By: Jenna Raimist
Director of Annual Campaign
In Parashat Balak, the Israelites are nearing the Promised Land, and their presence makes King Balak of Moab very nervous. So nervous that he hires a prophet-for-hire named Balaam to curse them. Balaam agrees — but with one important caveat: he can only speak the words God gives him. And God has no intention of cursing Israel. On his journey, donkey in tow, Balaam is stopped by a mysterious angel. Only the donkey sees it and refuses to move. Balaam, frustrated, strikes the donkey three times — until God opens the donkey’s mouth to rebuke him. Yes, a talking donkey. When Balaam finally arrives, he tries to curse the Israelites three separate times. But each time, God places blessings in his mouth instead, culminating in one of the most famous verses in our tradition:
“Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael” — “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.”
That blessing brings me back to the present. If you regularly open these emails or are engaged with JEWISHcolorado’s work, you know that we just wrapped up our fiscal and programming year on June 30. And it doesn’t take a scholar to recognize that this has been a year full of what felt like endless curses: rising antisemitism across the Diaspora, natural disasters, suffering in the Middle East, and hate crimes right here in our own backyard.
And while I would never minimize those horrors, I’ve learned that the only way I can keep living proudly and joyfully Jewish is by remembering the blessings too. Personally, I’ve experienced some of the greatest blessings of my life this year. Professionally, I get to wake up (almost) every day and serve the Jewish people of Colorado.
We — and I emphasize we — raised over $9 million this year.
We expanded Jewish Student Connection (JSC) clubs to reach more teens in Boulder County. JCRC launched the Mobilization Corps, training nearly 200 community members in effective advocacy techniques. PJ Library books reached families in 165 zip codes across the state. And we raised $210,000 for the emergency Boulder Security Fund.
Curses and blessings are intertwined. What a blessing it is to do this work — even when it’s difficult. What a blessing it is to be part of a strong, diverse Jewish community here in Colorado, committed not only to fighting antisemitism but also to creating spaces for Jewish joy.
Thank you for being active members of this community. And thank you for enabling this work to continue. Shabbat Shalom.
Please email Jenna Raimist at jraimist@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.