Upcoming & Ongoing Programs

Upcoming Event:

What: Shavuot 2025

Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025

Time: 5:00pm – dawn Monday

Where: Congregation Bonai Shalom, 1527 Cherryvale Road, Boulder CO

This program is possible due to our sponsors.

Shavuot 2025: Jewish Unity & Disunity

The space between words and emotion has gotten smaller over the last couple years as we find ourselves – in spite of ourselves – gravitating toward single mindedness and away from a place of compassionate growth. This year for Shavuot, Boulder’s Council for Rabbis and Cantors hopes to create a path that leads to connection, compassion and creative problem solving.

The dusk-to-dawn celebration entitled “Jewish Unity and Disunity” features classes taught by lay leaders, rabbis, and cantors that include movement, art, music, and scholarship. The 50-minute sessions draw on sacred and modern texts, and yes, they will address moving forward after October 7th.

This free event kicks off with a community potluck picnic (vegetarian) on June 1st, 2025, 5pm at Congregation Bonai Shalom, 1527 Cherryvale Rd, Boulder, CO 80303.

Come for a single session or attend the whole evening. The event is free to the public but please register so we know how much cheesecake to make.

Please submit your registration and indicate the number of people attending.

Register Here

SHAVUOT 2025

EVENT SCHEDULE

5:00pm – 6:15pm
Potluck Vegetarian Picnic

6:20 – 7:10pm
SESSION 1

  • We are Many & We are One taught by Samara Schwartz
  • The Impact of the First Shavuot on the World, with Morah Yehudis Fishman

7:15 – 8:25pm
Plenary Panel

  • Building a New Language for Israel / Palestine After October 7 -with Dr Hilary Kalisman, Jerry Pinsker, and Tara Winer, moderated by Reb Charna Rosenholtz
  • Alternative option of Open Beit Midrash with Rav Jacob Chatinover

8:30 – 8:45pm
Coffee Break

8:50 – 9:15pm

  • Traditional Ma’Ariv service with Rabbi Marc Soloway of Congregation Bonai Shalom
  • Alternative Ma’Ariv service with Cantor Devorah Avery of Congregation Har HaShem

9:20 – 10:10pm
SESSION 2

Environmental Peacemaking with Peter Ornstein

What is the Role of Compromise in Building a Sense of K’lal Yisrael? With Rabbi Steve Chatinover

Makhloket L’shem Shamayim (Dispute for the Sake of Heaven):
A Zionist Father and Palestinian-Supporting Son With Avraham Kornfeld

Open Beit Midrash with Rav Jacob Chatinover

10:15 – 10:45pm
Kiddush & Cheesecake!

11:00 – 11:50pm
SESSION 3

  • Shavuot Yoga with Caron Robinson
  • Does Jewish Unity Mean Conformity and Silence with Ed Kass
  • Jewish Peoplehood: Is it Still a Thing? Do We Need it? How do We Connect with Being a People? With Rabbi Fred Greene of Congregation Har HaShem
  • Open Beit Midrash with Rav Jacob Chatinover

12:00pm – 12:50am
SESSION 4

  • Queerness in Jewish Theater with Sarah Nowak
  • Arguments for the Sake of Heaven with Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein of Adventure Judaism
  • Open Beit Midrash

1:00 – 1:30am
CONTEMPLATION & REFLECTION

Outdoor Meditation with Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz

Niggun Circle with Rabbi Marc Soloway

1:30am – Dawn

Open Beit Midrash with Rav Jacob Chatinover

REGISTER HERE: Please submit your registration to Shavout 2025.

Register Now!

SHAVUOT 2025 – SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

SESSION 1

We Are Many and We Are One, Samara Schwartz
In an increasingly fractured world, our communities seem atomized and separated, pushed to extremes with no room in the middle. In this class , Samara Schwartz will examine an unusual Talmud text, a funky feature of human psychology, and a meme or two that may give us a working principle to use as a path towards unity. We will close with a take-home art project to remind us of what we have learned.

What impact did the first Shavuot have on the world?  Can we restore that original unity? Morah Yehudis Fishman
When the Israelites reached Sinai, the Torah says, ‘Israel camped opposite the mountain.’ The word camped is singular because they camped ‘as one person, with one heart.’ Rashi comments, ‘this unity was greater than before or after.’ Explore with Morah Yehudis Fishman three manifestations of this unity and discover whether we can bring this experience back.

PLENARY PANEL

Building a New Language for Israel / Palestine after October 7
Panelists include Dr. Hilary Kalisman, CU Professor; Jerry Pinsker, ADL Words for Action Facilitator; Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom; Tara Weiner, Boulder City Council Member; Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, Moderator.

SESSION 2

Environmental Peacemaking, Peter Ornstein
Building peace through shared environmental values is easier in theory than in practice. Join Peter Ornstein to explore the meaning of “environmental peacemaking”, its scope/breadth, connections to Jewish sources, and relevance to Israel.

Makhloket L’shem Shamayim( Dispute for the Sake of Heaven): A Zionist Father and Palestinian Supporting Son, with Avraham Kornfeld
While maintaining distance from the substance of the dispute, I look to share the reality and challenges in maintaining love and honor in spite of divergent passions and beliefs. How do we talk about this topic and maintain connection?

What is the role of compromise in building a sense of K’lal Yisrael? Rabbi Steve Chatinover
Join Rabbi Steve Chatinover to examine texts on the desirability (or not) of compromise, and study (at least) one example of how this plays out in a discussion of an halakhic matter.

SESSION 3

Shavuot Yoga, Caron Robinson
Safe, seated yoga stretches embodying receiving and focusing on the powerful number 7 to bring light into our 7th chakra.

Does Jewish Unity Mean Conformity and Silence? Ed Kass
Join Ed Kass for a discussion on whether a call for unity can lead us to harden our hearts and ignore the pain of the other, as well as our own. Examine the demands and consequences of the assumptions of Jewish unity.

Jewish Peoplehood: Is it still a thing? Do we need it? How do we connect with being a People?  Rabbi Fred Greene
Jews have always felt a connection to other Jews. Where does Peoplehood come in? Rabbi Fred Greene will explore history and themes to Jewish Peoplehood and Jewish connectivity to explore how we continue to journey with other Jews in community.

SESSION 4

Queerness in Jewish Theater, Sarah Nowak
Join Sarah Nowak in an interactive workshop doing scene studies and staged readings from the plays God of Vengeance and Indecent, discussing them through a Queer Jewish lens.

Arguments for the Sake of Heaven, Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein
Challenges to Jewish communal unity are not new and traditional texts can offer insight to managing inevitable tensions. Join Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein to explore how contradictory messages can both be true and who wins in a fight between a dancing tree and a Divine voice.

Ongoing Event:

The Boulder Jewish Community Tu B’Shvat pledge to Plant 5780 trees before next Rosh Hashanah!

With this community pledge, we join J-Tree: Jewish organizations around the world who share a commitment to addressing climate change.

When you make your donation – please write out Boulder in the message box.

Planting and protecting forests, and repairing the damage already done to them, is essential to the survival of life in this time of climate crisis. JTree USA joins with partners from all over the world.  Celebrate your mother and Mother Earth by planting trees for Mothers Day 2020.
Watch this space for updates, planting opportunities and on our shared effort to reach 5780 trees! Go Boulder! Go Team!

 

MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES:

Mental Health & Counseling Services

Food / Financial Assistance

Covid-19 Vaccine & Testing Information

BVSD.org (search Mental Health or Grief & Loss)

Community Reach Center
303-853-3500

Colorado Crisis Services
Support line: 844-493-8255
www.coloradocrisisservices.org
Colorado Crisis Text: text TALK to 38255

Mental Health Partners
529 Coffman in Longmont
303-684-0555

Mental Health Partners online
www.mhpcolorado.org

Mental Health Partners Wellness Education Center
834 S. Sherman in Longmont
303-247-8700

Mental Health Partners
899 Highway 287, Suite 300 in Broomfield
303-466-3007

Mental Health Walk in Crisis Clinic
3180 Airport Road, Boulder
303-447-1665

National Alliance on Mental Health
www.Namibouldercounty.org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-8255

Low Cost Counseling Clinics
https://www.naropa.edu/about-naropa/counseling-services/community-counseling-services/index.php
https://www.boulderpsychologicalservices.com/