BoulderMattersHigh Holy Day Traditions and Thanks!

Once again many of our seniors were able to celebrate the High Holy Days intheir retirement communities! Services were held at Golden West, Frasier

Meadows, the Stratford at Flatirons, Boulder Meridian, Sunrise Assisted Living,and Balfour.

We have so much gratitude for service leaders Rabbi Marc Soloway, PatriceSpitz, Rabbi Bernie Kling, Caroline Saliman, Lana Bernhardt, David Bernstein,and Joe Lukasik. The services were meaningful and residents enjoyed participatingand singing traditional songs. Prayers and hopes for the year ahead were shared byresidents and leaders alike.

Jerry Sloat has been blowing the shofar at Rosh Hashanah services for 40years. Congratulations and thank you, Jerry, for blessing us with 40 years of thistradition. We appreciate you once again coming to all of our senior celebrations.It is truly a mitzvah to our community.

A big thank you also goes out to the volunteers who brought challah, honeycake, and cookies, all of which weredelicious! Much appreciation goes tothe volunteers who visited with theresidents before and after the services.This one-on-one time with ourseniors is precious.

We at JFS are honored to bringthese celebrations to our Jewish eldersand recognize that many hands gointo making this a success. Thanks toall of you! �

Volume 11, No. 3 • Fall 2011

Boulder Matters is published quarterly by Jewish Family Serviceof Colorado, 3201 S. Tamarac Dr., Denver CO 80231

Boulder Meridian residents enjoythe High Holy Day celebration.

Bernie and Ruth Gutmaker at Stratfordat Flatirons.

Ruth Greenwald with volunteer Anita Garelick.

Shofar blower Jerry Sloat and Rabbi Bernie Kling.

The sweetness of the High Holy Days is a recent memory and we are nowplanning for Hanukkah. Just as Boulder JFS staff and volunteers

recently led High Holy Day services at a number of senior facilities, wewill also bring Hanukkah celebrations to these senior residents inDecember. We need volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, visitingwith residents, and bringing food for these celebrations. This is a greatopportunity for families!

Please help brighten the holiday season for our local seniors and signup to volunteer or donate food by contacting Ingrid Swords, volunteer coordinator,by December 5 at (303) 415-1025 or iswords@jewishfamilyservice.org. �

Help Us Bring Hanukkah Celebrations to Local Seniors!

When Stacey Bahr moved to Colorado from NewYork 10 years ago, she was sad to leave her

grandparents behind. They were a big part of her lifeand she wouldn’t be able to visit them nearly as often.“I decided I wanted to find a senior in Colorado to

visit with,” Stacey explains. “I thought,‘Someone else probably has a grandparenthere that he or she couldn’t visit often, somaybe I could fill that need.’”Stacey lived in Denver at the time and

became a Friendly Visitor volunteer throughthe Denver Jewish Family Service office.She was matched with a gentleman who wasvery social and didn’t need much in the wayof companionship, but needed help goingto the grocery store and other errands eachweek. “We had a great relationship and I

enjoyed helping him,” Stacey says. “He was an artistand I went to art school, so it was fun to have that incommon!”

Five years ago, Stacey and her family moved toBoulder. She had two young children, but loved being

a Friendly Visitor, so she contacted Boulder JFSto sign up for this volunteer opportunity. She waspaired with Faye, a 95-year-old, and the ladiesbecame fast friends and enjoyed going out tolunch and shopping at Macy’s together. NowFaye is 100 and while she can’t go out as often,she values her visits with Stacey.

“Now we mainly stay in her facility and talk orplay Bingo and chair kickball in the community room,”Stacey says. “I love our visits! They put all other thingsinto perspective. When I go see Faye for an hour, I turneverything else off and am ‘in the moment’ withsomeone who just needs a visitor and I realize what agood thing I’m doing.” She adds, “Faye feels like family.In fact, many of the residents in her building assume Iam Faye’s daughter or granddaughter.”

A buyer in the garment district in New York for15 years, Stacey has focused her life on her family andvolunteer work since she moved to Colorado. She isactively involved in her children’s school and with theBoulder JCC — she served as co-chair of last year’s“Reflections” fundraiser. Recently, Stacey started awebsite called “staceyforschools.org” where people canshop for their favorite products and a portion of theproceeds is donated to their school or charity of choice.“I have dedicated my life to being charitable, so thisbusiness complements my volunteer work in thatendeavor,” Stacey says enthusiastically. �

Volunteer Spotlight: Stacey Bahr2 B O U L D E R M A T T E R S / FA L L 2 011

“I love our visits!They put allother things intoperspective.”—Stacey Bahr

Stacey Bahr

Hollis Fasbender

Light Up Someone’s Life!Boulder JFS is currently seeking more Friendly Visitors!If you are interested in this fulfilling volunteeropportunity, please contact Ingrid Swords at (303)415-1025 or iswords@jewishfamilyservice.org.

Ilived in California as a choreographer and danceinstructor for 17 years and then suddenly, in 2002,

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Ispent one more year in California and thenmoved back to Colorado to be close to family,but I soon realized how isolated I had become.A family member got me involved withBoulder Jewish Family Service (JFS) and theyhave been saving my emotional life ever since.

First they assigned a volunteer to come andbe a companion. Gail Sloat helped me moveforward with my new life and circumstancesand became one of my closest friends. Ourrelationship has blossomed and continues

outside of JFS. They then assigned me a new volunteer,Adria Roblee-Hertzmark, who comes every Saturday forlunch and a visit and has also become a very close friend.

I explained to my case manager, Cathy Summer,that since I am disabled and can't go to synagogue, I was

really missing a spiritual connection in my life. She setme up with a local rabbi who has been kind enough tocome for a visit every two weeks. It is wonderful to feelconnected to my Jewish community again!

I was also blessed that Cathy found a synagoguethat would donate new Shabbat candlesticks to replacemy broken ones (thank you Har HaShem gift shop).Plus, I get a call from Ingrid Swords (Boulder JFSvolunteer coordinator) every time the C.U. Hillel isproviding Shabbat dinners and delivering them todisabled folks.

Jewish Family Service has literally saved me. Theyhave provided companionship, spiritual connection,tools, and food to an isolated 43-year-old woman whoselife suddenly felt hopeless. They really have shown mehow blessed I am to be part of a wonderful communitythat always takes care of their own. �

The Mitzvah of Being a JFS Client: by Hollis Fasbender

In this fall issue of Boulder Matters, we talk a lotabout gratitude. We have so much to be grateful for

that it is difficult to fully express. One article in thisissue thanks everyone who helped JFS offer sixdifferent High Holy Day services for elders throughoutour community. A second article is from a client whothanks the many people who have helped her anddescribes the impact they have had on her life. Anotherexpresses our appreciation to the incredible donors whohelp make our work possible. We see amazinggenerosity in our work, both financial and otherwise.

We often ask rabbis, cantors, lay leaders andvolunteers to help us out at JFS by visiting a client orleading a Shabbat or holiday celebration. And we oftenhear, “Of course,” or “How can I say no if I am able?”or “It is my duty.” Or, better yet, twice in the past sixmonths, two different rabbis approached JFS to offertheir services. These words and acts of kindness areunforgettable. They represent a profoundgenerosity of spirit that we truly admire andencounter repeatedly in Boulder.

We see this generosity in the professionaland lay leaders who ran our High Holy Day

services, in the Friendly Visitors who provide supportand companionship for our elders and homeboundclients, in the many volunteers who give countlesshours to the community and help make ourprograms possible, and in the professional staff thatgo the extra mile. Speaking of going the extra mile,the Boulder JCC has been a wonderfully supportivepartner to JFS!

And that isn’t all. We even see it in our clients,like Hollis, who take the time to contribute to thisnewsletter, who are willing to share their stories, andeven to help others (Hollis recently started a supportgroup for others diagnosed with MS).

It is a pleasure to be surrounded by so muchgenerosity, by people who say yes and yes and yes. Youmake a difference. You matter to us. Thank you. �

—Ingrid and Cathy

What Matters to Ingrid and Cathy: the Issue of GratitudeB O U L D E R M A T T E R S / FA L L 2 011 3

Did you know that Jewish Family Service has ahome care division called JFS at Home? This

service, which offers customized in-home 24/7 care,has recently expanded to the Boulder area! KimFinnestead, MSC is JFS at Home’s communityrelations representative and is in the Boulder areaweekly to inform staff of community organizations andsynagogues about our programs and services. In thecoming months, Kim and Boulder JFS staff willfacilitate workshops around town on subjects includingwellness, aging in place, safety, and other importanttopics for older adults.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kim received abachelor’s degree in marketing and biological sciencesfrom Southeast Missouri State University. “I createdmy own degree program in interdisciplinary studies tocombine marketing and biological sciences so that Icould work in the medical sales field,” says Kim. Thedegree has served her well as she has more than 10years of sales experience in the medical and wellnessindustries. Kim recently earned a master’s of sciencein school counseling from University of Phoenix. “Itruly want to help other people and make a differencein their lives,” she says.

Kim also enjoys educating people aboutwhat JFS at Home does and the importantservice it provides to the community. Whennot working, Kim loves being outdoorswalking, hiking, being in the sun, and havingfun with her family. �

For more information about JFS at Home,please call (303) 750-4000 or visitwww.jfsathome.com.

Meet Kim Finnestead, Community Relations Representative with JFS at Home!

Ingrid Swords

Cathy Summer

Active Minds Events Begin in January!Beginning January 26, JFS at Home, Boulder JFS, and Boulder JCCwill sponsor monthly Active Minds presentations held at the BoulderJCC! Active Minds’ mission is to expand lives and minds by providingoutstanding educational programs throughout Denver and Boulder.Stay tuned to this newsletter and check the events calendar atwww.jewishfamilyservice.org for more details about the excitingline-up of speakers!

Ingrid Swords and Cathy Summer can be reached at (303) 415-1025 or byemail at iswords@jewishfamilyservice.org and csummer@jewishfamilyservice.org.We’d love to know what matters to you!

Kim Finnestead

NON PROFIT ORG.

US POSTAGE

PAID

DENVER, COLORADO

PERMIT NO. 1217Boulder Matters Newsletter3201 South Tamarac DriveDenver CO 80231-4394

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Thank You to our Donors!

18 Pomegranates, Inc.Allied Jewish Federation of

ColoradoHerman and Janet AxelrodJames and Andrea BaerDavid and Karla BermanHelene BerzinI. David and Meryl BornsteinBoulder Jewish Community

FoundationCarol BoydDeborah BronsteinMarc Brown and Lolly GoldStephanie BullerRobert and Carla ChambleeWilliam and Sara-Jane CohenCongregation Har HashemAgnes DavisLouis and Karen DiamondDeborah Dusansky-KornfeldSteven Ellis and Cathy

SummerRichard and Judith EpsteinMatt and Shelly Finberg

Arnold and Patricia FridlandCharles FriedRachel FriedlandJoseph Friedman and Mary

BiondolilloSusan GesundheitBill Goelz and Melinda KassenRon GoldfarbClaudia GoldinJonathan and Mimi GoodmanRobert Krenz and Carolyn

GrantEdmond and Menucha

GreenbergNancy HardingSylvain HayounGerald Hertz and Jessica

WaldmanLeonard and Tina HortickEdna Jacobson TrustSharan JonesMireille KeyGary KornfeldAlan and Pamela Kosansky

Sandra LaemmleMartin and Ilene LasherDavid and Roberta LevinPaula LevitchRuth Levitch*Collette LottorGerald and Diane MadiganBarbara MillerPaula MooreRebecca MorssMatt Newman and Cathy

SmithOreg FoundationPeter and Beth OrnsteinMichael and Michelle

OstermanDaniel PatrickElihu and Althea PearlmanThe Jay & Rose Phillips

Family FoundationGerald and Marilyn PinskerMaynard and Freda PollockGail RaznickRoberta ReinfeldMeredith RinglerDorothy RinglerElka Rosenzweig

L. B. Rosenzweig*William and Marian SafranJoel SalzbergRuth SeagullCharlotte ShatzDaniel SherwinterBarry SiegelGerald and Gail SloatMarcie SmithMarc SolowaySusan SosinAmy SteinBarbara SteinmetzVictor StoneEdward and Julie VictorRoger VosslerLawrence and Rita WeissBruce and Rhonda WildmanJames and Nurit WolfRichard and Wendy WolfSue WolfMark and Jacqueline WongMarvin WoolfMatt and Deanna Young

*of blessed memory

Thank you to the following donors who have supportedBoulder JFS for the last two fiscal years (July 1, 2009 throughJune 30, 2011). We appreciate your ongoing support thatallows us to assist older adults and people with disabilities inmaintaining their independence while providing a supportsystem for their special needs through care management andoutreach. We apologize for any omissions or errors.

Please consider making a donation to Boulder JFS byincluding a check or credit card information in the enclosedenvelope or by making an online donation atwww.jewishfamilyservice.org/donate.