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.
Though Jacquie was raised in an Orthodox home, she recalls feeling disconnected from the deeper meaning of the traditions she learned as a child. “I didn’t learn the ‘why’ behind what I was doing,” she says. “So when I left home and went to school, I also drifted away from Judaism.”
Years later, an unexpected encounter with an Orthodox rabbi teaching a class on prayer opened her eyes to what she had been missing. “He wasn’t what I expected—young, glowing, and full of insight,” she recalls. “I was fascinated. I had never been taught like that before.” That spark led her and her husband Bob on a path back to Jewish observance—one marked by curiosity, learning, and slowly building a spiritual home.
That path eventually brought them to Denver—and to TJE. Jacquie isn’t quite sure how it started. “I asked my husband, ‘Do you remember how we got connected to TJE?’” she laughs. “Neither of us could pinpoint it exactly. Maybe a Shabbos dinner, maybe a class. But once we were in, we were in.”
Her first deep connection came when Rabbi Raphael Leban invited her to help launch a new initiative: Clean Speech Colorado. As the first administrator, Jacquie found herself calling every participating organization, building relationships across the city’s Jewish landscape. “That job gave me a real sense of the broader Jewish community,” she says with a smile. “I got to connect with so many different people and organizations.”
Since then, her involvement with TJE has only grown. She’s a regular at Rebbetzin Gila Ross’s weekly classes—so much so that she gently reminds a circle of friends to attend each week. “I love her teaching style,” Jacquie says. “She invites participation. It’s not just a lecture—it’s a community of women learning and growing together.”
It may sound simple, but I feel so appreciated. I feel embraced. It’s a happy place.”
That sense of connection and inclusion led Jacquie to get involved in Women’s Experience events, volunteer at the Wine & Cheese Gala, and eventually join the Women’s Steering Committee. Most recently, she joined TJE’s team in a professional capacity, assisting with the Women’s Experience programs. “When Gila asked me to work with her, I thought—what better job could I have?” she says. “I attend meetings, take minutes, send out action items. It may sound simple, but I feel so appreciated. I feel embraced. It’s a happy place.”
One of the most impactful moments for Jacquie was attending TJE’s High Holiday program for the first time last year. “It wasn’t just praying—it was learning, engaging, hearing from speakers between prayers,” she says. “It made the holidays so much more meaningful for me. I told friends, ‘This is where I needed to be.’”
Through TJE, Jacquie has found not only community, but clarity and confidence in her spiritual growth. Inspired by a recent conversation with a Jewish convert, she’s embraced the idea of having a spiritual mentor—and now mentors others in turn. “If you see someone living in a way that inspires you, ask them about it,” she says. “Everyone at TJE is so welcoming, so open—it’s the perfect place to explore questions, grow at your own pace, and find what speaks to you.”
From hesitant observer to community builder, Jacquie Marks exemplifies what The Jewish Experience is all about: creating space for connection, inspiration, and personal transformation—no matter where your journey begins.
