When Penny Nisson is in synagogue, she prays with the words in the siddur and the melodies of the liturgy. When she is in her art studio, she prays with her paintbrush. Nisson is a spiritual person who loves and lives Judaism. She and her husband Perry incorporate Jewish ritual into their home and they are regulars at East Denver Orthodox Synagogue. Penny Nissan sits in the front at shul, reading, reciting and hearing the words of prayer.
Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 was Shelly Shem Tov’s 51st birthday. It was a perfect day. “We woke up in the morning and went to Jerusalem. We ate and drank and laughed, and I was very grateful. On the way home, I looked at the sky and said, ‘Thank you, G-d. I have everything I need.” That “everything” meant Mikey, her husband of 30 years; daughter Danna, 27; and sons Amit, 24, and Omer, almost 21. They live together in the upscale city of Herzliya on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
David Last’s book, Forged by Limitation, is aptly published by a company called Journey Institute Press. It is indeed the story of a journey — more like a roller-coaster ride — that starts with his cerebral palsy diagnosis at the age of 11 months and meanders through his childhood, high school and an attempt at college.
A new kosher restaurant, L’Chaim Ma’adenei Melech is slated to open soon at 909 S. Oneida St., Suite 1-B. The eatery, owned and operated by the Katanov family, will feature Middle Eastern — notably Bukharian — cuisine from Uzbekistan, which L’Chaim’s manager Benjamin Katanov says is “full of flavor boosts.”