The Jewish Experience is a community outreach organization that seeks to heighten the pride Jews feel in their heritage and to foster a greater sense of commitment to the Jewish People and to Judaism by increasing awareness of the depth and richness of Jewish tradition.

It is designed to reach out to all Jews and to provide adult Jewish education in a variety of venues from a variety of time-honored perspectives. The Jewish Experience has a vision of a fully integrated Jewish community, each person connecting to other Jews, to their Jewish Heritage and to the collective Jewish future in a way that is personally enriching and continuously growing. We would like to see both feelings and actions of care and responsibility one for another across the spectrum, and we would like to see a deep and abiding pride in our people, our heritage, and our future. Our goal is to foster this to the best of our ability.

We offer a wide variety of exiting educational and social programs for adults and families that are open to all members of the Jewish community regardless of one’s affiliation or level of religious observance. Our teachers know that while not everyone has the most extensive Jewish education, most people have quite a bit of advanced learning in other areas. Taking that into account, our programs blend tradition with innovation as they share that understanding warmth and wisdom of our vast Jewish heritage.

History of The Jewish Experience

Rabbi Yaakov Meyer founded the Division of Community Services Division of Yeshiva Toras Chaim in 1985. The concept was to make the teaching talent and knowledge of the professors at the Yeshiva available to the community at large. It was designed to reach out to Jews of every persuasion and to provide adult Jewish education in a variety of venues from a variety of time-honored perspectives. Over the years, the Division enjoyed tremendous success and made a significant impact on the lives of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Jews from throughout Denver.

As his work progressed, Rabbi Meyer saw a niche for a Jewish Experience Center in the Southeast of Denver and soon thereafter, he opened a Center in a storefront. The Center operated for several years, providing classes, social events and a book and tape library to the Jews of the Southeast. Eventually, Rabbi Meyer was approached by its members and asked to open a synagogue. A new entity, The Southeast Center for Judaism, was then born. Shortly thereafter, an old church was purchased and, after renovations, Rabbi Meyer moved his head quarters there and changed the name of his new synagogue to Ahavas Yisroel.

Meanwhile, the Division, with its dream of reaching out to all Jews throughout Denver was put on the back burner. But the vision was not lost, and in January of 2000, Rabbi Ahron Yisroel Wasserman was hired by the Yeshiva to co-direct the newly renamed and restructured organization, The Jewish Experience. In January 2001, Rabbi Wasserman officially became the Director and Rabbi Meyer became the “outreach consultant”.

Under the guiding hand of Rabbi Wasserman, The Jewish Experience has developed new and innovative ways to bring Jews and Judaism into new relationships that address the needs of the 21st century Jew. After a summer following a year of unprecedented growth, Rabbi Wasserman understood the need to add staff. He also wanted to add a feminine side to the programming to help balance and round out the perspectives and ability to reach out more effectively. In August 2001, Aliza Bulow was hired as the Program Coordinator.

One of the most outstandingly successful programs in The Jewish Experience’s serving of this new paradigm is the Chavurah/Home Study Experience, where friends meet for Jewish learning and socializing. Each Chavurah, literally a friendship group, meets usually once a month, at each other’s homes on a rotating basis. We currently facilitate 10 Chavurahs with over 160 members. These 82 couples are mostly young people who don’t want to be pigeonholed into one Jewish category or another, and who love the serious Jewish learning that we integrate into a comfortable social setting. Reinforcing this empowerment even more is that each Chavurah charts it’s own course, the members of each group decide what they will study and at what level.

One of our latest innovations is the “Spiritual Mommy, Spiritual Me” program. Like the Chavurah program, “Spiritual Mommy, Spiritual Me” meets in the homes of the participants. Once a month, or more often if requested, we send a teacher to already established “play groups” to present a topic of interest to young mothers and facilitate a discussion about that topic. The babies are included and soothed while the goal of stimulating thinking in the minds of young parents about how to integrate the wisdom of Judaism into their homes, marriages and parenting is achieved. Some of the topics covered include: Jewish Lullabies and Playtime Songs; Family Planning in Jewish Thought- when is the right time for the next child?; A new definition of normal- building a foundation for child rearing; Bringing your marriage back to the forefront after baby’s birth; and Special prayers to say with and for your baby.

The Jewish Experience is a dynamic outreach group building Jewish community in Denver with exciting social and educational programs, based in the JCC. We cater to all Jews, regardless of background or affiliation, offering sophisticated and enjoyable learning opportunities that are open to all.