2009 JFS Annual Meeting Re-Cap

Earlier this week, JFS hosted a cocktail reception for its Annual Meeting at the Hebrew Educational Alliance. At this meeting, JFS shared the past year's highlights with the community, installed new board members, bid farewell to outgoing members, and presented the 2009 Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award.

Scott Friedman served as the emcee and added his humor and lightness to the event. Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald of Hebrew Educational Alliance gave the D’var Torah to kick off the evening.

Chet Schwartz, who has provided outstanding leadership to JFS during the past two years, completed his tenure as board chair. A recipient of the Jack Shapiro Community Service Award, Chet has served for 15 years on the JFS board and 12 years on the Executive Committee.

Chet installed the new board members, Adam Agron, Debra Aleinikoff, and Cary Chapman and passed the torch to new board chair, Steve Kris. Chet also thanked outgoing members Lisa Cohn, Gail Nussbaum, Senator Joyce Foster, Chuck Gross, Howard Lerman, and Rabbi Selwyn Franklin for their years of dedicated service to JFS.

President & CEO Yana Vishnitsky thanked all board members, volunteers, and staff members in attendance for their continued support during the past year despite incredibly difficult economic times when the needs are growing and resources are shrinking. She shared highlights from the past year and mentioned that JFS served 21,500 people this year. "This is remarkable when you consider that we served 15,000 people only a few years ago," said Yana. "Not only have we met the growing needs of our community, but also the community response to this growing demand has been outstanding. The generosty of our community has no bounds!"

In addition, the audience heard about CHAI, JFS's youth volunteer program that addresses domestic abuse. CHAI coordinator, Heather Feinberg, and a CHAI peer counselor, Zach Ginsburg, spoke eloquently about their experiences with this dynamic program.

To top the evening, we honored an outstanding individual, Mike Chesnut with the Max Frankel Volunteer of the Year Award. Mike was instrumental in helping the JFS Family Safety Net program, in collaboration with Catholic Charities, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and Metro CareRing, become the recipients of $600,000 in state funding. These four agencies have formed the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Denver (HPC), which will start providing homeless prevention services and case management to families with children on July 1, 2009.

Thanks to everyone who attended the event. We welcome your comments and feedback!

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Congratulations to Alysa Stanton, First African-American Female Rabbi!

Last Saturday, Alysa Stanton became the world's first African-American female rabbi. We're proud to say that she is part of the JFS of Colorado family! More than 10 years ago, Alysa was trained as a JFS para-chaplain by Donna Lutz, Nursing Home Outreach coordinator, and Rabbi Eliot Baskin, JFS community chaplain.

"Alysa was so caring and loving," says Donna. "She cast a warm light on the whole class and added so much to her para-chaplain group. Congratulations, Rabbi Stanton!"

According to a recent article by the JTA, there are a handful of African-American congregational presidents, but Alysa will be the first African-American rabbi. She will begin her rabbinate in August at Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, NC, a 53-family Conservative synagogue that is also affiliated with the Reform movement.

Rabbi Steven Foster, senior rabbi at Congregation Emanuel in Denver, worked closely with Alysa while she lived in Denver and traveled to Cincinnati for her ordination. He says, "Rabbi Alysa Stanton is an extremely spiritiual person who makes us as a religious community stronger in our faith. As she has said, she is not an African American who happens to be a rabbi, but she is a rabbi who happens to be African-American. Her sense of bringing us closer to our values, our religious commitments, and to God will be apparent in all she does. Whoever has the chance to learn from Alysa will be blessed."

Rabbi Eliot Baskin worked with Alysa in Fort Collins and Evergreen, as well as through the JFS para-chaplain program. He said in a recent Denver Post article that Alysa helped him, a musically challenged rabbi, by singing the traditional prayer, Kol Nidre, in his place on Yom Kippur in Fort Collins. "She had the congregation moved to tears. She sang it with all her heart. I knew then this was a person of faith, dedication and perseverance." He adds, "Alysa personifies loving kindness. She's incredibly warm, exuberant and enthusiastic. She will rejuvenate her new community."

JFS wants to congratulate Rabbi Stanton on this great achievement and wishes her much success!

Photo by Tony Tribble, Special to The Denver Post

Obama Declares June LGBT Pride Month

On Monday of this week President Obama proclaimed June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.

The proclamation states, "Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic."

JFS is committed to serving the LGBT community through JFS Senior Solutions and the Hearts and Hands Homemaker Program. Services include transportation, meal delivery, in-home care, personal services, companionship, counseling, and, if needed, help transitioning from home to assisted care for seniors and/or people living with HIV/AIDS.

Last year, The Denver Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (DGLCC) recognized JFS as the 2008 Nonprofit Organization of the Year. Click here to read a letter we received from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment regarding this prestigious award.