On the evening of June 12, JEWISHcolorado Shlicha Nelly Ben Tal was taking a rare night off to see “& Juliet” at the Buell Theatre when she received a simple phone message from Israel.
“It started. I wanted to let you know.”
Ben Tal knew what was happening before she even returned the call. Israel had attacked Iran and within hours, Iran would retaliate.
Ben Tal’s next call was to JEWISHcolorado President & CEO Renée Rockford and the two discussed how they should respond in the next 24 hours. For Rockford, that meant making arrangements for 55 teenagers on the Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour preparing to leave Poland for Israel within hours.
For Ben Tal, it meant creating a list of community members who were currently in Israel and unable to return to the U.S. She started making calls Thursday evening, and she did not stop for the next 16 hours.
Pray for Peace Vigil 2023
Ben Tal also jumped on a Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) Emergency Zoom meeting with Shlichim around the country to talk about events in Israel and solutions for families in the U.S. concerned about loved ones trapped in Israel. Finally, she attended two Zoom meetings to update JEWISHcolorado Board members with real-time information from Israel.
“The new normal for Shlichim—and the JEWISHcolorado team—is full of crises,” Ben Tal says. “We have enough experience now that we know what to do in a crisis, all the departments at JEWISHcolorado communicate with each other, and we follow our plan.”
During a crisis, Ben Tal’s connections in Israel are indispensable, but what often goes unseen are her daily contributions. As she begins her third and final year at JEWISHcolorado, Ben Tal reflected on a job where she always feels that time is short.
“You want to meet many people, listen, learn, create many partnerships, and leave as much of an impact as you can,” she says. “You cannot postpone anything because you only have three years.”
Join us for a week in the life of a Shlicha, and see how, every day, Nelly Ben Tal creates a bridge between the JEWISHcolorado community and the people of Israel.
Sunday: Telling stories in the community
On a typical Sunday, Ben Tal could be anywhere in the community doing a variety of different presentations. She might be talking to Hadassah in Boulder, she might meet with a group at Temple Emanuel, she might join the Run for Their Lives Walk, or she could be doing an “Ask Me Anything” salon at someone’s home.
Her presentations might include videos, photos of post-October 7 graffiti in Israel, an Israeli television show, or songs of war—all content chosen to prompt discussion of current events and address the emotions those discussions evoke.
JEWISHcolorado’s MEN’S EVENT 2024
“People want to know more than they read in the headlines,” Ben Tal says. “They have many questions, and I always emphasize that there are no simple answers. Only through immersive conversations and experiences—including trips to Israel—can you begin to start to understand the viewpoint of the Israeli people.”
Sunday is Ben Tal’s day to focus on being “a storyteller from Israel—telling not just my personal story, but the story of an entire country.”
Monday: Sharing and planning
On Monday, Ben Tal is back in the office sharing her experiences from the weekend with other members of the Jewish Life & Engagement (JLE) team. She also spends time listening to the experiences of other members of the team.
Perhaps most significant, on Monday, she meets with Noa Notrika, Manager of the Israel & Overseas Center (I&OC), the umbrella under which all JEWISHcolorado work related to Israel is managed, including education, travel, missions, programming, partnerships, the Shinshinim, and the partnership with Ramat HaNegev.
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“This Monday meeting is huge because we do short- and long-term planning,” Ben Tal says. “Noa is a natural strategic planner, and she keeps everyone at JEWISHcolorado who is working on projects related to Israel connected. She also handles the I&OC Newsletter so that everyone in the community knows what is going on.”
Ben Tal also meets via Zoom with Yaara Ron Cohen, the Partnership Coordinator for the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council. The two discuss ways that they can plan ahead and be a resource for each other. In recent months, much of their discussion centered on exchanges that bring Israelis to Colorado and send Coloradans to Ramat HaNegev.
Tuesday: Connecting globally and locally
On Tuesday, Ben Tal logs onto Zoom to join a regular JAFI meeting for all the Shlichim in the United States. Sometimes, JAFI brings a high-level speaker to the meeting. Sometimes, the meeting focuses on training exercises. Some weeks, the Shlichim exchange ideas on best practices.
It was during one of these meetings that Ben Tal heard about another Shaliach who had created a presentation using songs Leonard Cohen wrote and performed for soldiers during the Yom Kippur War. The idea inspired her to create a similar program in Colorado.
During this meeting, the Shlichim also share personal stories as a way to support each other as they serve far from home.
Yom HaZikaron 2024
“This is important to me because, as an Israeli emissary, I am often expected to lead and engage in challenging conversations about Israel, conversations that go beyond the familiar tensions we’ve grown used to back home,” Ben Tal says. “Sometimes that means bringing forward the complex, nuanced, and rich layers of our life in Israel.
Having the chance to speak openly with other Shlichim who truly understand these complexities is invaluable.”
Tuesday is also the day Ben Tal reserves for one-on-one meetings that tend to be lunch or coffee.
“My calendar is open to everyone who wants to get together, and surprisingly, people use it,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh. “I love it because these are opportunities to deepen connections individually so that I am not just bringing Israel here, but people are bringing America to me. Meeting and talking to so many people has changed me.”
Wednesday: Working with Jco Staff
On Wednesday, Ben Tal attends an all-staff meeting at JEWISHcolorado where she gains insight into what every department is doing.
“I might get information about Women’s Philanthropy, ATID, PJ Library, YAD, JCRC,” she says. “I hear how the Development department is supporting Israel through fundraising and how the funds are being allocated. You learn to appreciate the process everyone follows to do their work, and you see the advantages of having an organized workflow.”
At these staff meetings, Ben Tal is also deeply involved with all Jco departments—including communications, events, development, and Jewish Life & Engagement—in planning big events like Yom HaZikaron and Celebrate Israel and debriefing with the rest of the staff after the event takes place.
JEWISHcolorado’s Community-Wide Family Havdalah 2024
Ben Tal’s workday does not end when she leaves the office. “My family are emissaries as well,” she says.
Picking up her three children from Denver Jewish Day School turns into an opportunity to meet and connect with people as a representative of JEWISHcolorado. Her work doesn’t stop with school pick-up because she takes her children to after-school activities that are both Jewish and non-Jewish.
“You can have some deep conversations on the balcony at gymnastics with other parents watching their future Olympians practice,” she says with a laugh. “It’s another opportunity to engage with people and answer their questions about Israel.”
Thursday: Programming and partnerships
On Thursday, Ben Tal often partners with other Colorado Jewish organizations to create programs or events. It might be “Lunch and Learn” at Temple Sinai.
“The event belongs to Rabbi Rick Rheins at Temple Sinai and takes place every week,” Ben Tal says. “But some weeks, I will facilitate the programming.”
JEWISHcolorado’s Aspen Summer Event 2024
Most recently, Ben Tal arranged for Ron Segal, the keynote speaker at Yom HaZikaron, to meet with “Lunch and Learn” for a more intimate conversation about his path forward after losing two loved ones, including his mother, on October 7th.
The partnership with Temple Sinai is just one example of the ways that Ben Tal engages with the community on programs that often extend into the evening. Other weeks, she might be working with Hillel or with Hebrew Educational Alliance. She might do a program with Congregation Har HaShem in Boulder, she might speak to a group of young adults, or even make mezuzahs with Chabad and Congregation BMH-BJ to be sent to Israeli families who have had to relocate after October 7th.
Friday: Walking and talking and making challah
At her kibbutz in Israel, Ben Tal had a reputation for being a great baker—and not just a regular baker. She runs a 100 percent gluten-free home to accommodate her husband and older daughter.
“Any time you came to my house, you would find cake, cookies,” she says. “But the altitude in Colorado destroyed my baking.”
Her first challah, two years ago, was a “disaster,” she says. Undaunted, she kept trying and now, Fridays are a day to bake what she calls a “decent” challah.
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She also spends Fridays doing what she calls “Walk and Talk,” meeting with lay leaders in a casual format, enjoying the weather and walking through beautiful places like Denver Botanic Gardens and Washington Park.
“When you are walking with people, the conversation often flows in unexpected directions,” she says. “It can become more personal, and you hear people’s joys and sorrows. When people open up to me, I feel honored that they see me as a resource.”
Every Friday evening, the Ben Tal family either hosts a Shabbat dinner or attends one in the community, bringing their gluten-free challah with them. Sometimes, Shabbat means filling up the gas tank so that the family can drive to far-flung communities like Aspen or Steamboat Springs because JEWISHcolorado—and Nelly Ben Tal—are connected to the entire state of Colorado.
Saturday: Resting
Saturday is a day of rest for the Ben Tal family. They often spend the day doing outside activities and enjoying the beauty of Colorado.
But, of course, that peace can be disrupted by just one phone call from Israel. And that will begin another week in the life of a Shlicha.