By: Brandon Rattiner
Senior Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
The High Holidays invite us to look inward at our own lives and outward at our responsibilities to one another.
There’s a lot to sort through this year. Elections in Israel and America are bringing questions about our safety and identity to the forefront of our politics. Seemingly every week brings another high-profile antisemitic incident or controversy. Within our community, we’re working through how to make room for a wide range of opinions and perspectives. And through it all, there’s joy: Sukkot dinners, b’nai mitzvahs, and the everyday pleasure of being Jewish.
Each of us experiences this mix differently. No single congregation, WhatsApp thread, or political outlook captures all of it. But we still have to figure out how to live together and take care of one another. That starts with being curious about what others are carrying, making room for their experiences, and showing up when they need us. We should be able to count on that care even when we see the world differently.
In that spirit, this week we’re sharing High Holiday sermons from rabbis across the Front Range. They offer a chance to hear how our community’s spiritual leaders are making sense of this moment, and to find wisdom beyond the places we usually look.
The JCRC’s first value is Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh—All Jews Are Responsible for One Another. That means representing and empowering the many views and backgrounds that make up Colorado’s Jewish community, and building the relationships that allow us to act together. We’ll continue that work in the year ahead. Whatever this year brings, we want people to know they have a community to turn to—and a part in caring for it.
Shabbat shalom.
Please email Brandon Rattiner at brattiner@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.Â