Jewish Neighborhoods (Denver, Aurora, Boulder: middle-class, lofts, loans)

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I was just thinking of replying in a similar fashion, cil. I guess it's the same as wanting to live in a neighborhood with similar age kids so your kids can have playmates w/o having to drive them all over town for playdates. It doesn't mean everyone in the 'hood has to have six year olds if you have one, but you want a few.

The other thing is, you don't want to have to drive an hour to a synagogue so you can worship. I think Broomfield would be a good choice. There are several, I believe, synagogues in Boulder, which is a 20 min drive or so to Broomfield.

i can understand how it might be so foreign for some people to land in the denver metro area - and so foreign to people in parts of the metro area to see such differences from what by and large can often be the "norm" - that it could drive someone out. ethnicity, faith, "world views" etc can run deep, and to be met by people that have no interest or cannot or will not relate, engage, or accept could be pretty isolating i can imagine. it's too bad, i think.

[mrrumples]

Try jewishcolorado.org

[adlmast]

My husband and I are considering moving to the Denver area also. We currently reside in Northern California and religion has never been an issue for us within the community. I'm Catholic and my husband is Jewish. After doing some research, it seems that religion is a big part of the community. We're now wondering if our difference in religions we'll be an issue for us. Will we be judged on our religious beliefs. It has never been a problem for us as we are both respectful of one anothers belief's. Should I be concerned?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by adlmast

My husband and I are considering moving to the Denver area also. We currently reside in Northern California and religion has never been an issue for us within the community. I'm Catholic and my husband is Jewish. After doing some research, it seems that religion is a big part of the community. We're now wondering if our difference in religions we'll be an issue for us. Will we be judged on our religious beliefs. It has never been a problem for us as we are both respectful of one anothers belief's. Should I be concerned?

Within Denver city limits, your situation is not only not a big deal, but it is not even all that uncommon.
It's when you get into suburban or rural areas that eyebrows might sometimes be raised.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by cil

Within Denver city limits, your situation is not only not a big deal, but it is not even all that uncommon.
It's when you get into suburban or rural areas that eyebrows might sometimes be raised.

The Jewish population is fairly well spread out in Denver metro area; the suburban populations are not necessarily more traditional or more observant than those within Denver city limits. Check out the links given earlier in this thread to websites that have good, up-to-date info on Colorado's Jewish population.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by suzco

The Jewish population is fairly well spread out in Denver metro area; the suburban populations are not necessarily more traditional or more observant than those within Denver city limits. Check out the links given earlier in this thread to websites that have good, up-to-date info on Colorado's Jewish population.

Suzco,
I think maybe I did not make myself clear.
I did not mean that the suburban Jewish population would care about the intermarriage (although Orthodox Jews probably would, but AFAIK there are few of those in the southeast 'burbs).

While the largest concentration of Reform or Conservative Jewish organizations (community center as well as synagogues) are still in central Denver, and also some Orthodox, I realize that there has been a lot of dispersal into outlying areas.
What I was trying to get across is that in Denver proper, nobody really thinks intermarriage (between Jew and Catholic or whatever) is that big of a deal.

If an intermarried couple somehow settled into a Bible Belt enclave, they might feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, these days I think this is highly unlikely.
As the suburbs have grown, the Jewish population has followed, and most Denverites are tolerant people.

[Katiana]

There are several interfaith Jewish/Christian couples right in my neighborhood. adlmast is not to worry about the religious conservatism of the Denver suburbs. Certainly in Boulder Co., their situation is relatively common and would attract no big attention. The only reason I even know about these couples is that they are friends/aquaintances of mine.

[Saydah]

no! i can tell you FACTUALLY jewish people reside in west denver. around 80204. off of sheridan, and colfax, is where all the jews are,.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Saydah

no! i can tell you FACTUALLY jewish people reside in west denver. around 80204. off of sheridan, and colfax, is where all the jews are,.

The more conservative ones, yes. The west side was traditionally the Jewish side, but that has been changing for quite some time now.
Initial results of a 2007 Jewish Community Study show that the number of Jews in the seven-county Denver area has increased 29 percent in the past 10 years, to 81,500.
Jewish institutions are largely concentrated in central Denver

[beckmare]

Originally Posted by cil

Good point, pittnurse!
And there is a Boulder Jewish Community Center, too, which would be a nice way for chicagomichael to meet new friends.
It's mission sounds very inclusive:The mission of the Boulder JCC is to provide programs and services based in Jewish values and traditions in a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to exchange ideas, learn and grow together.

I live in Broomfield and work in Boulder. I volunteer at the Boulder JCC and it would be a great place for anyone looking for Jewish connections to start with. I attend a Reform congregation synagogue in Westminster which is about 8 miles from my home. Our members come from all over - Lafayette, Erie, Broomfield, Westminster, Arvada, Lakewood and the list goes on. There is a large Reform congregation in Boulder as well as 2 jewish Renewal congregations and one conservative congregation. I believe that you will find larger pockets of Jewish families in certain areas of Denver, but I'm not sure exactly where. There are several synagogues in Denver and a JCC.