HEArtbeat

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 Another Successful School Year

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Jamie Lambert & Dani Wynn
Preschool Co-Directors

Mallory Bustow, Director of Education

A Message from our Directors of Preschool & Education

HEA Preschool Co-Directors, Jamie Lambert & Dani Wynn

As we look back at this year as new leaders of the Preschool, it’s been a year of milestones, growth, and collaboration. We are looking forward to next year, with higher enrollment and even more engaging programming, including our first Family Concert Fundraiser in November!
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Here is a quick snapshot of our year of joy!

• We proudly opened a new infant room, expanding our program to welcome even the youngest learners into our nurturing environment. They started off the year as non-walkers and talkers and are now ending the year as confident little humans.
• To help support our families, we partnered with Universal PreK Program that allows every student in our PreK Program to have access to 15 hours of free preschool. With our partnership with the Denver Preschool program, families who live in Denver and in the PreK program are eligible for tuition assistance.
• Our students enjoyed a year of enriching hands-on engagement from our Israeli shinshinim, weekly music, Shabbat, Jewish culture, and Havdalah.
• Perhaps most notably, we successfully navigated the rigorous process of a Colorado Shines state rating, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to high quality early childcare education. We are proud to say that we received the highest rating possible.
  
  

Director of Education, Mallory Bustow

We have so much to celebrate as the 5784-5785 year of HEA Religious School comes to a close this weekend:
 

• Our elementary school students made strides in their Hebrew reading skills, and experienced the beauty of Shabbat at shul with their peers and families.
• They explored Judaism's care for the earth by spending time in the HEA Community Garden to learn about the holidays of Sukkot and Pesach – two of the shalosh regalim, or the three pilgrimage holidays on the Jewish calendar.
• Mensch Academy students in 6th and 7th grades brought dreidels, gelt, and youthful energy to share the joy of Hanukkah with four senior living communities for our annual Mitzvah Day.
• A week ago today, we recognized HEA’s confirmation class of 2025. Many shared their memories and mementos, stretching from HEA Preschool to today. Next month, these teens will lobby with Rabbi Shulman in U.S. Representative Diana DeGette’s office in D.C. for causes informed by their Jewish values.
• Our faculty – which included long-time Jewish educators, new classroom teachers, and madrichim (teen leaders) – tirelessly contributed their knowledge, passion, and kindness across our school community.

 
Looking forward to the new school year this coming fall, we are eager to provide an even stronger foundation in Jewish learning for our students. We will:
 

• Prioritize and enhance our commitment to Hebrew reading instruction, by incorporating into our core curriculum on Sunday mornings. Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grades will engage in 30 minutes of studying Hebrew each session, while students in 3rd through 5th grades will have 60 minutes of dedicated Hebrew class time.
• Continue to offer vibrant enrichment curriculum in music, art, and Israeli culture – now brought directly into the classroom.
• Introduce a new schedule that is more practical for families with students in different grades.

 
Here’s to a great year ahead – have a restful summer, and l’hitraot – until we connect again!

Shabbat Shalom!

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Coming Up!

Tot Shabbat
Shabbat, May 17th 10:45a to 12:00p
A fun and spirited playtime and Tot Shabbat service. 
 
Sisterhood Tea
Sunday, May 18th 2:00p to 4:00p
Enjoy delicious desserts, soothing teas, and handcrafted pampering. Guest Speaker: Gail Krovitz, Owner of Gold Rush Soaps. $36 for adults and $10 for girls between 2 and 12 years. 
 
Hochmat Nashim: Women’s Torah Study Group
Sunday, May 18th 6:30p to 8:00p
Join a vibrant group of Jewish women led by Rabbi Shulman and Gitit Kaufman for a meaningful evening of engagement with Torah and one another. 
 
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, May 21st 6:30p to 8:00p
HEA members, please join us to vote on our next Board of Directors, learn more about the land sale, and the vision for the future of HEA. Appetizers are at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting is at 7:00 p.m. 
 
Monthly Israel Updates with Amir Kaufman
Thursday, May 22nd 6:30p to 8:00p
Finding it hard to keep track of what's going on in Israel? Join us for a monthly class that aims to cut through the noise. Led by Amir Kaufman, we'll be diving into the societal changes that are happening during the war. Join us to stay informed and thoughtful about our homeland. 
 
Musical Mystical Ma’ariv
Thursday, May 22nd 7:30p to 9:00p
Join us for an uplifting spiritual chanting event led by Elana Brody and Shir Hadash music director Noah Leavitt. No previous singing experience or skill is necessary to attend. Most of the songs will be in the form of short call-and-response lines accompanied by instruments such as harmonium, gentle hand drum and violin played by our HEA music director Eitan Kantor. 
 
Kavod on the Road
Tuesday, May 27th 1:00p to 2:30p
Monthly programs for adults hosted by Kavod On the Road at HEA. The Heartbeat of Tradition: Klezmer, Yiddish, and New Sounds with Eitan Kantor
 
Azamra + Dinner
Friday, May 30th 5:30p to 8:00p
Our Friday Evening Musical Shabbat service followed by a tasty kosher meal! 
 
Torah for Today Class
Shabbat, Jun 7th 10:30a to 11:15a 
With Rabbi Mordecai Magencey, Ph.D.
 
Razzle Dazzle
Sunday, Jun 8th 4:00p to 6:00p
A Jewish Cabaret featuring Colorado Hebrew Chorale and Kol Nashim. Join us for an evening of laughter, talent, and refreshments as we celebrate the great Jewish composers of the stage and beyond. Top hats, glitter, feather boas, and dramatic costumes welcome! Tickets $10-$20. 
 
Monthly Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Shulman
Wednesday, Jun 11th 12:00p to 1:00p
A curriculum on Judaism and Jewish identity based on traditional sources and the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Topics include Identity, Prayer, Study, Mitzvot, Tzedakah, Chesed, Faith, Israel, Kiddush Hashem, and the Jewish future. 
 
SLAK: Galveston Movement
Thursday, Jun 12th 6:00p to 8:30p
Join SLAK for a potluck dinner and an engaging presentation on the Galveston Movement—a fascinating and often overlooked chapter in Jewish American history. This initiative helped resettle thousands of Jewish immigrants through the Port of Galveston (yes, in Texas!). We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Joshua Furman from the University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies and the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society as our speaker for the evening. Dr. Furman's presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. 
 
Kleztronica Party
Thursday, Jun 12th 7:30p to 11:50p
Dance party with DJ Chaia (Brooklyn, Yiddish Techno). Opening set by YUGS (Los Angeles/Denver, Indie Alternative). 
 
Shabbat in the Park
Friday, Jun 13th 5:00p to 7:00p
Enjoy a fun-filled Shabbat service and celebration for young ones and their adults at Westland's Park, Center Pavilion. Families should bring their own dairy dinner, and HEA will provide snacks and drinks. 
 
Rabbi Shira Stutman: Author of The Jewish Way to a Good Life
Wednesday, Jun 18th 6:30p to 8:00p
For as long as Judaism has been a religion, “Jewish” has been a culture—one whose unique blend of ritual and realism has kept its people going for some 3,000 years. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, Rabbi Shira Stutman invites readers of every faith—and none—to do chesed (good work), foster tzedek (justice), practice shabbat (rest), and ultimately find happiness. Books will be available for sale at the event.