtful and thorough interview process, which included lay committee members and staff. The committee’s deliberations came to the conclusion that we had not yet found the right fit for the job.
The search process yielded fruitful lessons and we are currently updating the job description, with a plan to repost the position soon. While the search process continues, Caryn Osterman has agreed to step into the role as Interim Executive Director, through January 2024. We are immensely grateful to Caryn for stepping up at this crucial moment. Caryn Osterman brings to the position a wealth of experience in non-profit management, having earned an MBA in Finance from CU Denver and from her most recent role at the ACLU of Colorado, where she served as Director of Operations. Caryn’s steady leadership in this interim period allows HEA the time needed to conduct a successful search for a permanent Executive Director.
If you have questions or concerns about your membership, dues, or donations, please contact Caryn Osterman at 303-758-9400 or caryn@HEAdenver.org.
Engagement Director We have commenced our search for a new Director of Engagement. The Director of Engagement ensures that HEA is a warm and welcoming community, and plays a crucial role in connecting members to one another. The job is currently posted on our website and on JewishJobs.com. We have updated the job description, with an even greater emphasis on member relationships, as well as a significant role in marketing and fundraising. You can help HEA by sharing the job posting widely on social media and among your friends. We will be accepting resumes through Friday, August 25, when we expect to commence interviews.
High Holy Days Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are fast approaching, and the coming months are our busiest time of the year. To assist during this season of transition, Neal Price – HEA’s Emeritus Executive Director – is coming out of retirement for a couple of months to coordinate logistics for the High Holy Days.
In August, all members in current standing will receive an informational guide to the High Holy Days along with High Holy Day passes. Please log on to your HEA member account as soon as possible to update your account information and check that you are current with your dues contribution to ensure you receive your holiday packet. Our office staff is always available to assist you.
HEA is in an exciting period of growth and vibrancy. Our dedicated team of volunteers and staff are energized. Our members tell us they love the renewed spirit and engaging programming at the synagogue. We are looking forward to celebrating the High Holy Days with your family and we hope that in the coming year you will take the opportunity to feed your soul by taking part in our many services and programs. As always, our clergy is here to care for your family.
If you have any questions or concerns about the staffing transition at HEA or if you would like to learn more about how you can get more connected to our community, please contact our office or email us at the addresses at the top of this email.
With blessings for a happy and healthy new year, and Shabbat Shalom!
This week we begin the book of Devarim, which ushers in a spirit of blessing and reflection. The bulk of this final book of the Torah is occupied with Moses’ parting words (devarim) to the Israelite people as they cross over the Jordan river into Eretz Yisrael. Moses blesses the people as he reflects on their journey thus far, the lessons they have learned along the way, and the tools they will need to stay in God’s good grace.
I, too, find myself in a reflective mode. The month of Av has begun, leading the path forward to Elul and the High Holidays. As of this past week, I have been here for one year. The devarim, the words that come to me as I look back on this past year, are ones of blessing. For this past year has been full of the blessings of getting to know, learn from, and support the members of HEA. So too, I have been enriched by learning from my partners at HEA–Rabbi Gruenwald, Eitan Kantor, and our talented staff. And my family has been blessed to build a new, enriching life in Denver. Each day walking home from work, I feel even more blessed to be doing this work in this community in this moment. With blessing abounding, it felt right to celebrate my one-year anniversary of working as a member of the clergy at HEA by offering a blessing to Denver’s new Mayor, Mike Johnston, at his inauguration on Monday. I was honored to represent HEA in this way. As part of my blessing, I shared the following:
By blessing others, we channel light into darkness, invite hope and love into the broken, lonely places in us and amongst us. Through blessing, we let go of a do-it-alone attitude and embrace the we of a just city, the we of a community of mutual responsibility.
As I look back on this year, I appreciate all I have learned from those who bless our community by shining their light and bringing healing to others:
I have learned the power of showing up from the minyaneers who create a holy space each morning for prayer and connection, celebration and mourning.
I have learned the radical importance of collective singing to elevate our human experience.
I have learned that Tot Shabbat and other youth programs are as vital for grandparents, parents, and other adults as they are for our children to instill hope and wonder in the joyful present and the Jewish future.
I have learned that we are all healing from something and that we are all dealing with the challenges of aging in our own ways.
I have learned from our wonderful Hochmat Nashim Torah study group that many in our community are hungry for spiritual learning and personal connection and that these can be effectively fostered together overheated discussion and warm tea in a variety of environments.
I have learned that fear is not a sign of weakness but rather an impetus to act; and that a friendly face at the door of our shul not only helps us feel more secure but also more at home.
I have learned the power of a phone call and the sanctity of a blessing.
And I have learned much more.
I wonder, what have you learned this year?
On this Shabbat before Tisha B’Av, known as Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat of Vision, we rededicate ourselves to the vision of building a holy community of mutual responsibility, of inspiring learning, and of healing connections. May we all be blessed with another year of learning, reflecting, and growing together.
Our website provides our members with more than good looks and accurate information. It’s also a membership data system that gives every member access to their own account.Once you're logged into the website (something you'll only have to do once), you can control everything related to your account, and a "Welcome [Your Name]" button will be visible in the upper right corner of the website homepage. Click that button, then click "My Account," where you will be able to update your personal information, including address, phone number, family relationships. You'll also be able to make donations or payments and register for events and classes directly from the website, and you will now have access to the HEA Member Directory.
Let's See Each Other A member directory can serve as a reference for new congregants, staff, and clergy to get to know everyone. I checked: as of right this minute, I am the only James McKeon in the directory, so it's easy to find me (and the groovy photo of me and my sister circa 1969). But some folks are not so lucky, there's a chance that you and another member share the same first and last name. So having your picture there will help your friends know that you are you and not, for instance, the other Steve G... Our member directory allows us to place names with faces, and is just one more tool we're employing to make our shul feel like a loving and supportive community. So I'm asking you to do one thing today: please upload a picture of yourself or your family to your directory listing.
And if you do this today, or if you've already uploaded a picture of yourself or your family, you will qualify for a chance to win a SHABBAT FAMILY DINNER FROM COHEN'S CUISINE.
I can't wait to see all your faces!
Shabbat Shalom! ____________________ MINI HELP SECTION:
How to Add a Photo to the HEA Directory If you are a member of HEA and logged into your account, search the directory for your name to find and open your listing. Click the EDIT button on the bottom right side. Scroll down and next to the word PICTURE, click UPLOAD A FILE. Search your computer files for a photo you want to UPLOAD.
I can't log-in or I forgot my password. What do I do? Easy-peasy. Please email me at james@HEAdenver.org, and I will send you a a password reset link from ShulCloud. I may not be able to reply until after Shabbat, but will reply back to everybody by Monday.
As the pandemic waned, we envisioned creating an Israel experience with our HEA community. Many teens missed out on having a community celebration of their bar and bat mitzvah during the pandemic, and other members were having the itch to travel again.
With Shira Teed’s leadership, HEA made a connection with the Fuchsberg Center, part of the Masorti (Conservative) movement in Israel and designed a unique Colorado-style Israel adventure for the HEA community. This trip will take place December 17- 28.
What does it mean this is a Colorado-style adventure? We will spend as much time as possible active and outdoors, visit off-the-beaten-path sites, spend time at a Conservative kibbutz—Kibbutz haNaton, and visit our partnership community in Ramat haNegev.
This experience is designed to be intergenerational. Adults of all ages (with and without children and grandchildren) and families with teens will have specific programming designed for their needs and interests.
The key is the EXPERIENCE. If you have ever been part of a camp or a retreat, you know the power of experiential education. The best moments for learning, engaging, and deepening relationships include being immersed in place and community.
Before and after the trip, we will have programs specifically for the tour participants-building relationships, familiarity and strengthening our HEA community.
We currently have a nice mix of families with teens, empty nesters, single folks, couples and others traveling without children registered. There is space available for you and yours… Registration is due by September 3, and the final payment by October 1.
Register today. We’re saving you a seat on the bus! Shabbat Shalom!
I am deeply honored to serve as President of the Board at the HEA. I am constantly amazed by how many people in the community are touched by our shul in one way or another. The more I visit the HEA, the more I see how the building is busy virtually every day with school, services, music, adult classes, or a million other things. We serve a lot of constituencies with diverse needs and the clergy and staff serve those diverse groups with amazing skill and grace.
I encourage all of you to find your group; find your community within the broader community that is HEA. Come learn with us, join us on Shabbat morning, bring your kids or grandkids to a children’s service or come to morning minyan. The skill and care employed by the staff and clergy to bring meaningful educational, and joyful experiences to all of us is inspiring.
Our clergy and staff are stable and performing extremely well. Caryn Osterman has taken on the role as Finance Director and has worked extremely hard to bring our accounting and financial procedures up to date. Our internal financial procedures are solid, we have an excellent handle on our financial picture, and we are headed in the right direction. We are actively interviewing for a new Executive Director, and we will update the congregation each step of the way. I hope to be able to announce a new Executive Director soon. Our membership numbers have increased in the past year and continue to climb toward our pre-pandemic high. Our lay and professional leadership will continue to face the challenges ahead together--focusing on membership development, fundraising and assessing our dues structure.
One of the major opportunities facing our shul, and every shul, is to deliver real value to members and to prove the value proposition of membership to all of you. We recognize that there are many options available to you, and we are committed to proving to you that being a member of the HEA is of real value to you individually, to your family and to the community. My wife, Ellen and I, have been blessed to watch our children grow up in the shul, and now we get to experience the joy of seeing our grandchildren in shul! For my family, HEA is a place for simchas—a place where happy memories begin. I believe HEA can be that kind of place for you too.
I am genuinely excited to begin my term as President of this vibrant synagogue community. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
When I was a teenager, I used to pray fervently for my family’s health every night. If I stumbled over a word in my prayer, I would start over. I feared that if I didn’t pray perfectly and messed up even one word, something bad would happen to my family.
In my late teens, my prayer compulsion faded, and I mostly stopped praying for health and healing. Praying felt futile. My life experience showed me that no matter how much I prayed, my loved ones would feel pain and eventually die. Why waste my time praying?
My relationship with healing prayers has changed since starting my job at the Hebrew Educational Alliance. At weekday morning services, during the healing prayer, I hear folks reading their lists of sick community members. Whether or not an active divine force is listening to these prayers and responding, I feel the power of these lists. When I hear these names, my empathy is activated. I wonder how these sick people might feel, how they spend their morning, and who is with them. I wonder how many of these people know they are being prayed for, and I imagine how this might make those sick people feel less alone, and less forgotten. I overhear conversations at the synagogue that show me that the list of names of sick people inspires phone calls and home visits.
As part of my job, I have prayed with people who were in the last hours of their lives. In those moments, I had no hope that the healing prayer would extend someone’s life or take away their pain. But singing healing prayers with these folks really did seem to bring some calm to these folks and to their loved ones.
How else do healing prayers work in your experience?
In this week’s Torah portion, we read Moses’ simple healing prayer for his sister, Miriam. He prays, “El Na Refa Na La” - “God, heal her, please.” I wrote a melody for this prayer as part of Rabbi Micah Shapiro’s Yetzirah songwriting program, and this melody has been a companion for me as I pray with and for community members. Marni Loffman, Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz, and Andy Curry were kind enough to record this melody with me for Congregation B'nai Amoona’s soon-to-be-released collaborative album, Shirei Amoona. Ana El Na is now available wherever you stream music (Listen on YouTube | Listen on Spotify). I hope this song brings you healing or any of the other benefits of healing prayer.
Credits: Eitan Kantor - vocals, songwriting Marni Loffman - vocals Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz - vocals Andy Curry - upright bass Doron Levary - mixing/mastering Rachel Bray Spezia - album art Thank you to the generous donors who have made the Shirei Amoona project possible.
