Jewish Vermont is Epic!
What a whirlwind this week has been traveling all over New England for JCVT!
Harold Grinspoon with
Beth Liberman, Executive Director of JCVT
It began Thursday at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Agawam MA, where Alison Hill and I joined leaders from 22 Jewish organizations. Harold himself, vibrant at 95, presided over the luncheon meeting. It was an honor to offer feedback on how his vision has shaped our work in Vermont and to see how our efforts inspire one another.
On Friday the day started with a visit to Brattleboro to dream up Jewish arts and music initiatives. A long-awaited stop at Yalla Café felt just like being in Tel Aviv. On the way out of town I got to peek inside Shir HeHarim’s warm, welcoming space and see the outdoor oven the community built together.
Shir HeHarim’s outdoor oven
Sunday’s Northern Nosh at Ohavi Zedek in Burlington was an incredible celebration of Jewish food, culture, and community. Alison led a lively PJ Library storytelling and we met new friends at the JCVT/PJ Library table where we served Israeli pickles and held a raffle! for a basket of kosher noshes. Congratulations to winner Alan Quittner of Starksboro.
As night fell, the tenth anniversary concert for The Lost Mural Project with Ljova & the Kontraband became a moving tribute to the memory of Kristallnacht—a defiant affirmation, in beautiful Yiddish, of Jewish creativity and joy.
Tuesday’s trip to Boston with teens from Kol haEmek, Shir Shalom, and JCOGS included the Holocaust Memorial, a kosher lunch, the historic Vilna Shul (featuring mosaics by Vermont artist Bette Ann Libby!), snacks at Temple Sinai Brookline, and a tour of the pluralistic mikveh Mayyim Hayyim.
Wednesday concluded this amazing week with the Vermont Interfaith Action statewide convention—an inspiring reminder of the many faith-based communities supporting Vermonters in need. Rabbi David Edelson offered a beautiful rendition of Elana Arian’s I Have a Voice to close the gathering.
Scroll down for a peek at all the upcoming Jewish events. Be sure to take note of the special save-the-date at the bottom!
Shabbat Shalom,
Beth
Boston Holocaust Memorial
Ljova & the Kontraband and the Lost Mural
Many thanks to David Punia for these wonderful photos from the Northern Nosh:
Every dollar helps support a vibrant Jewish Vermont!
