Valley Beit Midrash

Let’s Be Better Humans: Phoenix Buses Bring Hope and Relief The premise was deceptively simple: Let’s be better humans. That was the plan, and that was the message spray-painted across the repurposed…

Missed May’s Inspiring Guest Speakers? You can catch up on all of the classes in our Learning Library on our website.

• Moishe Steigmann & Rabbi Noah Chertkoff – "Love Is a Verb: Jewish Wisdom for Building Meaningful Relationships"
• Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum & Rabbi Douglas Kohn - "Striving to Be Human"
• Michael Fishbane – "Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Imagination"
• Rabbi Marc Gitler & Austin Swafford - "Revelation - Event, Experience, or Ongoing Process"
• David Shyovitz – "Cain’s Children: Mysticism and Monstrosity in the Jewish Tradition"

✨Visit our Learning Library to watch these sessions anytime! https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/

Stay tuned for next month’s recap!

Become A National Fellow!

Applications for our 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 cohort are now OPEN. Apply now!

Join the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 and, as a lay leader, facilitate Jewish learning in your own communities. Over the course of a year, each fellow will lead a small group of 8–12 participants in a text-based study, creating peer-led spaces for sustained Jewish learning and meaningful dialogue.

Guided by the theme "Building a Just and Compassionate Society," fellows will explore Jewish wisdom as a lens for engaging contemporary ethical questions, deepen their Jewish learning, strengthen their leadership skills, and connect with a network of passionate community leaders.

📎 Learn more and submit your application today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXsSNtHwa-n-Zrp7CafQWxTk5AlOM5x41qKTLyagV5HfTp8A/viewform

🗓️Priority application deadline: June 30, 2026

Thursday, June 18, at 1 PM PST:

Join Hannah L. as she draws on her personal experience to address misinformation and misunderstanding about addiction in the Jewish Community and show how Mussar.

Register here: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/class/mussar-in-recovery-a-jewish-spiritual-path-to-serenity-and-joy/

Thanks to Congregation Kol Ami for co-sponsoring this class.

Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman is the Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Judaic Studies, Emerita, in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department at Brandeis University, and the Founding Co-Director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute.

She will draw on recent American and Israeli novels that portray what it's like to be a Jew in each country and changing relationships between Jews in America and Jews in Israel, as Jews in both countries feel threatened by unanticipated challenges.

Thanks to Congregation Or Tzion for co-sponsoring this class. Secure your spot today! https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/class/whos-the-anomaly-american-jews-and-israel-israelis-in-contemporary-novels/

We are thrilled to introduce you to five exceptional young leaders who will carry forward the vital work of translating Jewish values into meaningful social action. Over the coming months, these fellows will engage in deep Torah study, develop community organizing skills, connect with mentors and partners across Colorado, and design their own social justice projects addressing critical issues in our community, from food insecurity and immigrant rights to environmental justice and disability inclusion.

Each fellow brings unique passions, experiences, and commitments to this cohort. Together, they join a growing network of Colorado Jews for Justice alumni creating lasting change across the state. Their work embodies the Jewish imperative of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and reminds us that we are all responsible for one another.

We invite you to meet our fellows, learn about their projects, and find ways to support their work throughout the year. This is how we build a more just, compassionate, and connected community, one committed leader at a time.

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a Senior Fellow at Adamah, directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), created and directs the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network, and founded and led PANIM.

On June 1, Rabbi Schwarz will offer a formula for turning synagogues into “covenantal communities” that can be transformational for individuals and for society.

Thanks to Temple Emanuel Denver for co-sponsoring this event. Secure your spot today! https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/class/building-intentional-spiritual-communities/

We are thrilled to share that we have officially expanded our space, significantly increasing our capacity to serve the community through our Shalom Pantry and Kindness Closet. As part of this growth, we continue to raise funds through our capital campaign to fully support and sustain these expanded operations.

The new space has allowed us to add commercial refrigerators, ovens, and substantially more shelving and storage capacity, enabling us to provide more fresh food and nutritious, homemade meal options to better meet our community's real needs.

In addition to strengthening our humanitarian efforts, the expanded space allows us to host more community events at VBM, including volunteer opportunities, workshops, lectures, speakers, and gatherings that bring people together in meaningful ways.

This expansion is about far more than additional square footage; it is an investment in compassion, connection, nourishment, and community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported this effort so far and helped make this growth possible. Together, we are building a stronger, more connected community.

→ Donate Today: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate/