Judaism Your Way
Wherever you are on your Jewish journey, we'll meet you there.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Denver/Boulder Jewish community has an approximately 71% intermarriage and a 68% unaffiliated rate. Judaism Your Way enables these Jews and loved ones to discover spirituality without membership dues, building fund fees, or pressure to change aspects of their identity to fit community norms. Judaism Your Way warmly welcomes all into our open tent.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Rabbinic life event officiation
We’re pleased to have Rabbis Brian Field, Caryn Aviv, Amanda Schwartz, and Student Rabbi Kolby Morris-Dahary on staff to serve your Jewish spiritual and educational needs. Our Rabbis teach our adult education and bar/bat mitzvah classes, design and officiate customized ceremonies for life cycle events, provide spiritual counseling to individuals and couples, including interfaith couples, and guide those wishing to convert to Judaism. “Our baby naming was truly wonderful. It was so beautiful and inclusive. Everyone was a participant – no observers. A very spiritual experience for our family.”
Spiritual counseling
Spiritual counseling/conversations, guidance for people exploring conversion to Judaism, and couples counseling.
Holiday celebrations
Holiday celebrations creatively expanding on tradition, including:
-Free High Holy Day services at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Our services are attended by nearly 7,000 people.
-8th Night Seder with contemporary themes and guest teachers
-Hanukkah, integrating traditions with healthy sustainability
Open Tent Be Mitzvah
Aimed at 12 and 13-year-olds preparing for their be mitzvah, we use a creative approach to learn about Judaism, Jewish history, culture, and customs. Open Tent engages students’ physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual selves. Our students learn how Judaism and Jewish people have evolved and changed in fascinating ways over the past 3000 years. We emphasize the rich diversity within Judaism, and we help the students begin to discover Judaism their way. They are given opportunities to make their own Jewish choices and to explore the implications of their choices with each other.
Adult education
Our adult education includes:
-Jewish spirituality discussions
-Parent education for Be Mitzvah families, new and expectant parents
-Jewish cooking series
-Jewish mindfulness workshops
-Jewish yoga series
-Jewish meditation series
Shabbat Gatherings
SHABBAT SING
Hosted by Judaism Your Way and Rosenberg’s
Are you looking for a fun way to welcome in Shabbat? Join Rabbi Amanda Schwartz and ASL Interpreter Tofer Breuer for our monthly Shabbat Sing! Your time together will be full of singing, dancing, and stories. All children and family members are welcome! Activities geared toward children seven years and younger.
Just like when you meet in person at Rosenberg’s, order some bagels from Rosenberg’s for a more authentic experience — take-out or delivery!
SHABBAT SHALOM
Shabbat Shalom is a 45-minute contemplative Shabbat service of meditation, chanting and blessing. Join our welcoming community, led by Rabbi Brian Field, at 5pm on the second Friday of every month to let go of the week and drop into the peace (shalom) of Shabbat.
When we greet each other with the phrase “Shabbat Shalom”, we convey warmth and connection. Shalom is also a name for the Divine.
The second Friday of every month, you are warmly invited to experience the peace (shalom) of Shabbat with Shabbat Shalom, a 45-minute contemplative welcoming Shabbat service of guided meditation, chanting, sacred blessing and silence. A Shabbat of the heart. A Shabbat within.
Shabbat aLIVE
Shabbat aLIVE is an open tent for all – a celebration of maximum inclusion and invitation, featuring song and silence, prayer and reflection, blessing and belonging. Our Shabbat aLIVE service features our Judaism Your Way Rabbinic Team as well as community members* leading us all in prayers, song, and reflection.
SHAbBABY
Are you looking for a fun way to welcome in Shabbat and connect with local families? Come sing, play, and celebrate Shabbat with us at ShabBaby, designed for babies aged 0-2 years!
Student Rabbi Kolby Morris-Dahary will lead our group through singing and dancing, followed by a PJ Library book reading about Judaism.
Afterwards, we will enjoy bagels from Rosenberg’s and mimosas together!
ShabBaby is free of charge to attend. We will include a maximum of 25 families per event.
Interfaith Love
Being partnered with someone of a different faith can present interesting and unexpected challenges. Rabbi Caryn offers a three-month course to create community and strengthen your partnership! All interfaith couples welcome. LGBTQ inclusive.
Outside the Box
Outside the Box is an activity box for families of children ages 3-10 with all activities centered around one Jewish theme.
These activities are crafted using best practices from Judaism Your Way’s established and award-winning youth education programs as well as our philosophy, the Torah of Inclusion.
Where we work
Awards
Jewish Choice Award Winner 2009
Great Non-Profits
One of 50 most innovative nonprofits in North American Jewish life 2011
Slingshot, A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation
One of 50 most innovative nonprofits in North American Jewish life 2017
Slingshot, A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation
One of 50 most innovative nonprofits in North American Jewish life 2018
Slingshot, A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Judaism Your Way (JYW) is an innovative, entrepreneurial, and independent organization that responds nimbly to the needs of the community. We have kept the financial barriers to Jewish connection as low as possible, with no membership dues, enabling all segments of the population to participate on equal footing. JYW employs rabbis who officiate interfaith weddings and when these families look to JYW to officiate baby namings or B'nai Mitzvah ceremonies, we do not place participation restrictions on the partner of another faith. JYW firmly believes that having more people from other faiths whose first interaction with the organized Jewish community is enthusiastic and affirming will greatly increase the likelihood that they will continue to participate in Jewish life. JYW models how expanding our reach and sharing the best of our history, tradition, and culture strengthens the entire community.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are currently undergoing a strategic planning process and look forward to updating you of our progress in fall 2018.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are currently undergoing a strategic planning process and look forward to updating you of our progress in fall 2018.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 14 years, we have moved from being an alternative to the Jewish community to a key player in the organized Jewish community. Our rabbis have officiated over 320 weddings, 150 B'nai Mitzvah ceremonies, and 100 baby namings. In 2017, approximately 5,625 Jews and loved ones participated in High Holy Day services; even more are anticipated for September of 2018. We have been recognized as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish organizations in the country by Slingshot three times.
In the future, we will offer an early and late service to reach more Jews and loved ones at our inspiring High Holy Day services. We will expand our Open Tent B’nai Mitzvah program and develop an alternative religious school for young families. We will offer an emerging leaders program to train future rabbis and lay leaders in the Torah of Inclusion. We will continue to meet Jews and loved ones wherever they are on their Jewish journeys.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Judaism Your Way
Board of directorsas of 06/13/2023
Robin Chalecki
Emily Griffith Foundation - President
Term: 2020 - 2022
Rob Klugman
Marketing Consultant
Don Sturm
Sturm Group
Sue Sturm
ANB Bank
Scott Robinson
Hampton Partners
Steve Leaffer
O.L.P. Management Company, Inc
Melinda Quiat
The Quiat Companies
Ken Weil
College Summit
Greg Ellenoff
Water Services Company
Eric Sondermann
Consultant
Bailey Denmark
Work Options for Women
Brian Morgan
Ranch Bucket Brands
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/18/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.