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 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 live on through the family in many small ways, including at the upcoming wedding when her daughter plans to wear the headpiece from her grand-mother’s wedding veil. “I am so grateful that JFS was there to support me through some difficult times and I recommend that other people—not just seniors, but anyone dealing with a loss or other family challenge— think about utilizing this community service,” says Janine.

For more information on the next grief group, which is forming this spring, please contact Cathy Summer at 303.415.1025 or csummer@jewishfamilyservice.org.

Boulder JFS, a program of Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS), provides Boulder-area Jewish seniors, their families, and individuals in crisis with services to enhance their quality of life and connect them to Jewish values, traditions, and community. JFS believes in strengthening the community by providing vital services to people in need. Founded in 1872, JFS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder.

BOULDERMattersVOLUME 23, NO. 1 • WINTER 2013

Helping Janine Through a Dark Time

STORY of Hope

Janine Starr

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 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.

2 BOULDER MATTERS WINTER 2013

Diane Madigan

Diane Madigan

VOLUNTEER Spotlight

We invite you to participate in the following upcoming events:

Medical Marijuana: A Panel DiscussionThursday, 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

Upcoming EVENTS

BOULDER MATTERS WINTER 2013 3

VOLUNTEERSBoulder 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 Stahl-Share, and Lisa, Zeke, and Iris Webber.

Volunteers Needed for PassoverBoulder 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 iswords@jewishfamilyservice.org.

Grief Support Group Forming Now for SpringBoulder 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.

Bring Hanukkah Light to Local Seniors

Rabbi Rose lights the menorah at the Boulder Meridian.

Residents enjoy the Hanukkah celebration at Frasier Meadows.

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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 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, csummer@jewishfamilyservice.org, or Linda Loewenstein, 303.725.4383, linda.loewenstein@gmail.com, or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org/boulder.

BOULDER JFS Asks for Advice! Jewish Family Service Forms Boulder JFS Advisory Committee

Linda Loewenstein