Blog

Spring is here and we’re gathering again at CBE and in our communities!  Our inaugural semi-annual Adopt-A-Road clean-up last month felt like our “coming out party”. A crew of over 2 dozen of us hiked along a three mile stretch of Blue Creek Road, picking up trash and debris, including a long-lost wallet with a substantial amount of cash. Thanks to Ofer Tal for organizing the initiative. And also to Joan and Steve Tarasar who reached out to the wallet’s owner who then gratefully made a $200 contribution to CBE. It was a great way to socialize, exercise and beautify our mountain community.

Our 6-part series, “A Different Conversation About Israel” has been an outstanding success and received rave reviews from participants. The interactive sessions have provided exposure to the complexities of Israeli reality and rich diversity of Israeli culture; insight into the connection between Israel and the lives of all Jews; and, a better understanding of the differences between the U.S. and Israel as well as the differing viewpoints between Israelis and Americans. We hope to adapt and repeat the series for a larger audience in the fall. Todah Rabah to Jay Kramer, our Adult Education Chairperson, and Itai Divinsky, our Colorado shaliach (Israeli Emissary), for developing the curriculum and facilitating the informative discussions. I hope  that everyone had an opportunity to participate in the Yom Haatzmaut festivities in the Denver area.  

Thanks very much to our board of directors for their leadership and service over the past year – Laurie Walowitz (Vice President), Mike Schneider (Treasurer), Sheri Pinsonneault (Secretary), Sara Friedman, Lilia Gerberg, Allison Gustavson, Jay Kramer, Judy Sherman, Ofer Tal, and Iris Solomon. We welcome Laurie Walowitz as our incoming Board President at the start of our fiscal year on July 1st. Laurie and her family (husband Nate and sons Billy and Andy) have been active members of CBE for many years, and we look forward to her continued leadership. We invite you to join us in person or via Zoom for our Annual Meeting and Town Hall on July 8th at 6:30pm to meet Laurie, our Board and staff, discuss plans for next year, have an interactive dialogue and socialize.  

On a sad note, I want to announce the departure of Eve Mills as our Executive Director at the end of the month. Through Eve’s non-profit management and accounting and operations leadership, CBE has streamlined operations, developed a long-range strategic plan, secured several grants to supplement our budget, lived within our financial means, launched our CBEverywhere virtual membership program, crafted plans for our outdoor Amphitheater and accomplished many other goals we established. It’s unfortunate that the pandemic cast a cloud over a good part of Eve’s tenure, but we are happy that she will remain part of the CBE kehillah. We wish Eve good fortune in her future endeavors. We plan to have an interim director while recruiting for the permanent candidate over the next few months.  Details will be forthcoming.

Mazal Tov to our members whose children are celebrating graduations over the next month!  Looking forward to seeing you at CBE, on the hiking trails or out and about in our community.