Boulder JCC | Jewish Community Center
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Find Community, Connection, and Joy
Rooted in Jewish culture, we envision a community where everyone feels valued, connected, and celebrated. We are a home for community that builds relationships, embraces differences, and embodies what Jewish life can be.
VALUES
Community - Bringing people together strengthens relationships and creates meaning and connection.
Joy - Celebrating life together, whether major milestones or simple moments, uplifts us all.
Care - Supporting neighbors through life's difficult times is an essential part of showing up for one another.
Respect - Being truly welcoming means embracing people of all backgrounds and identities.
Growth - Learning and curiosity are never-ending pursuits to be nurtured at all ages.
Generosity - Choosing to give inspires us to be our best selves.
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Latest News
All NewsMaking Kindness a Verb: Join Us for Mitzvah Night
In a world that often moves too fast, there is something profoundly grounding about slowing down to do something kind for someone else. On Monday, February 9, our community has a special opportunity to do exactly that.
Mitzvah Night, hosted by Women of the J, is more than just a gathering; it’s an evening dedicated to the Jewish concept of a Mitzvah (a good deed) that strengthens the world. This year, the heart of our efforts belongs to the Be Like Ellie Foundation, an organization born from a legacy of pure, unsolicited kindness.
To understand the mission of the night, one must grasp Ellie's spirit. At just six years old, Ellie was known by everyone who met her as a "protector." She didn’t just live in the world; she cared for it, looking out for people and animals alike with a heart far larger than her years.
After Ellie tragically passed away in an accident while playing in her backyard, her family chose to channel their grief into a movement. The Be Like Ellie Foundation was established to ensure her gift of thoughtfulness didn't end. By inspiring others to perform simple, everyday acts of kindness, the foundation proves that even the smallest gesture can have a ripple effect across a community.
Unpacking the Inheritance: Why We Carry Jewish Anxiety and How to Put It Down
For many in the Jewish community, anxiety has long been framed as a "family trait" or even a secret engine for success. We’ve been told that being "on edge" is a virtue that keeps us safe and motivated. But on Wednesday, February 11, the Boulder JCC invites the community to challenge that narrative.
Presented by the Men of the J, the program features Rabbi Caryn Aviv, Ph.D., as she discusses her groundbreaking new book, Unlearning Jewish Anxiety: How to Live with More Joy and Less Suffering.
Rabbi Aviv, the Rabbinic & Program Director for Judaism Your Way, brings a unique perspective to this topic. With a PhD in sociology and a career spanning the University of Colorado and the University of Denver, she combines academic rigor with in-depth exploration of spirituality.
Her core message is clear: Jewish anxiety is not just a trope, it is a real, inherited, and learned response to a world that has often felt unsafe. These patterns of fear, unworthiness, and shame are not personality traits; they are painful habits internalized from historical trauma and the repetitive, hateful messages of the wider world.
Deconstructing the Symphony: Finding the "Building Blocks" of Music
Music often feels like magic, a fleeting sequence of sounds that can move us to tears or make our hearts race. But behind that magic lies a sophisticated architecture. This spring, the Boulder Philharmonic invites you to pull back the curtain on the creative process with a special Exchange program: "Orchestral Building Blocks: Core Elements of Musical Composition."
Led by the acclaimed Dr. Fernanda Nieto, this course is designed for anyone who has ever sat in a concert hall and wondered, "How did the composer do that?"
The Anatomy of an Emotion
At its core, composition is about more than just "writing a tune." It is a delicate balance of three primary pillars:
- Melody and Rhythm: The "storytellers" of music that create hooks we remember long after the concert ends.
- Harmony and Harmonic Structure: The "vertical dimension" that provides depth. Harmony acts as the emotional color palette, providing the tension and resolution that make a melody feel triumphant, tragic, or mysterious.
- Form and Organization: The blueprint. From the symmetry of Sonata form to the adventurous nature of through-composed works, we will explore how composers organize time itself to create a narrative arc.