06/18/2026
Dear Congregation Har HaShem,
This morning, I (Rabbi Greene) joined Jonathan Lev, Executive Director of the Boulder JCC, Rabbi Marc Soloway of Congregation Bonai Shalom, and representatives from the ADL—including their litigation unit leadership and Susan Rona—to discuss how our community can best respond to and support the civil rights complaint filed against the Boulder Valley School District.
What we want to say to you first and foremost is this: if you are hurting right now—if you are angry, scared, or grieving—you are not alone. Your feelings are valid, and we see you. Our Jewish community is standing together, and we are here for you and your families.
We are sharing a statement from our broader Boulder Jewish community that outlines next steps and important resources. Please read it carefully. But before you do, we want you to know that this work—this demand for accountability and systemic change—matters deeply. It matters for the student whose story brought us here, for your children, and for every Jewish child in our schools.
Our role as a congregation is to support our families, to provide spiritual guidance, and to stand with those who are struggling. If your family has experienced antisemitism in our schools and you need support—whether that's someone to listen, help navigate reporting systems, or guide you in advocating for your child—please reach out to any of us. We are here and we are listening.
We are currently planning trainings to address antisemitism for our younger students, teens, and adults. We are also offering ourselves as a resource for any family that needs support in reporting incidents or understanding their options.
We are grateful for the ADL's swift and unwavering advocacy, and we are proud to stand with them and our entire community in demanding the change our children deserve. Susan Rona, the ADL Mountain States Director, and long time member of our congregation, has been a tireless leader in this space and is an important partner in this work.
Below is our community message.
With deep care and solidarity,
Rabbi Fred Greene
Cantor Devorah Avery
Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb
Jennifer Herrington, Executive Director
Karli Atwell, Director of Lifelong Learning
A Statement for Our Community: Addressing the ADL Filing and the Importance of Reporting
Dear Friends of the Boulder JCC,
As you may have seen in the news yesterday, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) has filed a federal Title VI civil rights complaint against the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), alleging severe, ongoing antisemitic harassment, physical assault, and systemic district inaction at Southern Hills Middle School. The details outlined are deeply disturbing, especially as our community continues to heal from the horrific antisemitic attack we experienced just over a year ago.
Our hearts go out to the student and family navigating this trauma, and to everyone in our community feeling vulnerable, sad, and/or angry right now. This morning, local Jewish community leaders met with the ADL team to discuss how we can best move forward. To our parents, teenagers, and children: you are not alone. We are here for you, and we stand united.
On behalf of our community, we are profoundly grateful to the ADL for their swift action and unwavering support of this local family and our community. We stand firmly with them in demanding accountability and systemic change. It is our sincere hope that this filing compels BVSD to engage in mediation with the ADL, with the goal of implementing comprehensive new policies and practices for the 2026–2027 school year this fall. If you feel compelled, we also encourage you to send a message to BVSD at [email protected](this email address goes to all 7 BVSD Board of Education Members as well as the Superintendent and Board Secretary) expressing your hope that BVSD will sit down with a mediator and the ADL to work together to create the change we need in our district and schools.
Antisemitism is real, on the rise, and happening right here in our neighborhoods and schools. The lack of substantive action alleged in this filing is entirely unacceptable. Our students deserve more than statements of concern; they deserve schools where antisemitic behavior, violence, and hate are actively confronted and prevented. A persistent pattern of hate exists across both BVSD and the other districts that serve our community, and we must change this.
We have an important request: To support this current federal complaint and help the ADL litigation team demonstrate the true systemic nature of what Jewish students face, it is extremely helpful to report any instances of antisemitism that occurred this past school year, especially those within the last six months, directly to the ADL Legal Action Network and litigation team ( https://www.adl.org/adl-legal-action). We recognize that many in our community have struggled to report incidents of antisemitism at our schools in the past, and we are here to support you in reporting any instances. Our hope is that increased reporting will create the opportunity for change. Please note that these specific legal reports are confidential, and any subsequent conversation with the ADL legal team is protected by the attorney-client privilege.
To keep for your reference in terms of reporting in the future, please use and share these vital resources:
ADL Incident Reporting: Report directly at adl.org/report-incident. It is confidential, tracks trends, and triggers legal advocacy (note: this is the standard reporting method and different from the ADL Legal Action Network link above).
School District Reporting: Submit formal reports directly to your district administration -
BVSD ( https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/be-ready/make-a-report)
SVVSD: (https://www.svvsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AC-R_1.pdf)
JeffCo: (https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/services/legal/notice-of-nondiscrimination)
Safe2Tell Colorado: (www.safe2tell.org ) or 1-877-542-7233 (For anonymous safety and harassment reporting)
Clergy Support: Our local Clergy are available to provide spiritual and emotional care (https://boulderhaver.org/)
Together, as a resilient and united community, and in partnership with BVSD and the other districts that serve our community, we hope to ensure our children can learn in safety, dignity, and respect, free from intimidation.
With partnership and gratitude,
Jonathan Lev, Boulder JCC Executive Director
David Paul, Boulder JCC Board Chair
