BOULDER
Matters
VOLUME 23, NO. 1 • WINTER 2013
STORY
of Hope
Helping Janine
Through a Dark Time
In January 2012, Janine Starr,
a local b’nai mitzvah coach, was at a low place
in her life. Her mother had passed away two
months earlier, she was experiencing some
mental health challenges, and she was going
through some big transitions. She sought help
from Reb Zalman, who suggested she contact
Boulder JFS.
“I had one meeting with Cathy Summer. She
provided a resource that saved my life,” says
Janine. “The resource she provided, which is
actually Buddhist in origin, was the perfect thing
for me and turned my life around.”
Janine had also heard that JFS conducted
a grief support group that she thought could
help her deal with her mother’s passing. When
a group formed that spring, Janine attended
and brought a friend who had also recently lost
her mother.
Janine says, “That spring group was only four
weeks. We both got a lot out of it and signed up
for the next eight-week group in the fall.” By the
end of the eight-week group, Cathy observed
that Janine was giggling and seemed like such
a different person than when she met her at the
beginning of 2012.
“The facilitators created a space that was open
to whatever we needed. Any and all emotions
were welcome,” Janine says of the group. They
ended each session with a Jewish song, and
since Janine is a trained cantor, they asked her to
lead these songs, which she said was especially
meaningful to her. One of her favorite times was
the evening that each participant brought photos
and memorabilia of their loved ones.
During the fall group, Janine
sold her house and was moving
to an apartment, but learned that
she could stay there for only two
months and would have to move
again. When she mentioned
this in her grief group, another
Janine Starr
member of the group invited her to
stay in her guest room until she found
another place! Janine says, “I took her up on this
generous offer and was touched by how close
our group had become in such a short time.”
Things are looking up for Janine and she
feels like a different person than she was a year
ago. She is moving into a permanent place and
her 24-year-old daughter is getting married early
next year. Her mother’s legacy will
Boulder JFS, a program
live on through the family in many
small ways, including at the upcoming of Jewish Family Service of
Colorado (JFS), provides
wedding when her daughter plans to
Boulder-area Jewish seniors,
wear the headpiece from her grandtheir families, and individuals
mother’s wedding veil.
in crisis with services to
“I am so grateful that JFS was there enhance their quality of life and
to support me through some difficult
connect them to Jewish values,
traditions, and community.
times and I recommend that other
JFS believes in strengthening
people—not just seniors, but anyone
the community by providing
dealing with a loss or other family
vital services to people in need.
challenge— think about utilizing this
Founded in 1872, JFS is a
community service,” says Janine.
nonsectarian, nonprofit human
services agency serving metro
Denver and Boulder.
For more information on the next grief
group, which is forming this spring,
please contact Cathy Summer at 303.415.1025
or [email protected].
Diane Madigan
VOLUNTEER
Spotlight
Diane Madigan began volunteering
with Boulder JFS 10 years ago when her daughter’s
Hebrew High teacher, who was also the JFS
volunteer coordinator, asked students to enlist
their parents’ help with the upcoming retirement
facility Passover celebrations. Diane was
glad to help however she could.
Through the years, Diane has
remained a dedicated volunteer who
assists with whatever is needed for
the High Holy Day, Hanukkah, and
Passover celebrations that Boulder JFS
hosts at local retirement communities.
In recent years, she has shared her
baking talents by making dozens
of cookies for two or three facilities
each holiday. According to Ingrid
Diane Madigan
Swords, Boulder JFS volunteer resource
coordinator, “these cookies are not only
delicious, but works of art and beautiful
to look at!”
“I did miss two holidays when I had back
surgery in 2008, but otherwise I set my schedule
around these celebrations,” says Diane. “I am an
on-call caregiver for Home Instead Senior Care
and I like to find out JFS’s holiday schedule well
in advance so I can request those days off.” Now
that’s dedication!
“For many of the seniors who attend
these holiday celebrations, it is their only real
connection to Jewish life,” Diane explains. “Many
of them do not have any family here, so I enjoy
celebrating with them and helping them relive
some of their favorite holiday memories. That’s
what keeps me coming back year after year.”
Diane’s aptitude for baking has been passed
down through the generations and she has tried
to instill it in her two grown daughters. Active at
Har HaShem, Diane frequently bakes for oneg
Shabbats or other synagogue events. She recently
baked Christmas cookies when the synagogue
was the site for the local shelter overflow on
Christmas Eve.
When Diane is not taking care of seniors
through her job or volunteer work, she travels to
Ohio three to four times a year to help her aging
parents. In her spare time, she enjoys reading,
playing Mah Jongg, and fly-fishing with her
husband of 35 years, Jerry.
Thank you for your commitment and
creativity, Diane! We can’t wait to see what you
cook up next for our Passover celebrations.
Upcoming EVENTS
We invite you to participate in the following upcoming events:
Medical Marijuana: A Panel Discussion
Thursday, February 21, 7:00 p.m., at the Boulder JCC
Who uses it? Why do they use it? How do they get it? What are the arguments for and against its
use? How much is it abused? Is there a Jewish perspective on medical marijuana? Join Donald
Misch, M.D., director of University of Colorado’s Wardenburg Health Center, and a panel of
experts to find answers to the medical and legal questions surrounding this controversial new
healthcare option. A program of Maimonides and Jewish Family Service. Cost: $10
2 BOULDER MAT TERS WINTER 2013
VOLUNTEERS
Bring Hanukkah Light to Local Seniors
Boulder JFS provided seven beautiful
Hanukkah celebrations at area senior facilities last
December, and we couldn’t have done it without
the help of many dedicated volunteers! Thank you to
David Bernstein, Morah Yehudis Fishman, Rabbi Ruthie
Gelfarb, Joseph Lukasik, Mushky and Rochel Osdoba,
Rabbi Josh Rose, and Rabbi Marc Soloway for leading
these inspirational programs.
Thank you, too, to the staff members at our host
facilities for welcoming us and taking care of all the
logistics: Balfour Retirement Community, Boulder
Meridian, The Carillon, Frasier Meadows, Golden West,
Sunrise of Boulder, and Sunrise at Flatirons.
A big thank-you to everyone who volunteered their
time during these celebrations. You truly brightened the
holiday for these seniors, many of whom do not have
anyone else to celebrate with them! Also, thank you to
our “Menorah Mensch,” Irving Kruger, who generously
brought gifts for the residents at Frasier Meadows.
Volunteers included Gali Beh, Carolyn Bleicher,
the B’nai Mitzvah class at Congregation Bonai Shalom,
Dorothy Cohen, Nancy Cohen, Shari Edelstein, Brenda
Fahn and children, Sandy and Stephen Friedman, Irving
Kruger, Susan Litt, Diane Madigan, Judy Megibow,
Miriam Paisner, Ruth Sachnoff, Debbie Schwartz, Kari
Scott, Monique Simons, Katarina and Naomi StahlShare, and Lisa, Zeke, and Iris Webber.
Residents enjoy the Hanukkah celebration at Frasier Meadows.
Rabbi Rose lights the menorah at the Boulder Meridian.
Volunteers Needed for Passover
Boulder JFS will lead Passover Seders at several retirement communities in March and needs
volunteers to lend a hand and visit with residents. This is a great opportunity for families! For
information or to volunteer, please contact Ingrid Swords, volunteer resource coordinator, at
303.415.1025 or [email protected].
Grief Support Group Forming Now for Spring
Boulder JFS, Boulder JCC, and HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties will offer an
eight-week grief support group for all members of the Jewish community beginning this spring
(call for dates and times). Space is limited! For information and registration, call 303.604.5300.
BOULDER MATTERS WINTER 2013 3
NON PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
DENVER, COLORADO
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO
PERMIT NO. 1217
Joyce and Kal Zeff Building
3201 South Tamarac Drive
Denver CO 80231-4394
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
tel: 303.415.1025
www.jewishfamilyservice.org
Beneficiary Agency of Allied Jewish Federation
of Colorado and Mile High United Way
BOULDER JFS Asks for Advice!
Jewish Family Service Forms Boulder JFS Advisory Committee
Jewish Family Service of Colorado
(JFS) has announced the formation of a new advisory
committee to guide the agency’s services in Boulder. The
Boulder JFS Advisory Committee will help provide the
creative vision and direction for how JFS can best meet
community needs.
The committee’s first order of business will be to
conduct a needs assessment study to ensure that any
new or expanded services will meet the most pressing
needs of the Boulder Jewish community. The committee
is exploring the expansion of services for Jewish seniors
and people in crisis.
JFS’s move to the new Boulder Jewish Community
Center (JCC) will present some new and exciting
opportunities for collaboration and provide programs
for underserved members of our population, especially
the rapidly growing senior demographic. As the
baby-boomer generation continues to age, the demand
for senior services will increase significantly over the next
decade—a primary focus for JFS in the next few years.
Linda Loewenstein, M.Ed., was recently named chair
of the Boulder JFS Advisory Committee. Linda served
as the executive director of the Boulder JCC from 2000
to 2010 and joined the Jewish Family Service Board of
Directors in November 2012.
“We are thrilled to have Linda on our board,” says
Yana Vishnitsky, JFS president and CEO. “It is very
important for us to have a
Boulder voice when we make
strategic decisions about
programming, fundraising,
and the population we are
serving. Linda’s experience
Linda Loewenstein
and knowledge working in the
Boulder Jewish community
make her the ideal addition to our board.”
In addition to Loewenstein, the Boulder JFS Advisory
Committee includes Jodi Ansell, Stacey Bahr, Carolyn
Bleicher, Cathy Cohn, Steve Ellis, Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb,
Barbara Gould, Bill Nagel, Rob Naiman, Meg Quiat,
Molly Sirkus, Gail Sloat, Ellen Taxman, Ed Victor, Cynthia
Weinger, and Jackie Wong.
“The expertise and enthusiasm on this committee
are tremendous,” says Linda. “We are looking forward to
working with the talented staff members of JFS—Cathy
Grimm, Cathy Summer, and Ingrid Swords—as well as
Jonathan Lev and Kathryn Bernheimer of the Boulder
JCC. There is so much unmet need for services in Boulder
and I know JFS can make a real difference.”
For more information or to get involved, contact Cathy
Summer, 303.415.1025, [email protected],
or Linda Loewenstein, 303.725.4383, linda.loewenstein@
gmail.com, or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org/boulder.