Faces of TJE: Jacquie Marks – Finding Meaning and Community at TJE
Jacquie Marks’ journey back into Jewish life has been rich with rediscovery, but it’s her connection to The Jewish Experience (TJE) that has turned inspiration into action—and community into home.
Lights, Camera, Connection! Our sold-out screening of Centered brought the house down—in the best way. Great film, even better people. Dive into the gallery and soak up the vibes!
Two and a half tribes opted to stay in Transjordan and not inherit land in Israel proper. And they did so with tremendous sacrifice. They were away from their families for 14 years until the conquest of Israel and the apportioning of the land was completed. In the exchange between Moshe and the leaders of those tribes there seems to be repetition.
For Aaron Polster, the events of October 7, 2023, marked a profound shift—not just globally, but personally.
Before then, Aaron had what many might call a “satisfactory” Jewish life in Denver. He was no stranger to Jewish tradition. He’d gather 30 friends for an annual Passover seder, attend synagogue for the High Holidays, and occasionally host or join a Shabbat dinner. Community was there—but it wasn’t until tragedy struck that Aaron realized something deeper was missing.
The Torah refers to the ‘teruah’ sound of the shofar when we blow it on Rosh Hashanah and also it is denoted as the remembrance of the teruah. Why the two different references? The sound of the teruah motivates one to repent, however, the motivation is only good if we follow through. Additionally, we must ‘remember’ the call to repent during the entire year.
The people rose in anger due to their perception that the traveling on the road was just too much. Furthermore, they were tired of only eating the Manna. Mind you, the Manna, was as tasty and delicious as any meal made in the finest restaurants in Manhattan. Yet, they complained and not only that but they bad-mouthed Hashem and Moshe.
The mutiny of Korach divided the nation in a fashion heretofore unheard of. Moshe’s authority was challenged and his authenticity was defied and apparently Korach’s oratory ability drew in hundreds of followers. This eroded the nation’s stability and almost seemed to eject Moshe from his seat as the leader of the people.
We caught the golden hour just in time! 
Check out these beautiful professional photos from our Family Experience Aloha Shabbat, taken before sunset last Friday. From festive vibes to…
The disastrous episode of the spies that were sent to investigate Eretz Yisroel certainly seems to defy explanation. After all, Rashi comments that these twelve individuals were the leaders of their respective tribes. Yet they returned with intended information that would discourage their compatriots from going there. Hashem had guaranteed them that Eretz Yisroel would be a wonderful place to live so why did they indeed dissuade them?
This week’s gallery is full of growth and good vibes! From lively learning at Food for Thought, to powerful conversations at our Clean Speech Dialogues pilot, to exciting new energy upgrades at the center—it’s all happening. Scroll through to see the moments that are lighting up our community!