FUEL THE FUTURE
A Bold Vision of a Newly Expanded Chabad Jewish Community Center
ASPEN VALLEY
Our Mission
The mission of the Chabad Jewish Community Center Aspen Valley is to provide a physical, spiritual and cultural space where people from all walks of life – Jew and non-Jew alike – can feel at home as part of a warm, welcoming, supportive and interactive community. By focusing on education, social issues, global events, personal and collective responsibility, and the celebration of Jewish values and traditions, the center endeavors to lay the building blocks for a more conscientious and enlightened society, and a strong, proud and vibrant Jewish future.
Celebratingourpast
Twenty-four years ago, with the arrival of Rabbi Mendel and Lieba Mintz in Aspen, the dream of establishing a dynamic Jewish community in the Roaring Fork Valley was born.
By launching a series of creative programs for young and old – including a preschool, Hebrew School, summer camp, youth activities, adult education, community events, and synagogue services – the dream took off, drawing a wide array of eager students and participants.
As demand grew, so did Chabad’s vision and reach, leading to the construction of its magnificent Jewish Community Center in 2014. Prominently situated on Main Street, the 18,000 square-foot state-of-the-art multipurpose facility has since established itself as one of the premier educational and outreach centers in Colorado.
BroadeningourFuture
Buoyed by the success of its track record and the challenges of its growth, the Chabad Jewish Community Center is ready to take a quantum leap forward by broadening the scope of its existing programs, while adding many new programs and services to its current offerings.
“Fuel the Future”, the proposed $26 million dollar expansion project, will include the addition of new classrooms and play areas for the preschool and Hebrew school programs; the launching of its Friendship Circle program for children with special needs, including the construction of a state-of-the-art play space and sensory room; an expanded Adult Education Institute and Speakers Bureau; the establishment of an essential endowment fund; and the expansion of its administrative and educational staff to bring the vision of this new chapter to fruition.
Youth Programs
PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS
An early childhood program that nurtures creativity while instilling within its students a passion for learning in a warm, lively, colorful and enriching environment. The program’s diverse academic and values-based curriculum enables children ages 2-5 to thrive in accordance with their own unique strengths and capabilities.
MOMMY & ME
Mommy & Me lays the groundwork for the preschool experience by having toddlers interact with their peers in a structured setting, while mom is on hand as an active presence. A joyful and supportive transitional experience for mother and child alike.
HEBREW SCHOOL
An after-school program for elementary and middle school students where Hebrew language, Jewish history and heritage are taught in a fun and exciting manner. The program instills Jewish pride while preparing boys and girls for their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
UNITED 4 CHANGE TEEN GROUP
An informal setting in which teenagers enjoy social and recreational activities while engaging in discussions on a broad range of topics. In boosting their self-esteem, United 4 Change helps teens recognize their ability to positively impact their surroundings.
CAMP GAN ISRAEL
Offering an action-packed program of sports, swimming, field trips, music, art and drama against a backdrop of Jewish culture and experience, the Gan Israel Day Camp provides its enthralled and enthusiastic campers with memories to be cherished for a lifetime.
The Friendship Circle
Since its founding in 2022, the Friendship Circle of Aspen Valley has been a godsend for special needs children and their families, providing mentorship and companionship to the children. The program provides a full slate of customized activities, celebrations, and therapies, enabling those with disabilities to feel fully accepted and embraced as they find their own special place within the broader community.
Xplore Zone & Sensory Room
As part of its "Fuel the Future" project, the Jewish Community Center has just concluded the construction of a Multi Sensory Therapy and Play Room as a vital resource for its Friendship Circle program, fully equipped with a variety of sensory stimuli, including lighting effects, soft music, tactile materials, and other interactive elements that engage different sense. This specialized room will provide a controlled and soothing environment that will do wonders for those with various developmental, cognitive, or physical disabilities.
Community Outreach
SHABBAT CELEBRATIONS
From Friday night dinners open to the community to lively Shabbat services conducted in a warm and welcoming sanctuary, the inspiring energy and spiritual tranquility of Shabbat is readily accessible every weekend at the Chabad JCC.
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING
High Holiday services, grand Menorah lightings and Chanukah celebrations, Purim parties, Passover Seders, and so much more fill the calendar with communal festivity and solidarity – each holiday radiating its own glow of enchantment and connection.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Whether through crisis counseling, hospital visitation, life-cycle events, senior outreach, a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to lean on, Chabad is there for people in their times of need and distress –with unconditional love, friendship and support.
GOLSHIM L‘CHAIM - SKI TO LIVE
Since the winter of 2007, the Jewish Community Center has been hosting groups of disabled Israeli combat veterans for weeks of therapeutic and recreational activities in beautiful and scenic Aspen. In addition to six glorious days on the ski slopes with customized gear and guidance for the disabled, these decorated heroes of the IDF – who sacrificed so much for the Jewish homeland – get to enjoy comfortable lodging, delicious meals, and a full program of entertainment and inspiration in the Chabad JCC’s welcoming facilities.
An honor for our heroes. A privilege for our community.
Adult Education
ADULT EDUCATION
Catering to adults of all backgrounds, Chabad’s Adult Education Institute offers a full slate of classes on a broad range of subjects – from Hebrew reading to Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Bible study to Talmudic analysis. The institute also offers the acclaimed courses by the international Jewish Learning Institute.
SPEAKERS’ BUREAU
Since the opening of our facility in 2014, the Chabad Jewish Community Center’s Speaker’s Bureau has featured some of the world’s most prominent scholars and noted personalities in the realms of academia, journalism, global affairs, diplomacy, religion, law, science, medicine, business, the military, and the arts.
WOMEN’S INNER CIRCLE
Meeting on a regular basis, the Women’s Inner Circle provides an opportunity for women to meet new friends, socialize and explore the depths of Jewish femininity through innovative workshops, study groups and creative activities.
RETREATS AND SYMPOSIUMS
Beyond serving as a vital gathering place for the local Jewish community, the Chabad Jewish Community Center has become a destination of choice for many global think tanks, research institutes and study groups – Jewish and nonJewish alike – who find the center a highly conducive environment for their retreats, workshops and symposiums.
ASPEN JCC
PROGRESS TIMELINE
AFTER MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF DEDICATED SERVICE AND COMMUNITY BUILDING, THE CHABAD JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER HAS BECOME A CHERISHED “HOME” FOR THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS, PARTICIPANTS AND VISITORS FROM NEAR AND FAR.
CHABAD JEWISH CENTER FOUNDED
LAND ON MAIN STREET IS PURCHASED AS FUTURE SITE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
CHABAD HOSTS FIRST GROUP OF WOUNDED IDF VETERANS FOR GOLSHIM L’CHAIM SKI PROGRAM
2012
GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
2014
GRAND OPENING OF THE CHABAD JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
2019
THE PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS IS FOUNDED
2022
THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF ASPEN VALLEY IS FOUNDED
2024
XPLORE ZONE & SENSORY ROOM GRAND OPENING
The time has come for us to further enrich our colorful tapestry through the expansion of our existing programs and the addition of essential new ones. As history
Future programming fueled by your funding:
Remodeling/repurposing our facilities
Expanding our staff rolls
Establishing endowment components
Broadening our scope and reach
The success of the Aspen Chabad JCC’s “Fuel the Future” campaign will enable us to meet the ever-surging demand for our programs and services while enabling us to broaden our horizons.
Our proven track record bespeaks the glorious promise the future holds.
Please help us reach our campaign goal of $26 million. To participate and to learn more about dedication opportunities or planned giving, please use the accompanying pledge card or visit fuelthefutureaspen.com.
For more information or to get involved contact campaign chair Jon Foley or Rabbi Mendel Mintz.
The Chabad Jewish Community Center is a non-profit 501(c)3.