With gratitude for this past year

Dear JEWISHcolorado community:

As we close the 2023-2024 JEWISHcolorado fiscal year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the unprecedented and record-setting support we have received from the community in the past 12 months.

The JEWISHcolorado Annual Campaign has exceeded its goal for the year, raising more than $7.9 million to support programs, events, and initiatives that strengthen a vibrant Jewish community today and in the future. Thanks to more than 3,570 individual gifts, including 100% participation from the JEWISHcolorado Board, we surpassed the amount raised for last year’s campaign by more than $235,000, an increase of 3 percent.

After October 7, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) asked JEWISHcolorado to raise $3.1 million in Emergency Funding for Israel. Through 2,369 donations JEWISHcolorado raised $9.5 million, tripling the JFNA fair share goal. We thank you, and our partners in Israel thank you.

“What our community has accomplished this year is truly remarkable,” says JEWISHcolorado President & CEO Renée Rockford. “With your help, we can deliver on our mission—to convene, connect, invest, and protect Jewish life in Colorado, Israel, and around the world.”

Support for Israel

Every dollar raised in emergency funding goes to Israel; JEWISHcolorado takes no percentage from Israel Emergency Fund gifts. Seventy percent of the emergency funds JEWISHcolorado collects are sent to JFNA which distributes the dollars to organizations working on the ground in Israel, including The Jewish Agency, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and hundreds of partner organizations and non-governmental organizations operating on the frontlines in Israel.

The remaining 30% of JEWISHcolorado’s Israel Emergency Fund dollars are being allocated directly to partnership communities that have absorbed hundreds of people evacuated from the Gaza envelope, including Ramat HaNegev and Nitzana.

In total, since October 7, JEWISHcolorado has disbursed $1 million in emergency funding to our partnership communities in Israel.

In addition, JEWISHcolorado has been actively engaged in pro-Israel advocacy efforts:

• Through the work of JEWISHcolorado’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), and many partner organizations, we defeated anti-Israel ceasefire resolutions from multiple city councils around the state.
• We brought 175 people (including 30 Day School and Hillel students) from Denver and Boulder to Washington, D.C. in November for the rally on the mall.
• We led three volunteer missions to Israel since January, including one young adult mission.
• We brought a team of lay and professional leaders to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress and participated in two additional leadership fly-ins.
• We reached more than 25,000 people in the community through JEWISHcolorado’s Israel & Overseas Center.

Support for security

This year, Secure Community Network (SCN) expanded its commitment to Colorado. Regional Security Director, Phil Niedringhaus has taken on more responsibility for the western region of the U.S. and Canada, setting up security programs and infrastructure. Kevin Farrington serves the JEWISHcolorado community as Regional Security Advisor.

Kevin Farrington conducts security assessment at Golda Meir House Museum

Through the SCN program, which is generously supported by the Rose Community Foundation and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado, JEWISHcolorado’s regional advisors have now provided safety and security training to more than 6,500 individuals at more than 60 agencies, institutions, and synagogues across the state.

Two thousand of those individuals have been trained just since the October 7 attack.

Also, through JEWISHcolorado, SCN advisors have provided dozens of site security assessments to Jewish organizations and synagogues across the state at no cost.

Support for advocacy

The relationships with public leaders that the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), JEWISHcolorado’s advocacy arm, has cultivated through the years took on greater significance in the wake of October 7. In addition to the key work done to defeat ceasefire resolutions in multiple city councils, the JCRC:

• Worked with state legislators to plan events honoring visiting Israeli hostage families and ensured that these families appeared on the floor of the Senate.
• Encouraged public officials to make statements on behalf of the Jewish community in the wake of October 7.
• Partnered with the Governor’s Office to write a proclamation condemning antisemitism.
• Educated legislators about HB24-1169: Repeal Divest from Companies with Israel Prohibitions Law, resulting in the bill dying in committee.
• Secured nearly $2 million in Nonprofit Security Grants to assist Colorado organizations with safety and security.
• Collaborated with many community partners including ADL, IAC, Stop Antisemitism Now Colorado and Stand With Us, and responded to antisemitic and anti-Israel statements in K-12 schools, universities, city councils, and the state legislature.

HB24-1169 hearing in House Finance Committee

Support for programming and Jewish organizations

This year, JEWISHcolorado children, teen, and family programs—including Jewish Student Connection (JSC), PJ Library, Jewish Explorers, One Happy Camper, and the Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour (IST)—continued to flourish and grow.

With community support, the number of JSC clubs increased from 11 to 13 with the addition of two new clubs in Boulder. Now in its tenth year, JSC engages approximately 300 students each week, providing a safe and welcoming space for Jewish students across the state.

JEWISHcolorado recruited a full Joyce Zeff Israel Study Tour, traveling through Poland and Israel in the summer of 2024. JEWISHcolorado’s trip was reported to be the first teen trip to Israel this summer.

This year, PJ Library increased the number of books sent out each month to more than 4,700. With nearly 4,200 subscribers in Colorado, PJ Library hosted more than 85 programs and gatherings for nearly 3,300 families in the past year.

JEWISHcolorado continues to recruit more PJ Library Family Connectors, increasing the number from nine families last year to 14 this year.

JEWISHcolorado organized the first Jewish Colorado Giving Day to benefit Jewish organizations statewide. Participating organizations raised $387,051, benefiting 38 Jewish organizations. Every organization received an equal portion of matching funds from a JEWISHcolorado Community Match Incentive Fund totaling $57,800.

Support for events

This year, perhaps more than ever, it was important for the Jewish community to come together in joy and grief. JEWISHcolorado convened the community at multiple large events, including:

• MEN’S Event: “From Home to Homeland”
• Am Yisrael Chai: A Celebrate Israel Event
• Women’s Philanthropy presents CHOICES
• JEWISHcolorado Annual Meeting
• Pray for Peace in Israel: A Community Vigil
• Yom HaZikaron

Whether you participate through your time, talent, or tzedakah, you are vital to the mission of JEWISHcolorado. With a full heart, we say thank you.

With continued prayers for the release of the hostages,
JEWISHcolorado Team