Larry Hankin

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are fairly regular occurrences at Chabad Jewish Center of South Metro Denver. The occasions, while adhering to Jewish law and respecting age-old traditions, were each tailored to reflect the celebrants’ individual personalities. The common denominator: the honorees were all either 12 or 13 years old. Over the weekend of Jan. 30-31, 2026, the Bar Mitzvah of Gabe Zeller at South Metro was completely different, and one that everyone associated with it will never forget.

Dr. Lee Weisbard is all about building relationships, whether it is in her dental practice of 39 years or as the new president of the Denver Jewish Chamber of Commerce. In both realms, Weisbard strives to enable people to feel respected and to make informed decisions about their dental health or their business relationships.

The January 2 Harker Heights fire on Leetsdale was the worst in Denver in 30 years and raised many questions. While all the charred debris will be removed and the ground leveled, reminders of the fire remain in air, soil and water surrounding the site, raising concerns about the fire’s health and environmental impact, especially for nearby residents and businesses. Many are associated with the Jewish community.

It used to be that you might see security guards at large Jewish community events. That changed with the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life center, in which 11 people were murdered during Shabbat services. Now, most Jewish events, large and small, have security detail — many times, armed — and many synagogues have armed security regularly.

JEWISHcolorado office received an anti-Semitic and threatening phone call, Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 3 p.m. Within 20 minutes of that call, the Jco staff developed a response plan and evacuation operations were underway, according to Brandon Rattiner, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), external relations division of Jco.