Big Tent Judaism

Photos from our Hanukkah Party!

Last month, JOI provided support to the Community Chanukah Concert in Boulder, Colorado, and we recently received the pictures from the event and are posting them here on our website. By all indications, the turnout exceeded expectations. The concert drew over 200 people, mostly families with young children, who came to a fun adventure space in a secular mall. Besides the good turnout and the fun time had by all, JOI is particularly gratified by the positive outreach techniques used before, during, and after the event to make this a successful “Public Space Judaism” event.

The Boulder Chanukah Concert had a clear target audience in mind for this event: families with young children, including unaffiliated and intermarried families. Calendar listings were placed in secular newspapers, because unaffiliated families usually don’t read the Jewish newspaper, and a radio public service announcement was used to cast an even wider net. The program was held in a secular venue, to lower the discomfort some people might feel in walking into a Jewish institution.

(Read on for more positive examples of outreach techniques, and a LOT more photos…)

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