The space between words and emotion has gotten smaller over the last couple years as we find ourselves – in spite of ourselves – gravitating toward single mindedness and away from a place of compassionate growth. This year for Shavuot, Boulder’s Council for Rabbis and Cantors hopes to create a path that leads to connection, compassion and creative problem solving.

The dusk-to-dawn celebration entitled “Jewish Unity and Disunity” features classes taught by lay leaders, rabbis, and cantors that include movement, art, music, and scholarship. The 50-minute sessions draw on sacred and modern texts, and yes, they will address moving forward after October 7^th.

This free event kicks off with a community potluck picnic (vegetarian) on June 1^st, 2025, 5pm at Congregation Bonai Shalom, 1527 Cherryvale Rd, Boulder, CO 80303.

Come for a single session or attend the whole evening. The event is free to the public but please register so we know how much cheesecake to make.

Please register here

EVENT SCHEDULE

5:00pm – 6:15pm
Potluck Vegetarian Picnic

6:25 – 7:10pm
SESSION 1

• We are Many & We are One taught by Samara Schwartz
• Shavuot Yoga with Caron Robinson
• The Impact of the First Shavuot on the World, with Morah Yehudis Fishman

7:15 – 8:25
Plenary Panel

• Building a New Language for Israel / Palestine After October 7
• Alternative option of Open Beit Midrash with Rav Jacob Chatinover

8:30 – 8:45
Break

8:50 – 9:15
Ma’Ariv

• Traditional service with Rabbi Marc Soloway of Congregation Bonai Shalom
• Alternative service with Cantor Devorah Avery of Congregation Har HaShem

9:20
Kiddush & Motzi

9:45 – 10:35
SESSION 2

• Environmental Peacemaking with Peter Ornstein
• Does Jewish Unity Mean Conformity and Silence with Ed Kass
• With Avraham Kornfeld

10:45 – 11:35
SESSION 3

• What is the Role of Compromise in Building a Sense of K’lal Yisrael? With Rabbi Steve Chatinover
• Arguments for the Sake of Heaven with Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein
• Open Beit Midrash

11:45 – 12:35am
SESSION 4

• Queerness in Jewish Theater with Sarah Nowak
• Jewish Peoplehood: Is it Still a Thing? Do We Need it? How do We Connect with Being a People? With Rabbi Fred Greene of Congregation Har HaShem
• Open Beit Midrash

12:45 – 1:30
CONTEMPLATION & REFLECTION

Outdoor Meditation with Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz

Niggun Circle with Rabbi Marc Soloway

1:30 – 2:00
Break

2:00 –
Dawn
Open Beit Midrash

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

SESSION 1

We Are Many and We Are One, Samara Schwartz
In an increasingly fractured world, our communities seem atomized and separated, pushed to extremes with no room in the middle. In this class , Samara Schwartz will examine an unusual Talmud text, a funky feature of human psychology, and a meme or two that may give us a working principle to use as a path towards unity. We will close with a take-home art project to remind us of what we have learned.

Shavuot Yoga, Caron Robinson
Safe, seated yoga stretches embodying receiving and focusing on the powerful number 7 to bring light into our 7th chakra.

What impact did the first Shavuot have on the world?  Can we restore that original unity? Morah Yehudis Fishman
When the Israelites reached Sinai, the Torah says, ‘Israel camped opposite the mountain.’ The word camped is singular because they camped ‘as one person, with one heart.’ Rashi comments, ‘this unity was greater than before or after.’ Explore with Morah Yehudis Fishman three manifestations of this unity and discover whether we can bring this experience back.

PLENARY PANEL

Building a New Language for Israel / Palestine after October 7
Panelists include Dr. Hilary Kalisman, CU Professor; Jerry Pinsker, ADL Words for Action Facilitator; Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom; Tara Weiner, Boulder City Council Member; Rabbi Charna Rosenholtz, Moderator.

SESSION 2

Environmental Peacemaking, Peter Ornstein
Building peace through shared environmental values is easier in theory than in practice. Join Peter Ornstein to explore the meaning of “environmental peacemaking”, its scope/breadth, connections to Jewish sources, and relevance to Israel.

Does Jewish Unity Mean Conformity and Silence? Ed Kass
Join Ed Kass for a discussion on whether a call for unity can lead us to harden our hearts and ignore the pain of the other, as well as our own. Examine the demands and consequences of the assumptions of Jewish unity.

SESSION 3

What is the role of compromise in building a sense of K’lal Yisrael? Rabbi Steve Chatinover
Join Rabbi Steve Chatinover to examine texts on the desirability (or not) of compromise, and study (at least) one example of how this plays out in a discussion of an halakhic matter.

Arguments for the Sake of Heaven, Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein
Challenges to Jewish communal unity are not new and traditional texts can offer insight to managing inevitable tensions. Join Rabbi Alan Shavit Lonstein to explore how contradictory messages can both be true and who wins in a fight between a dancing tree and a Divine voice.

SESSION 4

Queerness in Jewish Theater, Sarah Nowak
Join Sarah Nowak in an interactive workshop doing scene studies and staged readings from the plays God of Vengeance and Indecent, discussing them through a Queer Jewish lens.

Jewish Peoplehood: Is it still a thing? Do we need it? How do we connect with being a People?  Rabbi Fred Greene
Jews have always felt a connection to other Jews. Where does Peoplehood come in? Rabbi Fred Greene will explore history and themes to Jewish Peoplehood and Jewish connectivity to explore how we continue to journey with other Jews in community.