HEArtbeat

HEArtbeat: An update on the use of this year’s Security Assessment fee

May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.
George Washington, in his August 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregations of Newport after visiting Newport Rhode Island.
 
Safety doesn’t happen by accident. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to those of you who have already paid your 2022-2023 Security assessment. Your contribution is improving the safety and security of our community seven days a week. I wanted to share with you the work that has been accomplished thanks to the funds collected from the assessment so far.

If you have not yet paid your Security Assessment, please sign into your ShulCloud account and help us continue our security work by paying the $150.00, 2022-2023 Security Assessment. You can find out how to access your ShulCloud account HERE:
 

1. Have you met Officer Sheldon?  He is the off-duty Denver Police Officer that you see here every single Shabbat morning. He works in tangent with our Safety-Greeter team to patrol the outside and inside of our building during Shabbat morning worship as well as keep us abreast of any threats that might be out there.
2. Our new downstairs Welcome Center has been designed to have someone in place on Sunday mornings while our HEArt program is in session. The view from this new room, along with the use of our security cameras and extra training, gives an encompassing and long range view of anyone that might be entering our North side parking lot so that first responders can be contacted and internal emergency procedures can be started should there be any threat heading towards the building. This also allows for eye to eye contact and verbal communication with everyone entering the building. 
3. Our Preschool will be a safer place for children, teachers and visitors. The set up of our Welcome Center will have an HEA employee right by the doors to allow access to those of you entering our building to drop off a child or for an appointment and will be able to put our emergency plan into action more quickly for anyone entering our property who shouldn’t be here. We are also adding an additional door to our Preschool front office to allow an exit for any children or adults that might be in that room should that ever be necessary.

HEA member Lou Fishman has overseen our Welcome Center construction project and has worked with HEA staff to make this room welcoming and functional. You will soon see this room filled with some couches, a coffee maker, and other welcoming furnishings. Feel free to use it as a gathering place for you and your HEA friends when you are in the building as well as a relaxing and safe space while you are waiting for an appointment or picking up a child from our Preschool or a HEArt program. 

For those of you wondering about our library, It’s there too. It is a cozy and useful room for meetings and classes for groups of under 20 people who want to meet, surrounded by books. 

You will see more changes coming later as our Homeland Security Grant award (which does not cover the projects I have listed above) allows for the installation of bollards and the replacement of some fencing while creating some new fencing and more window-protective film for the Youth Center. I will be thrilled to share with you all pictures of that progress later this year.

This Welcome Center, which will be completed in just a few weeks, has come to be thanks to all of you who have paid the Security Assessment portion of your HEA statement. 

Thank you for making our building safer for everyone. We couldn’t do it without you.

In gratitude,

Laura Intfen

A new wall and new carpeting create a safe and welcoming space.

Who doesn’t love being surrounded by books? What a great and safe place for a discussion group or just to sit and read.

Measure twice, cut once. We are creating a back door for the Preschool office as recommended by the Homeland Security Assessment. 

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Volunteers needed at donation site at Temple Emanuel

Hundreds of migrants need urgent assistance, having arrived in Denver in recent weeks from countries in South and Central America. City officials say they are preparing for more arrivals as people seek safety from unrest and political turmoil in their home countries and shelter from the extreme cold. The city has opened emergency shelters and is asking for help from the community to help provide temporary assistance.

Temple Emanuel, JEWISHcolorado’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC ), and the greater Denver Jewish Community have been working with Denver’s Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships and the Denver Office of Emergency Management to find community-wide solutions to alleviate the suffering of recent arrivals.  

Temple Emanuel has become a new migrant donation site, accepting donations of cold weather clothing and other needed items. They are looking for volunteers to help receive, sort, and deliver these items. If you are interested in volunteering at Temple Emanuel, please sign up here. 

Thank you for your support.