Support the build! Empty your pockets and purses too. Help fill our tzedakah box with donations to fund the Habitat Interfaith Alliance’s home build. All donations collected in May will be used for this purpose. If you are not in the vicinity of the box, then donations may be sent to the Micah office. Be sure to indicate that the money is for HIA on your check or paperwork.

For years now, Temple Micah has been committed to supporting HIA by providing funding and participation in various events. This year’s home will be built near Globeville for a family of four who immigrated here six years ago from Ethiopia. The parents will help in the building of their new home along with congregants from a variety of HIA member groups. You can join the Micah build team on Sunday, June 24 which is our designated day. There are other open dates on which you can volunteer as an alternative to or in addition to ours. The build begins on Friday, June 8.

Also coming up is the HIA Golf Tournament scheduled for Monday, June 4. It takes about $83,000 for the build. Micah’s monetary commitment at this time is to raise at least $250. For more information on HIA activities and the build dates, please go to www.hiadenver.org. There, you may sign up on line for the build and also will be able to get an overview of everything related to this special interfaith group. If you would like to speak with one of our HIA Micah representatives, please contact Sarah Rovner or Mary Ann Strassner through the Temple Micah office, 303-388-4239.

We will continue to collect food and hygiene items as well in the temple entrance area.  As always, your Social Action Committee thanks you for caring about those in need.

Suddenly and increasingly, vague dreams of summertime are filtering through our individual prisms and entering into focus. Whirling toward a magical season, we scarcely can imagine the kaleidoscope of Oz-some scenery, amazing characters and vivid thrills awaiting discovery as we skip along Micah’s Yellow Brick Road. Sunny adventures are in store! Read on to see how congregants Kane Aldinger, Alice Alban and I describe several evolving scenarios.

Somewhere not over a rainbow but amid airy outdoor Shabbats, precisely on Saturday, July 7 we all shall spy a sparkling Emerald Greens Golf Course — the staging turf for Temple Micah’s 1^st Annual Golf Tournament. Sponsors are sought – plus everyone else, who wants to golf or goof off to benefit the congregation! To offer support, help or enthusiasm in any form, talk to Sam Mamet next time you see him or leave a message at the temple, 303-388-4239.

Besides the razzle-dazzle of the golf extravaganza, more options for congenial Micah interaction will appear at every bend this summer.

Micah Softball Games, for example, will allow us to cheer for our newly forged, surely destined all-star team and equally starry-eyed alternates, whose official uniform and moniker are yet to be decided. Regardless of whether the rabbi plays, so far the team likes this tentative name: Mo Hits, Mo Runs. With 14 guys already committed, a few more still may opt in for practice, games or both. Rumor has it that Hal Bruno has been an especially adept recruiter, gamely transferring muscle skills from all his practice as a Micah past prez. The Micah contingent lost its game on Opening Day, April 29, but did a lot of gelling and preserved its dignity as a newcomer in the Corned Beef Division. Fans are welcome at upcoming spectacles, usually at 10:00 a.m. on most Sundays continuing into August at Kennedy Ball Fields on South Kenton Street in Aurora. “Just don’t set your expectations too high,” warns team manager Kane Aldinger. “Hopefully this will become a real family outing in the future. It is fun managing this and I owe it all to the Denver Jewish Softball League for simply existing. I think someone told me it started about 14 years ago and now there are 16 teams going at it weekly for 10-12 weeks during the summer.”

Armchair athletes, however, may be more receptive to Alice Alban’s smooth pitch to start a Women’s Book Group of Temple Micah. Whenever other book fans are available, she’s ready to bat around literary titles, authors and themes with you! Alice is reachable through the temple directory or via Temple Micah, 303-388-4239. Call to explore the possibilities. By golly, if the book group gels, maybe someday it could challenge our favorite softball team to a literacy contest.  

Shabbat Hikes on two Saturdays, June 9 and Aug. 11, both at 9:00 a.m., promise new thrills at Bluff Lake Nature Center. Saturday services on other dates at the temple will start at 9:00 a.m. too this summer, before the days warm up too much. Other notable events include Shabbat-in-the-Park, back by popular demand on 2nd Fridays monthly at 6:00 p.m. under super-natural canopies of sky at Washington Park, picnic site #2 on June 8; Cheesman Park, picnic site #1, July 13; and City Park, picnic site #2, Aug. 10. These musical outings, full of reverence and blessings too, are planned near playgrounds particularly appealing to kids (and parents). Also, these and other Shabbats are packed with potential for bring-your-own picnics, welcoming to all with or without children. Services mainly geared for adults will be held throughout the summer. See the full schedule in the rabbi’s “Schmooze & News” or on the temple’s website calendar. We’ll keep highlighting more dates and places as opportunities get closer, including indoor services at the temple.

Graduates Will Make Micah Proud…

If you are a Micah member either in the Class of 2012 or have someone graduating soon from high school or a higher-ed institution, be sure to share such news! Please provide specifics by Friday, May 18 for the next MICAH e-Mailbox by e-mailing a paragraph to elaine.lee@micahdenver.org with grad’s first and last names; school name, main accomplishments, honors, activities, work, interests and future plans.

Welcome to New Members…

• Leonard Keller & Sandra Stone of Denver (& half-time Lake Worth, FL)

Mazel Tov to Newlyweds…

• Lisa Sellinger & Erik Hardin

Go to a Fun Family Festival…

• Celebrate Family, Sunday, May 20, 10:30-2:30 p.m. – for families with children newborn-age 8; all of the activities are at the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver. Admission is free, though some attractions have fees (you may be eligible for a MazelTot discount in advance). Look for a bike swap, train rides, bounce castle, petting zoo, helicopter landing and take-off, indoor Laser Tag – and be sure to say “shalom” to buddies at the Micah booth!

Are You Missing Any Pieces?… Temple Micah occasionally acquires items lost or left by congregants, guests or others in places where services, events, classes and programs occur. If anyone is missing a woman’s coat found at Blessed Sacrament around Purim time, or an earring or a tallit (prayer shawl) set found longer ago at the temple, please inquire at 303-388-4239. We’d love to return them.

The only constant is change… Ten years ago the Micah community was making the transition to a new rabbi. Over the years the “new” rabbi has become “our” Rabbi Mo as we have grown together. There have been plenty of changes, from music, to makeover, to new activities, books, traditions and members — but these have been inevitable, expected changes within a context of continuity and stability. A major uncertainty runs through these past years, as it has throughout Micah’s history — the question of place. Where will we be? Recently this question has intensified, and as we look ahead to possible changes in our physical setting, I feel the transition to a new space looming and/or beckoning!  Letting go, leaving, moving on is hard. The change will bring the loss of familiar sights, routines, relationships, and will also bring the possibility of new opportunities and growth. 

I first came to Micah as Rabbi Mo was just starting. Parallel with Micah, in my personal life I was experiencing the expected, inevitable life-cycle transitions, within a foundation of stability and consistency. In the past few years my life has changed in ways I least anticipated and I face the same questions as Micah — where will I be, where am I going? Letting go is hard. Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to let go, but this has been different:  a radical leaving that shifts everything. Familiar patterns, places, people, relationships are gone or transformed. While the changes have been difficult, I have been spurred to grow in unexpected directions in my life. 

This period of transition in my personal life has coincided with my time serving on the Temple Micah Board of Trustees. This is no coincidence: endings have left room for beginning new challenges. Growing connection with the Temple Micah community has been an important part of my journey; experiencing change within Micah is parallel with the changes in my personal life.

Change is the focus of my professional life too. As a psychotherapist, I work with people seeking to transform their lives in many different ways. As demonstrated in my experience with clients and in my own life, that which seems most certain and solid may prove — over time — fluid and shifting. I know that welcoming change is the only path to true security — easier to assist others with this than to live it myself! In the midst of change, what endures is interdependence, connection, relationship, one person to another. In my work and in my personal life, I know the power of joining with others in their journey. As Rabbi Mo said to me, sometimes we feel we’re wandering in the desert — but having companions in our wandering makes all the difference. This is at the core of Micah — connecting with others as we journey.

Also enduring through life’s transitions is the search for what is mysterious, miraculous, larger and deeper, beyond understanding. This search is also at the core of what Micah means to me. In addition, what endures is the reality of living each day, concretely, here and now. The reality of daily life means that we need to support what we value. I have come to prioritize the support of Micah — financially and with time and energy — especially as I have served on the Board and the Dues Committee. Supporting Micah is essential so that our community can remain stable and secure enough to endure, and flexible enough to change and grow. I close with words from our prayer book, from a reading that has become particularly significant to me during this time of transition: “Once or twice in a lifetime, a man or woman may choose a radical leaving, having heard Lech l’cha – Go forth!”

I am thinking a lot about food at the moment… not because I am hungry as I write this post, but because I am in the midst of a 21-day cleanse. Under the guidance of Jen Nassi – my holistic health coach — Renee and I are participating in an exhaustive eating exercise. During these three weeks we are eliminating many foods that are common to our everyday diet and adding foods that will help our bodies remove toxins and work more efficiently.

For the first time in a long time (albeit collaterally), I am observing Kashrut. No meat, so no worries about animals’ cud-chewing proclivities or the cleft-ness of their hooves. No dairy, so there is no cheese to put on that waiting hamburger. The cleanse maintains no ideological connection to these emblematic rituals of the Jewish dietary laws. However, I believe that my cleanse and the spirit of Kashrut are profoundly connected. The traditional Jewish expression of eating properly has evolved into different sets of dishes of milk and meat and butchers who know how to kill an animal in a certain manner — there are other paths to follow from this original practice. Kashrut or Kosher means ‘fit’ or ‘proper.’ In that sense the command to keep Kashrut can be understood as a charge to produce and consume foods that are fit and proper — fit and proper for my body, for my spirit and for the world around me. Even though I have followed the traditional sense of Kashrut before in my life, during these three weeks I think I may be keeping kosher — eating ‘properly’ — in a way that I have never done before.

The idea of what is fit and proper for me (and the world) physically and spiritually contains a wide range of considerations. For example… I pay close attention to how my body reacts and works quite differently when I think so differently about the food I ingest. I observe how often I associate a choice of what to eat and when to eat it by an emotion (a treat for a long run or because I have had a long day). I notice the resources (time, money, intellectual) needed to make these choices. I pay attention to how what I choose to eat connects me to (Renee, with whom I am sharing this exercise) or disconnects me from (spending time with family and friends over meals, drinks, etc.) the social interactions that sustain me. I reflect upon the way I contribute to justice, compassion or peace for my world around me because of the way my food is produced and distributed.

I invite you to take a day to keep ‘kosher’… to simply pay attention to the ‘fitness’ of the food and drinks you choose to ingest for a day. Don’t even worry about changing anything you eat because of the attention you are paying to your food… just consider what you put into your mouth for the day. Why are you eating or drinking in that moment? What physical need does what you are choosing to eat or drink fulfill? (Hunger, exhaustion.)  What spiritual need does what you are choosing to eat or drink fulfill? (Anxiety, loneliness, celebration.) How will the nature of this particular food that you are ingesting affect your body and its function? How did the production of this kind of food affect other living things? (Animals, human beings, the environment.)

Great potential and even power are in every single choice we make… from the obvious life-changing choices to the mundane choices of everyday life that lose our attention and their meaning.

APRIL SCHEDULE… http:⁄⁄www.micahdenver.org or call 303-388-4239.

THOUGHTS FROM…
RABBI ADAM MORRIS:
FEAR AND PHARAOH IN THE  PROMISED LAND
My written reflections of my Sabbatical trip to Israel have not come with the frequency I intended or promised. However, with Purim just behind us and Passover just ahead, those experiences still hover prominently at the forefront of my consciousness. One day during my trip I spent chasing around Jerusalem with Rabbi Arik Ascherman, the General Secretary for Rabbis for Human Rights.
Keep reading… http:⁄⁄www.micahdenver.org⁄blog⁄?cat=3
 
SHERI LOCKHART, BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER AND SOCIAL ACTION CHAIR:
MICAH ON MY MIND YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Perhaps someday you will be asked to serve on the Temple Micah Board of Trustees – perhaps even this spring the question will be posed to you. I urge you to say “yes.” Why did I agree to serve (repeatedly) on this congregation’s Board? I always seem to come to the same conclusion. For me, it has been the incredible people with whom I have worshiped and worked over the years.
Keep reading… http:⁄⁄www.micahdenver.org⁄blog⁄?cat=5

ELAINE LEE, MEMBERSHIP AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT – WHERE WILL YOUR MICAH JOURNEY TAKE YOU?
Not the least benefit of belonging to Temple Micah is being part of a congenial community serving individuals across varied ages and stages of maturation. To fathom an inkling of this congregation’s part in shaping personal journeys, notice how it has brought together Crystals with Lee⁄Sacketts across childhoods, a supper table and an ocean.
Keep reading… http:⁄⁄www.micahdenver.org⁄blog⁄?cat=4
Do Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.

Not the least benefit of belonging to Temple Micah is being part of a congenial community serving individuals across varied ages and stages of maturation. To fathom an inkling of this congregation’s part in shaping personal journeys, notice how it has brought together Crystals with Lee/Sacketts across childhoods, a supper table and an ocean.

In the process of meshing with Micah eons ago, our families met and forged enduring mutual ties. On becoming a bat mitzvah, a teen from my family tutored a child from theirs in Hebrew, eventually leading to another bat mitzvah ceremony… which in turn led that new young Jewish adult to teach more b’nai mitzvah students, this year reaching similar milestones in the Micah community.

So, during a Micah get-together a few months ago, my husband, John Sackett, and I reminisced with Joe and Jane Crystal about our kids growing up in the Micah community and how their darling Vikki and our dear Elsa seem in some ways nowadays so grown up. Yet they haven’t outgrown those precious and enduring Micah ties to each other. Vikki is a college sophomore, while her teenaged tutor has become a university alum teaching English abroad. Then the talk meandered to how one dad was about to retire, and wouldn’t it be fun (and even educational maybe) for a retiree with spare time and the coed contemplating spring break to visit a teacher in France?

This thought, incidentally emanating from a Shabbat Sampler Supper spot, instantly turned into a wildly successful texting plot between continents. Before the meal was over, the fanciful whim was already a tentative plan. In ensuing weeks, it became a Crystal-ized map. The jaunt would be thrillingly informative for Vikki, a welcome reunion for Elsa and a wife-blessed gift to Joe in retirement. Next time you see the Crystals or other fellow congregants, don’t dwell on that trip, but on the moral of the story: Happiness is to be found in the presence of Micah friends.

Here’s the Pitch for a Playful Pastime… Hello, Micah Softball Recruits. Good news. There is one spot left in the Denver Jewish softball league (www.DenverJewishSoftball.org) and Seth Davis, the “league commissioner,” has offered it to us.

The games are Sunday mornings at 10:00 or 11:00 from May until mid-August.  This will exclude Mother’s Day, Shavuot/Memorial Day weekend and Tisha B’Av…. All players on each team must be at least 16 years old by May 1 and be either Jewish, married to someone Jewish or engaged to someone Jewish.

So, who is in? Who else can we recruit? Pursue the possibilities with Kane Aldinger via Elaine Lee at Temple Micah, 303-388-4239, elaine.lee@micahdenver.org.

Celebrate with New Members… A Shabbat Service Honoring New Members affiliating with Temple Micah since last Labor Day takes place at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the synagogue, 2600 Leyden St., Denver. A reception afterward is at the courtesy of our gracious temple board. Whether you’re a new member, mid-termer or oldie-and-goodie, come congratulate peers on their congregational allegiance, appreciate one another and realize everything that Temple Micah means to its members!

Meet Newest Joiners…

• Mike & Ann Kaplan & family of Denver
• Randy & Victoria Parsons & family of Commerce City

Condolences to…

• Ari Walker & Deanna Gusman & family, on the loss of their grandmother, and their daughters’ great-grandmother, Dorothy Baron
• Hannah Houston, on the loss of her brother, the Rev. Robert Hughes
• Warren Paul & family, on the loss of a friend, Zoe Tova Kislowitz

 On the Summer Horizon…

• Temple Micah’s 1^st Annual Golf Tournament… Sponsors are sought for Temple Micah’s 1^st Annual Golf Tournament, on Saturday, July 7 at Emerald Greens Golf Course and Club, 595 S. Clinton St., Denver. This sporty new fundraising effort is meant to boost the congregation’s finances, while entertaining everyone at the green scene. For sponsor details, contact Sam Mamet through the Temple Micah office, by leaving him a message with Elaine Lee, 303-388-4239, elaine.lee@micahdenver.org. Thanks, in advance, to Sam, Jason Altshuler and Michael Clapman for doing groundwork to make this event happen.           
• Subsidy Offer for 1st-Time Jewish Campers — The Jewish Community Foundation of Colorado (JCF) has partnered with the Allied Jewish Federation and the Foundation for Jewish Camp to bring One Happy Camper to the Denver area. One Happy Camper is a program providing subsidies to children to attend Jewish overnight summer camp for the first time. First-time campers who are self-identified as Jewish, residents of Colorado and don’t currently attend a Jewish day school are eligible to receive a $700 subsidy for a two-week camp session (minimum of 12 days) or $1,000 subsidy for a three-week stay (minimum of 19 days) or a longer summer camp experience. To receive such subsidy, a child must be registered to attend camp this summer. Check out www.onehappycamper.org or contact Dirk Bird, JCF executive director, 303-316-6448, dbird@ajfcolorado.org.

Perhaps someday you will be asked to serve on the Temple Micah Board of Trustees – perhaps even this spring the question will be posed to you. I urge you to say “yes.” Why did I agree to serve (repeatedly) on this congregation’s Board? I always seem to come to the same conclusion. For me, it has been the incredible people with whom I have worshiped and worked with over the years. With some of these members I have been able to focus on what I consider to be the most important tenet of Judaism — tikkun olam — repairing the world.

Just as my history with Micah goes back some, the history of the congregation goes back even farther. In the early 1950’s, shortly after Israel became a State, a sizable number of people broke away from Temple Emanuel and formed a new congregation, Temple Micah. It was located at the corner of Monaco and Cedar in Denver and had somewhere in the number of 300 memberships. I have been told that support for Zionism or the lack of it was at the heart of this parting and that there was a desire for less ritual in the services.

The congregation prospered and even became nationally known for its innovative religious school program known as the Micah Conference Plan. It was a program for junior high school students, who met once a month for an entire weekend.  One of Judy Goldberg’s sons became the 1^st bar mitzvah.

As the years went on, memberships dwindled. In 1978 the building had to be sold. Today it is a church. Our congregation moved to the current space and began its partnership with Park Hill Congregational Church. With the move came a further drop in memberships. Some were not pleased with the rabbi serving at that time, some not comfortable with the location being north of Colfax Avenue and others did not like the idea of sharing space with a church. So, after the move, membership dropped to between 30-40 units.

I believe this was about the size of the congregation when my family joined in the mid 80’s. We had participated in the Stepping Stones Program for interfaith families at Temple Emanuel and afterward were encouraged to continue our exploration of Judaism and to join a congregation. We knew some Micah members and started to attend some services. After a few years of nudging from Louis Wolfe, we finally decided to join the temple. We felt comfortable. It was the right choice.

I will be departing from the Board in May. This will not be the first time I will leave the Micah Board, for I served in two capacities in the 1990s — first, as a regular member and later as co-president with Marty Smith and with Nancy Bieber as our fantastic vice-president. We were quite the trio! Sometimes I ask myself why I have remained at Micah for all these years. Why did I agree to once again serve on the Board? I do not consider myself a very religious person, whatever that means. My children are grown, so religious school is no longer needed. But still and going forward with my congregation, I am able to focus on what I consider to be the most important tenet of Judaism — tikkun olam — repairing the world.

When I read this quote from our prayer book during Shabbat services, it reenergizes me to continue my focus on social action. You can find it on page 55.  It begins this way:

 “DISTURB US, Adonai, ruffle us from our complacency;

Make us dissatisfied.  Dissatisfied with the peace of ignorance, the quietude  which arises from a shunning of the horror, the defeat, the bitterness and the poverty, physical and spiritual, of humans………”

It ends this way:

“Disturb us, O God, and vex us; let not Your Shabbat be a

Day of torpor and slumber; let it be a time to be stirred and spurred to action.”

From barely surviving in the 90’s, to today under the leadership of Rabbi Morris, with the unending efforts of Elaine Lee and a strong Board, we are once again a thriving congregation. Although my most recent time on the Board is near its end, I will remain actively involved at Micah encouraging members to be involved in our social action projects. 

If someday you are asked to consider serving on the Board. I encourage you to do so. You will have an opportunity to better get to know the congregation and its leaders. While working together, you will have the chance to share your talents, your knowledge and your ideas with others who have agreed to dedicate their time and efforts towards keeping Micah a special place for us all. I thank you for the gift of serving as your Board member.

My written reflections of my sabbatical trip to Israel have not come with the frequency I intended or promised. However, with Purim just behind us and Passover just ahead, those experiences still hover prominently at the forefront of my consciousness. One day during my trip I spent chasing around Jerusalem with Rabbi Arik Ascherman, the General Secretary for Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR). RHR by way of its own description: “seeks to prevent human rights violations in Israel and in areas for which Israel has taken responsibility, and to bring specific human rights grievances to the attention of the Israeli public while pressuring the appropriate authorities for their redress.” The very existence of an organization like RHR in Israel is a reminder that we Jews are as human as anyone else. One only needs to look at their projects to see the ways that we Jews — just like everybody else — still need to work hard to create a just and compassionate society.

My day with the energetic and passionate Rabbi Ascherman focused on the work in Jerusalem that RHR does to promote fairness and justice in the matter of Palestinian home and land ownership. We spent part of our day in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. Silwan sits just adjacent to the Old City. In the early 1990s the Jewish National Fund (yes, JNF — the tree people!) began to carefully acquire properties in this neighborhood using a 1950 law – called the Absentee Property Law. This law was used to transfer the property of Palestinian refugees to the state of Israel after the war in 1948. With the support of the government’s ethnically prejudicial take on this law (that hindered Palestinians’ claim to Palestinian-owned land and favored the Israeli settlers’ claim to it), the JNF hoped to evict Palestinian families and hand over land to Eldad — a pro-settlement organization whose goal is to ‘Judaize Palestinian neighborhoods over the Green Line.’  Rabbi Ascherman took me to the home of the Sumarin family – whose property butts up against the City of David archeological site and museum. I met this family who — with the help of organizations like RHR — must regularly stand up to a powerful governmental authority and defend the family members’ freedom to own and live in their home.

As Purim came and went, I thought about the part of the Book of Esther that we never tell — the part where the Tanach tells how the people of Shushan felt Pachad Hayehudim — the Fear of the Jews. (Yes, that phrase is really in the Hebrew Bible!)  At the end of the book, after successfully standing up to the King and Haman’s initial (but irreversible) decree to destroy the Jews, Mordechai and Esther were given the power and authority to bear arms and defend themselves. In their new role of holding power and authority and under the leadership of Mordechai in his new ministerial post, the Book of Esther tells us that the Jews killed 75,000 people. In turn, the people of Shushan felt the Fear of the Jews.

This year’s seders beckon and we look to the experience of retelling/reliving of our liberation from slavery in Egypt. In doing so, we demonize Egypt (the constricting ‘Narrow Place’) and Pharaoh (the personification of Egypt’s life-suffocating authority and power). We also acknowledge the blessings of our own freedom and the responsibilities towards others inherent in such a gift.  

Through the spiritual lens of each festival — I could not help seeing this family of Silwan, whom I saw with my own eyes and touched (in greeting) with my own hands. I wonder uncomfortably about how and where that family fits into these stories. The family members’ physical lives are not in immediate danger, but they are not safe and secure in their own home. Do they live each day knowing Pachad Hayehudim — the Fear of the Jews? The Sumarins are not slaves, but they live a narrow and constricting life in a setting that restricts some of the same basic freedoms that we celebrate around a seder table. Do they feel like they live in an ‘Egypt’ and yearn for redemption from it and its Pharaonic government?

I worry that when we ingest our Hamentaschen (literally ‘Haman’s Ears’), we internalize more than one of Haman’s less endearing physical qualities, but also some of his more nefarious spiritual ones. I worry that when we endeavor to eliminate Chametz (literally ‘that which inflates or swells’) from our physical diet, we are forgetting to eliminate those anxieties and fears that inflate our egos to dangerous and destructive proportions. I worry that we have forgotten why we retell our stories each year — not simply to feel connected via the tradition of what has always been done or enjoy the culture of tastes we associate with these stories. We tell our stories to remind us of our sacred charge — to confront the Hamans and the Pharaohs of the world — no matter where we might find them.

• KNOCK THREE TIMES AND SAY THE PASSWORD “SWORDFISH”… This weekend brings a chance to play casino-style games while supporting our lovable congregation at the Micah Speakeasy in the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Place downtown. Gamble for a great cause, learn to roll dice, cut the cards and place all your bets on Temple Micah from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Saturday, March 3, while palling around with vaguely familiar people in Roaring ’20s garb. Try all the temptations: poker, blackjack, craps, darts, pool, ping pong and a cash bar. Price per person is $75/Party Pack, $55/A La Carte — and $10 extra on payments at the door. RSVP and pay now for the Micah Speakeasy or via the temple website at http://www.micahdenver.org. In case you don’t show up at this event, the congregation still would appreciate your contribution; checks can be sent to Temple Micah, 2600 Leyden St., Denver, CO 80207. Special thanks to sponsors so far: Feldman Mortuary, Susan and Steve Waldman, Sharon and Jon Thorson, Sloane’s Carpet Secret (owned by our own Alice and Scott Alban), Michael Clapman and Risa Tatarsky, Judith Cassel-Mamet and Sam Mamet, Liz & Larry Feldman, Hal & Brenda Bruno, Hope & Bryant Kligerman, Carol Molnia & Gary McIntosh, Stefanie & Patrick Winfield, Daniel Meyers, Becky Snell Labson & Vic Labson, Megan & Andrew Meyers, Jack & Janet Robinson, plus Jewish Family Service. Add yourself, or your business or organization to the list of supporters! Late requests? Call 303-388-4239; it’s never too late to support Temple Micah!
• BOUNCE, SNICKER AND SNACK AT PURIM CARNIVAL… Revelers of all ages will find lots of fun and family-style entertainment, with or without costumes, at the Temple Micah Purim Carnival from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon Sunday, March 4 in the Gym on south side of the Blessed Sacrament building at 1973 Elm St., Denver, across from where the synagogue’s religious school usually meets (Judaic classes from 9:00-10:00 that morning). Activities include a side-splitting spiel (at 10:30-ish), games, a bouncy attraction, Guitar Hero and a bake sale – who could want more? Cost for admission is $20 per family or $5 per person; bring a little extra for baked goods and water bottles. Expectant parents and families with children age 4 or younger may be eligible for a MazelTot discount, if requested in advance at www.mazeltot.org. Questions? Call 303-388-4239.
• MOVE FROM REGGAE RITUALS TO ETHIOPIAN MENU… A Reggae Shabbat liturgy led by Rabbi Adam Morris and enhanced by tunes with musician Hal Aqua may bring you to your feet more than customary Shabbat experiences. Join in the service at 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 16 at Temple Micah, 2600 Leyden St., Denver. Then move onward to Temple Micah’s Shabbat Sampler Supper immediately afterward, to arrive about 7:15 p.m. at Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar, 5707 E. Colfax, near Ivy Street. Be prepared for delightful spices, dining with fingers instead of utensils and perhaps some communal eating. Pick your preferences from the menu, and pay for what you order. All Micah folks, friends, newcomers and prospective members are welcome at the service and the restaurant. Reserve supper seating for this cultural escapade by Monday, March 12 with Elaine Lee, 303-388-4239. Shabbat Sampler Suppers shift to diverse destinations on third Fridays monthly, right after 6:00 p.m. services at Temple Micah. To sup with the Micah bunch, make your plan known to Elaine by Monday before each of these events.
• SEE YOU APRIL 7 AT MICAH COMMUNITY PASSOVER SEDER!… Temple Micah’s Community Passover Seder for all generations takes place at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 7 (between Good Friday and Easter) at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St., Denver. Led by Rabbi Adam Morris and catered by Y.Lo Epicure, the celebration of freedom welcomes congregants and guests to participate in a captivating combo of traditional and creative rituals with rousing songs. Enjoy the buffet feast, and be on the lookout for Elijah! We look forward to seeing YOU for this popular occasion. Make seder reservations with Temple Micah via the temple website, http://www.micahdenver.org.  Or ask Elaine how: 303-388-4239, elaine.lee@micahdenver.org. Details are “in the works”!

MARCH SCHEDULE… http://www.micahdenver.org or call 303-388-4239.

THOUGHTS FROM…

RABBI ADAM MORRIS:

LOOK CAREFULLY AT ISRAEL’S LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY

During my Sabbatical in January 2012, I traveled to Israel for 10 days.   In the coming weeks, as we approach Israel’s 64th birthday, I will share some reflections and insights about my experiences from my trip on my blog, www.modrash.blogspot.com. I look forward to your reactions, thoughts and comments. Here is my first installment:

Keep reading… http://www.micahdenver.org/blog/?cat=3

IRV LEVY, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES :

AN INSIDER’S VIEW ON BEING SEPHARDI

It is generally accepted that there are two types of Jews, Ashkenazi and Sephardic. Most Jews in the United States are Ashkenazi, those Jews whose ancestors came from eastern Europe. Sephard means from Spain. After the second destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Jews were cast out of the Holy City and were dispersed throughout the known world. This began the great Jewish Diaspora.

Keep reading… http://www.micahdenver.org/blog/?cat=5

ELAINE LEE, MEMBERSHIP AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR:

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT– GETTING BETTER AND BETTER ACQUAINTED

It’s time for a Micah Teamsters update. In the past several months noteworthy friendliness has been brewing and percolating among congregants. Progress is rampant! The process is so low-key, painless, simple and self-rewarding that lest it go completely unnoticed, let’s pause a moment to examine, describe and celebrate it!

Keep reading… http://www.micahdenver.org/blog/?cat=4

SARAH ROVNER AND MARY ANN STRASSNER FOR SOCIAL ACTION: HIA NEWS

(PLUS) MICHAEL CLAPMAN FOR ADVOCACY TEAM: 2012 LEGISLATION WATCH

A huge thanks goes out to the Micah community for its support of two recent Habitat Interfaith Alliance events. Thanks to those who contributed time, soups, desserts and presence during our annual HIA Soup Cook-off held at the end of January. This event raised approximately $5,000 for the next HIA house build. Micah members also contributed books, volunteer time and purchasing power at the annual HIA Books for Bricks drive held in early February. This event raised approximately $8,000! We are well on our way in helping to meet the HIA goal of $85,000 this year.

Keep reading… http://www.micahdenver.org/blog/?cat=9

Do Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.

A huge thanks goes out to the Micah community for its support of two recent Habitat Interfaith Alliance events. Thanks to those who contributed time, soups, desserts and presence during our annual HIA Soup Cook-off held at the end of January. This event raised approximately $5,000 for the next HIA house build. Micah members also contributed books, volunteer time and purchasing power at the annual HIA Books for Bricks drive held in early February. This event raised approximately $8000! We are well on our way in helping to meet the HIA goal of $85,000 this year. This would not have been possible without the support of our community. We are grateful.

Our next huge fundraiser will be the annual HIA Golf Tournament, held early in June.  As in the past we will be asking for donations of all kinds, including the sponsoring of a golf hole, working shifts during the event and before, and of course, setting up a team or two to play golf that day. Information will be coming your way.

We have just received information about the location of our next house building, the 11^th with the HIA group! The build will occur from late spring into this summer.  The house will be built near Globeville; the address is 3955 Cook St. In the coming months we will be asking for your support. Perhaps you will enjoy working a shift or two on the actual house. It is always an invigorating event. 

Your support is critical in these endeavors to provide affordable housing to deserving families. For more information, please visit the HIA website at www.hiadenver.org, or contact Mary Ann Strassner or Sarah Rovner, your HIA reps, through Temple Micah, 303-388-4239. Many thanks for all that you do in our community.

2012 Legislation Watch… Ready, Set, Advocate!

Here’s a message from Mike Clapman, a Micah board member, on behalf of Temple Micah’s Advocacy Team, which he heads. Temple Micah’s Advocacy Committee will be following key legislation in the 2012 Colorado General Assembly. As we identify legislation that we support or oppose, we will follow those bills and take action as the legislation comes before committees and the full chamber for votes.  Some of that action would be e-mails and phone calls to legislators, letters to the editor and attendance at committee hearings. But we need your help. If you would like to participate in this Legislation Watch effort, please send your contact information to advocacyteam@micahdenver.org. You will then receive e-mail updates, with calls to action, as the bills progress through the legislature.

Thus far, we have identified two bills that we are committed to seeing become law in Colorado. One is a Civil Union bill, which gives same-sex couples equal rights under Colorado law, and the other is Colorado ASSET, which would give undocumented children who complete high school, in-state tuition at Colorado’s state colleges and universities. As other bills are introduced that are of interest to us, we will add them to our watch. We will be posting summaries of these bills on the Advocacy Blog.

Again, we need your help! Join us by sending your contact information to advocacyteam@micahdenver.org.