Leadville Mitzvah Weekend
by jeanne on Jun.21, 2011, under General
LEADVILLE MITZVAH WEEKEND
PLEASE JOIN US THIS WEEKEND JUNE 25th-26th, 2011
Did you know… the Leadville Jewish Cemetery is the only Jewish burial site within a two hour radius of Vail/Eagle County. B’nai B’rith of Denver, in conjunction with Leadville’s Temple Israel Foundation, arranges an annual mitzvah weekend during which Jewish families from Eagle, Summit, Lake, Pitkin and Denver counties gather together to celebrate our heritage.
Please join us this weekend, Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th!!!
This year B'nai B'rith is proud to announce the dedication of our Rescued Torah at the Saturday morning service. This 90-year-old Torah was purchased, then cleaned and restored to its original kosher condition by B'nai B'rith Denver. The Torah will be kept on site in Temple Israel in Leadville, and made available for the Jewish congregations of Aspen, Vail, and Summit County whenever needed.
Rabbi Debra Rappaport from B'nai Vail Congregation, Rabbi Joel Schwartzman from Synagogue of the Summit, Rabbi David Segal from Aspen Jewish Congregation, and Rabbi Birdie Becker from Denver will be taking part in the dedication of the Torah.
A Shabbat Service at 10:00 am at the beautifully restored Temple Israel on June 25 starts off the Saturday program, and is followed by an Oneg. At 5:30 pm at St. George Epsicopal Church there will be a community pot-luck with following Havdalah Service Saturday evening, where volunteers can enjoy an uplifting Jewish experience while preparing for the work ahead.
Sunday, June 26th is dedicated to the clean-up of the cemetery with a kosher barbeque lunch provided by B'nai B'rith Denver for all the volunteers. Clean-up starts at 9:00 am with free coffee and bagels available for early arrivals, and will continue until 4:00 pm.
Leadville, Colorado, from the late 1870s through the First World War and deep into the 20th Century developed as one of the best examples of a classic western American mining boom town. Recent Jewish immigrants were amongst the many groups of people attracted to the mine fields in the high Rockies. Representing all strata of society they and their fellow pioneers made new lives for themselves and their families while contributing to America’s evolving preeminence.
As Leadville grew explosively during the late 1870s it quickly realized a need for a Jewish burial space. As was typical on the Frontier, establishment of the cemetery preceded that of the synagogue. A synagogue was established in Leadville in 1884. Of a population on the order of 30,000, Jews accounted for some 300 residents during the early 1880s.
Starting in the 1990’s, B’nai B’rith of Denver and Temple Israel Foundation of Leadville have been inspiring volunteers from several counties to participate in the restoration of the cemetery and the synagogue. The cemetery is now in current use, and the Temple Israel synagogue building has been restored to its original beauty and is also a museum commemorating the Jewish experience in the industrializing West.
B’nai Vail Congregation has been serving the Jewish community of the Vail Valley and Eagle County since 1977 with a vibrant, inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.
For more information, see www.bnaivail.org, www.JewishLeadville.org and
