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Grants in Action
Kabbalah Experience
Objective: To teach the study of Kabbalah, a school of Jewish thought that emphasizes individual spiritual growth.
Impact: Although Kabbalah has gained notice in recent years as pop-culture figures have become involved in its study, this set of Jewish teachings has existed for centuries. “Kabbalah is a body of knowledge,” says Dr. David Sanders, executive director of Kabbalah Experience in Denver. “It is about seeing the connections between physical and spiritual reality – moving from the belief in God to actually experiencing God.” Sanders, a psychologist who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home, began teaching Kabbalah to a few Jewish male acquaintances in 2003. Interest grew through word of mouth and he established Kabbalah Experience three years later for students of all backgrounds. As of early 2009, nearly 100 students are taking classes on a weekly basis and three other teachers have joined Sanders. “For many students that come here, this is the first Jewish learning they’ve done since they were young,” he says. “It often translates into an interest in their Jewish roots and in Judaism.”
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Hillel of Colorado
Objective: To provide opportunities for Jewish college students to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity.
Impact: Hillel of Colorado welcomes Jewish students on three campuses: Colorado State University, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Denver (DU). With a two-year grant of $111,000 from Rose Community Foundation, Hillel of Colorado piloted a new program in 2008, hiring Jewish student interns to seek out Jewish students on campus who may be disconnected from Jewish life. The interns forge relationships with these students over coffee, a meal or fun activities with the goal of making a Jewish connection available to those that want it. “Our agenda is not to bring Jewish students into our fold,” says Rabbi Adam Naftalin-Kelman, director at the Boulder campus. “It is to give them tools to be able to express their own Jewish identity, however that may be.” The interns meet with Hillel staff once a week and benefit beyond making new friends. “Seeing our interns grow and develop their leadership skills has been great,” says Rachel Pinsker, campus director at DU.
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- Grant profiles from Rose Community Foundation's 2008 Annual Report
Farther down on this page:
Intern Daniel Kahn (right) with a fellow Jewish student, playing foosball at the Merage and Allon Hillel Center on the University of Denver campus