News & Events

Discover what's happening at the Center for Judaic Studies, the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society and the Holocaust Awareness Institute. Read about Judaic Studies students and faculty, and join us for our many events and conferences, including the Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture, the Vinnik Evening of Jewish Culture, the Week of Jewish Philosophy and the Hebrew Seminar, as well as frequent online exhibitions highlighting the collections in the Beck Archives.

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Vinnik Evening of Jewish Culture

Sandy Vinnik was a passionate advocate for the advancement of Jewish studies and a leader in the Denver Jewish community. As part of her work with the center, the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society and the Holocaust Awareness Institute, Sandy founded the Dr. Irwin E. Vinnik Fellowship for Advanced Study, providing funding for research and educational projects and learning trips to Israel. Sandy worked tirelessly to promote scholarship and understanding of Jewish culture. Each year, we honor her memory at the Vinnik Evening of Jewish Culture, which brings the community together for a night of film in partnership with the Denver Jewish Film Festival.

Art Installation

Conferences and Seminars

Center for Judaic Studies holds conferences and seminars to engage with the Denver Jewish community and beyond.

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Programs & Events Archive

Center for Judaic Studies

  • 2025
    • May 29: When Strawberries Bloom: The Creation of Golda Meir 
      • Play by Mike Broemmel with Selena A. Naumoff as Golda Meir
    • April 10:  Blind Spot: film screening and discussion
      • Leonard Gold (producer), Aliya Zigman (student), Daniel Bennet (Hillel of CO director) 
      • Center for Judaic Studies, DU Hillel, Israeli-American Council
    • April 7-8:  David Shneer Memorial Conference]
      • International conference dedicated to the memory and legacy of Dr. David Shneer, z”l, former director of DU’s Center for Judaic Studies and founding director of CU Boulder’s Jewish Studies Program. 
      • Center for Judaic Studies, CU Boulder Program in Jewish Studies
    • April 2:  An Evening of Art and Story: Frank Stella’s Had Gadya in Conversation
      • Panel discussion with Dr. Adam Rovner and Dr. Dean Sobel in the context of the exhibition of Frank Stella’s Had Gadya print series. 
      • Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver Libraries
    • March 4:  Guest Lecture, Postmodern Visions of Israel
      • Adi Keissar, Israeli poet, Bar-Ilan University
    • March 4:  Guest Lecture, Multicultural Israel: Food, Film and Beyond
      • Dr. Roy Horovitz, Israeli actor and director, Bar-Ilan University
    • February 27:  Exodus: One Story, Two Communities 
      • Dr. Joshua Furman joined a talkback following a concert by The Spirituals Project
      • Center for Judaic Studies (sponsor),The Sprirituals Project - Lamont School of Music
    • February 26:  The Middle East at a Crossroad: What Comes Next? 
      • Dr. Micheline Ishay (DU), Amb. Gary Grappo (DU), Dr. Ahmed Abdrabou (DU), Dr. Lawrence Garber (DU)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Center for Middle East Studies
  • 2024
    • November 2:  6th Annual Vinnik Evening of Jewish Culture
      • Film screening: Sabbath Queen and conversation with director Sandi DuBowski
      • Center for Judaic Studies, 47th Denver Film Festival
    • October 28:  “Race & Space in Africa: An International Roundtable”
      • Milo Gough (Oxford University), Kimberly Jones (DU), Maik Nwosu (DU), Trishula Patel (DU), Adam Rovner (DU)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Department of History, Department of English & Literary Arts
    • October 7:  Vigil for the victims and hostages of October 7
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Hillel of Colorado – DU, DU Chabad, Jewish Students’ Alliance
    • September 24:  Roundtable “The Middle East in Review: One Year After October 7”
      • Dr. Micheline Ishay (DU), Amb. Gary Grappo (DU), Dr. Ahmed Abdrabou (DU), Dr. Aaron Pilkington (USAFA)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Center for Middle East Studies
    • September 19-21:  Israel-America Council Annual Conference 
      • Assistant Teaching Professor of Hebrew Michal Lev led a group of students to Washington D.C. to attend
    • September 13-29:  Wheat Ridge Theater Company presents Bad Jews 
      • Play by Joshua Harmon
      • Center for Judaic Studies (sponsor), Wheat Ridge Theater Company
    • June 5:  Film screening: Supernova: The Truth About October 7 
      • Ofri Reiner, Nova Festival survivor
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Israel-America Council, ADL, Jewish Community Relations Council, Hillel of Colorado, DU-Chabad
    • May 22:  Dedication of the Dr. David Schneer Memorial Library
      • Personal academic library of former CJS director Dr. David Schneer 
    • March 7:  Guest Lecture, Multicultural Israel: Food, Film and Beyond
      • Israeli author and screenwriter Noa Yedlin (Stockholm)
    • March 7:  5th Annual Vinnik Evening of Jewish Culture
      • Author Noa Yedlin’s Stockholm – Screening of the limited series and discussion
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Denver Film
    • February 28:  Occupation, War in Gaza, Prospects for Peace
      • Dr. David Kretzmer (Department of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem) in conversation with Dr. Micheline Ishay (DU Center for Middle East Studies)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Center for Middle East Studies 
    • February 20:  Annual Breck-Martin Lecture
      • "Home, at the End of the World" with Dr. Kathleen Belew
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Department of History 
    • February 7:  Sexual Violence on October 7: A Battle for The Truth
      • Dr. Ruth Halperin-Kadari (Bar-Ilan University Law School, UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) in conversation with Dr. Micheline Ishay (DU Center for Middle East Studies)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Center for Middle East Studies
    • February 6:  Guest Lecture, Multicultural Israel: Food, Film and Beyond
      • Todd Hasak-Lowy (Art Institute of Chicago)
    • February 6:  Guest Lecture, Jewish Humor: Origins and Meaning
      • Todd Hasak-Lowy (Art Institute of Chicago)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, English & Literary Arts
    • January 22:  Guest Lecture, Multicultural Israel: Food, Film and Beyond
      • Israeli filmmaker Barak Heymann
    • January 17:  Panel Discussion: 100 Days Later: The Israel-Hamas War
      • Ahmed Abdrabou (DU), Micheline Ishay (DU), Gary Grappo (DU), Karim Mattar (CU Boulder), Jonathan Sciarcon (DU)
      • Center for Judaic Studies, Center for Middle East Studies

Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society

  • 2025
    • May 15:  31st Annual Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Heritage Award Evening
      • “Honoring Colorado Jewish Journalism”
    • May 4:  Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Book Club 
      • Reading and discussion of Extracted: Unmasking Rampant Antisemitism in America’s Higher Education by Dr. S. Perry Brickman
    • April 1:  The Livingston & Abrams Lecture in American Jewish History
      • “Behind the Podcast: The Nightingale of Iran” with Danielle & Galeet Dardashti
      • Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, Mizel Arts & Culture Center
    • February 25:  Antisemitism in American History: Perspectives from the Archives
      • Virtual talk with Dr. Britt Tevis (Syracuse University)
    • February 2:  Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Book Club 
      • Reading and discussion of Henrietta Szold: Hadassah and the Zionist Dream by Francine Klagsbrun
      • Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, Golda Meir House
  • 2024
    • November 10:  Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Book Club 
      • Reading and discussion of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
    • September 22:  Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society 
      • “RMJHS on the Road: Historic Jewish Leadville” with Bill Korn
      • Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, Temple Israel Museum, Leadville
    • August 25:  Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Book Club
      • Reading and discussion of The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America by Sandra Fox
    • May 20:  30th Annual Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society Heritage Award
      • “Honoring Colorado Jewish Photographers”
      • Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, Beck Archive, University Libraries
    • January 28:  2024 Annual Livingston & Abrams Lecture in American Jewish History
      • “Dyed in Crimson: How a Protestant, Catholic, and a Jew saved Harvard from Itself” with Dr. Zev Eleff
      • Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, Beck Archive, University Libraries

Holocaust Awareness Institute

  • 2025
    • March 5:  The Defiant Requiem: Verdi at TerezÍn
      • Concert performance by the Lamont Symphony Orchestra
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Lamont School of Music, The Defiant Requiem Foundation
    • March 3:  Guest Lecture, The Holocaust: Europe & Colonial Contexts
      • Oskar Sladek, musician and Holocaust survivor
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Center for Judaic Studies
    • February 18:  The Defiant Requiem: Holocaust Education Professional Development Workshop 
      • Todd Hennessy, Dr. Mark Thorsen, Colorado Holocaust Educators
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Colorado Holocaust Educators, The Defiant Requiem Foundation
    • January 27:  22nd Annual Fred & Audrey Friedman Marcus Holocaust Lecture
      • The Return from the Other Planet film screening and discussion with director Asaf Lapid and Dr. AJ Grovert, clinical psychologist
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Mizel Arts & Culture Center / Denver Jewish Film Festival, The Catalyst Center
  • 2024
    • August:  Panel Discussions: Historic Events in Comic Books & Graphic Novels; The Holocaust in Comic Books and Graphic Novels, Volume II
      • Selena Naumoff (DU), Erin Christian (Teacher), Paul Jenkins (Comic creator)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Atlanta Dragon Con
    • July:  Panel Discussion: Historic Events in Comic Books & Graphic Novels
      • Selena Naumoff (DU), Erin Christian (Teacher)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Denver Fan Expo
    • May:  Panel Discussion: The Holocaust in Comic Books and Graphic Novels
      • Selena Naumoff (DU), Erin Christian (Teacher)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, BMH-BJ Synagogue, Denver
    • May:  Panel Discussions: The Comics Code Authority; Historic Events in Comic Books & Graphic Novels; The Holocaust in Comic Books and Graphic Novels, Volume II
      • Selena Naumoff (DU), Erin Christian (Teacher)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Phoenix Fan Fusion Convention
    • April:  Panel Discussion: The Holocaust in Comic Books and Graphic Novels
      • Selena Naumoff (DU), Erin Christian (Teacher)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, LINC Library Greeley, CO
    • March 3:  Colorado Council on the Social Studies Annual Conference
      • Survival & Witness information table 
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, Colorado Council on the CSS, History Colorado
    • February 12:  Holocaust Education Professional Development Workshop
      • “Introduction to IWitness: Using Visual History in the Classroom"
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, USC Shoah Foundation, Colorado Holocaust Educators
    • January 29:  International Holocaust Remembrance Day Program
      • “War Crimes, Social Influence & Justice: Lessons from the Holocaust for Today” with Kathrin Janzen (University of Vienna), Hans-Christian Jasch (German Federal Ministry of the Interior), Matt Wynia (CU Anschutz Center for Bioethics & Humanities)
      • Holocaust Awareness Institute, CU Anschutz Center for Bioethics and Humanities
    • January 29:  International Holocaust Remembrance Day Salon
      • Kathrin Janzen (University of Vienna), Hans-Christian Jasch (German Federal Ministry of the Interior)