Rabbi feels like pioneer in northwest metro area

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News

April 13, 2006

Rabbi Benjy Brackman admits it - sometimes he gets lonely in the northwest metro area.

But not Wednesday night.

At sundown, Brackman welcomed about 80 people to a traditional Passover seder at Front Range Community College, 3645 W. 112th Ave., in Westminster.

Passover, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery 3,000 years ago, began Wednesday and lasts for eight days. It's a quintessential family-style holiday, drawing relatives and friends around the seder table to recount the beginnings of Jewish history.

But for Jews living in the northwest metro area, "family" tends to be a rather far-flung concept.

For one thing, "I'm the only rabbi living out here," said Brackman, a native of London who came to Westminster via Brooklyn, N.Y., where he met his wife, Leah.

Since moving here about three years ago, the couple have been bringing Judaism to a part of of the Denver metro area that has relatively few Jews. Brackman says there are perhaps 1,000 to 2,000 Jewish families in the northwest metro area, excluding Boulder. All told, there are about 70,000 Jews in Colorado.

In Westminster and thereabouts, "the Jews I do bump into think they're the only Jews out here," Brackman said. "When I say I believe there are (many others) living out here, they can't believe it.

"It's a real challenge because people (here) aren't quite so interested in Judaism as Jews (are) down south," Brackman added, referring to southeast Denver, where many of the metro area's synagogues are clustered.

"So we've got to try to think out of the box and do activities that attract people and bring them out into Judaism," he said.

The Brackmans belong to the Orthodox Hasidic Judaism, which offers an international education outreach called Chabad House. There are now 15 Chabad centers in Colorado, in which Jews are welcome to come to learn more about their heritage.

"Our mission is to reach out to other Jews, especially unaffiliated Jews - not necessarily to make them into Chabad Hasidic Jews, but to teach them the principle of 'love thy fellow Jew' and give them the opportunity to experience Judaism for themselves," Brackman said.

To encourage a potentially cautious crowd to participate, the Brackmans emphasize a relaxed atmosphere.

For example, Saturday morning Sabbath services stretch over three hours, with no commitment to come or go at a certain time. The services are held in the couple's home, a two-acre former horse ranch where they live upstairs and hold services in the walkout basement.

"And if they want to come just for the buffet lunch, they're welcome," he said.

Tonight, the Brackmans will offer the traditional "second night" Passover seder at Chabad House, 4505 W. 112th Ave. (For more information, see www.thechabadhouse.com.)

Though the Brackmans may qualify as pioneers of a sort, they hardly feel they're in the backwoods when it comes to practicing Judaism. He said most kosher foods can be found in local grocery stores, and the family makes regular trips to southeast Denver, where they can stock up at the East Side Kosher Deli after they drop off their five kids for school at Hillel Academy.

Still, Brackman concedes there are moments when he knows he's not in Brooklyn anymore.

"One day my wife took our kids shopping on Easter Sunday," Brackman said. "As she was walking into the store, with our children who look recognizably Jewish, wearing their yarmulkes, somebody yelled out, 'Thank God somebody else isn't celebrating Easter.' "

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