Statements

THE RABBINIC COUNCIL OF BOULDER ALIGNS WITH ISRAELI PROTESTERS AGAINST JUDICIAL REFORM

BOULDER, COLORADO, May 3, 2023

Dear Friends,

There is a fight going on right now in Israel over boundaries – not the kind meant to keep people separated, but the kind meant to keep the government separated. In Israel, the only real checks and balances of government are between the Judicial branch and parliament.

Unlike the United States, where people vote for their national leaders, Israelis vote for a party. The winning party, which is in the majority, chooses the Prime Minister. That means there are no checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of government. That leaves only the Supreme Court as the check against total power.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to overhaul the justice system and give Parliament the final say in who becomes a judge. His proposal would also allow Parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions as well as limit the court’s ability to review laws passed by Parliament. In short, opponents say these measures would give the Prime Minister ultimate governing control not unlike a dictatorship.

If these boundaries are dissolved, if the justices’ rulings can be overridden, if the judiciary is selected by the majority party in office, then it becomes just another party tool to push forward any ideology it sees fit. This move would erode accountability, dissolve democracy, and establish Israel as a “winner take all” nation.

The Torah teaches us “tzedek, tzedek tirdof – justice, justice shall you pursue.” How can there be justice when the court’s decisions can be overturned by the political party in power?

Aside from losing a democratic ally in the Middle East, the repercussions of this kind of governmental shift would be felt all over the world in every Jewish community. How? Because the people of Israel are as diverse in thought and pursuits as the rest of us. If the world sees and hears only one voice of Israel, it then thinks there is only one Jewish voice, which opens the door for increased criticism and antisemitism.

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder, believes that democracy – maintaining a governmental system of checks and balances – is the only way to achieve true justice, allow for the minority voice to be heard, and uphold our moral obligation to one another.

Join us in our support of democracy in Israel. Write to the Consul General and your congressional representatives, contribute to organizations that promote and uphold democracy like Israel Religious Action Center, New Israel Fund, Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, or AIPAC.

Preserving democracy enables the pursuit of justice.

L’Shalom,

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, Shulchan.net

Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Congregation Nevei Kodesh


Media Contact:    Stacey Rosenbaum, haverinbox@gmail.com

THE RABBINIC COUNCIL OF BOULDER SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HATE CRIME, GUN VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE FOLLOWING THE MASS SHOOTING IN COLORADO SPRINGS

BOULDER, COLORADO, November 20, 2022 – We woke Sunday morning with heavy hearts after learning of another mass shooting in our backyard.

As members of Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder, we are enraged and deeply saddened by last night’s shooting by a 22-year-old at an LBGTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. At least five people were killed, and 25 others were injured by gunfire. While this tragic incident has not been officially labeled a hate crime, we cannot ignore the fact that hate crimes are a serious public health concern, along with gun violence. In a recent study, Hate Free Colorado determined 30% of Colorado adults experienced a hate crime, though most of those crimes went unreported. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the most recent data for 2022 shows that Colorado has experienced 28 fatal shootings and 77 people injured as a result of gun violence, not including suicide.

We stand with our neighbors, mourning the senseless loss of life. We offer our prayers and support to the victims, their families, the two heroes who subdued the shooter, and the greater LGBTQ community. We honor our differences with the knowledge that only through diversity can we create a strong community woven from respect, compassion and justice.

Rabbi Hillel taught that just the thought of hating another human turns the hater into a murderer. It is important, as we sink to the depths of despair that we attempt to rise to the height of hope for reform of the shooter and the environment in which his views and ideas were condoned.

Join us in our continued call for action against gun violence and the laws that make owning guns far too easy. Please consider making an end-of-year charitable contribution to organizations whose mission is to end gun violence, address hate crimes, or support the LBGTQ community like Out Boulder County and Keshet.

L’Shalom

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Morah Yehudis Fishman, Community Educator

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, Shulchan.net

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Community Rabbi


Media Contact:    Stacey Rosenbaum, haverinbox@gmail.com

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder, Speaks out Against Fatal Hate Crimes in New York and California

BOULDER, COLORADO, May 16, 2022 – We stand together in support and mourning of two deadly mass shootings that occurred over the weekend and are being investigated as hate crimes: one at a Buffalo, NY supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood, the other at Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, CA.

We are in total despair at the gun worship in this country and the havoc it wreaks, and are stricken with renewed grief as we add these acts of targeted violence to a growing list of tragedies that have occurred in this country in recent years.

Hate crimes cannot be met with silence! That is why we continue our efforts in the pursuit of social justice and work endlessly toward a world free of hatred and fear.

As rabbis, we are members of Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence. As members of this community, we participate in and support local and national organizations against violence and discrimination.

We urge you to join us, whether it be in actions, financial contributions, or simple words of compassion. One voice can change the world; one person can save the life of an entire generation.

Look to your place of worship or the Anti-Defamation League, which offers talking points to help your children process these horrors. The NAACP-RAC BoCo is offering a free Bystander Training Program on May 23rd. Click here for more information and to register.
Tzedek tzedek tirdof, “Justice, justice you shall pursue!”

L’Shalom,

Haver, The Rabbinic Council of Boulder

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Morah Yehudis Fishman, Community Educator

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Community Rabbi

 


Media Contact

Stacey Rosenbaum, haverinbox@gmail.com

HAVER, THE RABBINIC COUNCIL OF BOULDER CALLS FOR ACTION IN SUPPORT OF UYGHURS IN CHINA

As Jews, we  often discuss the act of Tikkun Olam, our social and moral obligation to repair, heal and improve the world and right its wrongs. This is an underlying theme for many of our most revered holidays and part of our core beliefs of what it means to be Jewish.

When we remember our exodus from Egypt on Passover, when we atone for our sins of omission on Yom Kippur, when we celebrate victory against genocide and religious persecution on Chanukkah and Purim, when we say “Never Again” on Yom HaShoah, we are reaffirming our commitment to each other and the world against these atrocities.

Once again, we find ourselves called to action to speak out against genocide, religious persecution, and human rights offenses.

The plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China is one of the most abominable crises affecting our world today. For the last several years, the Chinese government has been imprisoning the Uyghur people in concentration camps, subjecting them to forced labor, and taking away their children and putting them in orphanages or high-security boarding schools. The Chinese government has destroyed at least 9,000 mosques and damaged thousands more. It has also taken draconian steps to limit Uyghur population growth by forcibly sterilizing the women, implanting unwanted IUDs, and performing other traumatic procedures on them. These measures have worked. Since the Chinese government started its mass detention program in 2017, the Uyghur birthrate has plummeted by more than 60%.

The Rabbis of Haver ask you to stand with us in fighting for justice and righting these wrongs. Reach out to your local elected officials, your U.S. representatives and your U.S. senators and urge them to support Uyghur human rights legislation.

“Never again” is now, and you have the power to repair the world.

Read the Rabbinical Assembly’s resolution here.

Read the statement from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism here.

Read the International Jewish Movement for Uyghur Freedom here.

Read the Jewish World Watch Campaign to Protect the Uyghur people here.

 

L’Shalom,

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder

 

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Morah Yehudis Fishman, Community Educator

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Nadya Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Victor Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Charna Rosenholtz, Reb Zalman Scholar in Residence at Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Community Rabbi


HAVER, The Rabbinic Council of Boulder, Condemns Georgia Shootings as a Hate Crime

 

We are horrified by the recent shootings in Georgia that claimed the lives of eight people, including six women of Asian descent.

The rabbis of Haver stand in solidarity with the grieving families and communities and offer our support. There is no explanation that can right this heinous wrong, and no excuse will ever be acceptable.

We condemn this murderous act borne of hatred and violence against women. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. We must work together as a nation to ensure female lives are accorded their true worth, and women everywhere are able to live in dignity with fair wages, freedom of movement, reliable legal protection, and freedom from threats and acts of male violence.

As we prepare for Passover to remember our long journey from oppression into freedom, we reach out our hands to the Asian American community offering strength, support and love. Our narrative of freedom demands that we work for dignity and equality for all of humanity.

#StopAAPIhate  #AsianAmericansAdvancingJustice #SupportADL

Signed,

Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Morah Yehudis Fishman, Community Educator

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Nadya Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Victor Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Charna Rosenholtz, Reb Zalman Scholar in Residence at Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Community Rabbi

 

 Haver, the Rabbinic Council of Boulder stands in unity and mourning with the family, friends and community of George Floyd

June 3, 2020 – Boulder, Colorado – Our hearts are broken, and we are deeply saddened by the continued mistreatment, racial profiling, and injustice that the African American community faces throughout our nation. We are grieving not just for George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor but for the many unnamed victims of police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive force.

We condemn these horrific actions committed by the police, including those who watched and did nothing. In the Hebrew bible (or Scriptures), we are commanded to preserve and protect life, to “not stand by while the blood of our neighbor is shed.” (Leviticus 19:16) As Jews, we understand the gravity of what can happen when people stand idly by and allow such crimes to occur; we have fought this battle throughout history – ancient and recent.

Today, we extend our struggle for what is right. We stand in support of our African American brothers and sisters in Boulder, Denver and beyond. We praise Denver Mayor Michael Hancock for his calls to end bigotry and racism, and for legitimizing the constitutional right to assemble and express opinions in the form of peaceful protest. We call on Governor Polis and other local, state and national leaders to work together to improve accountability, overhaul an unbalanced and biased system, and identify fundamental flaws that protect police who act outside the law.

As rabbis and individuals, we send strength and show solidarity by reaching out to our African-American friends, neighbors, colleagues and relations, by patronizing Black-owned businesses, by supporting groups that promote equity for African-heritage Americans, and by working with faith and justice organizations to build an equitable society that guarantees safety and opportunities for all.

As the Rabbinic Council of Boulder, we strive to create welcoming, safe spaces in our congregations and buildings. We are committed to working with our own lay leaders, clergy and staff to do the necessary soul searching and learning to make sure that all who enter are accepted and celebrated.

The Talmud tells us that “when the community is immersed in suffering, a person may not say: I will go to my home and I will eat and drink, and peace be upon you, my soul.” (Talmud Taanit 11a)

We encourage you to take action. Add your voice to ours. Call or write to local legislators and the governor to support state-wide criminal justice reform. Support anti-racist and anti-white supremacy organizations such as Black Lives Matter or the Anti-Defamation League. Change is not quiet, but it can be made peacefully.

The Rabbis of Haver

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Ori Har DiGenarro, Conscious Learning Community

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Rabbi Emerita Congregation Nevei Kodesh

Morah Yehudis Fishman, Community Educator

Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Community Rabbi

Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem

Rabbi Nadya Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Victor Gross, Pardes Levavot

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, Adventure Judaism

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Rabbi Diane Tiferet Lakein, Community Rabbi

 

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