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Joan Hartman

Joan HartmanJoan Hartman, a Denver native, community activist and founder of the Mitzvah Day Project, passed away May 24, 2010, after a seven-year fight with cancer.

Rabbi Rick Rheins officiated at the May 26 service held at Temple Sinai. He was joined by Rabbi Jay TelRav, Cantor Joel Lichterman and cantorial soloist Brian Zive.

Rabbis Raymond Zwerin and Bruce Dollin participated at the interment, which followed at Mt. Nebo Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.


“Joan was a fighter for a lot of causes, and she fought for herself, battling both ovarian and breast cancer and losing her husband Jack in the midst of heavy chemotherapy,” the family said.

“Yet she fought on and stayed involved in the community. She lived her life despite difficult circumstances, and deeply loved and appreciated all of her friends, family and care providers that enabled her to have such a high quality of life.”

Mrs. Hartman was born Aug. 5, 1937, in Denver, and grew up on the West Side.

After graduating East High School and attending college for one year, she married Robert Adelstein. They raised three children and were involved in a variety of charitable causes. The couple later divorced.

She launched the Mitzvah Day Project, an annual volunteer event run by the Synagogue Council of Greater Denver that encourages Jews to help out at area hospitals over Christmas so non-Jewish employees can spend the holiday with their families.

A past president of the Synagogue Council, she also was a lifetime trustee for Shalom Park, trustee emeritus of the Colorado chapter of the MS Society, past president of Temple Sinai’s Sisterhood and a tireless volunteer for the Allied Jewish Federation.

After her divorce, Joan worked at the International Villa for many years. Read the IJN’s eulogy

In 1976, she met Jack Hartman and they married shortly thereafter.

Joan learned to ski and fish, and the couple traveled the world together. One of their most memorable trips was a mission to Israel they led for the El Jebel Shrine.

The Hartmans were married for 28 years, until Mr. Hartman passed away in 2004.

Despite her illness, Mrs. Hartman continued traveling, playing cards with friends, taking classes and attending the theater and opera.

Mrs. Hartman is survived by her children Deborah Morrison, Dana (Mark) Schwartz and David Adelstein (Jill Tullman); brothers Howard (Hyla) Greinetz of Denver and Earl (Toba) Greinetz of Los Angeles; and grandchildren Darrin Morrison, Dani Morrison, Chelsie Schwartz, Brandon Schwartz, Noah Adelstein, Emma Adelstein and Imanuel Adelstein.

Contributions may be made to Shalom Park, the Colorado chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado.




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