The Boulder Jewish Community Center isn’t one thing or even one building. Built in 2016, the Boulder JCC, or the J as it’s affectionately called, is home to a 2-acre farm that donates 5,000 pounds of food annually and a cafe that partners with Boulder Bridge House/Community Table Kitchen. There are pickleball courts, a forest school, and a preschool that began 40 years ago with just five kids. There’s also extensive, low- and no-cost programming, including adult art classes and workshops, built to foster community and embody the spirit of what Jewish life can be, not what it is or was.
“We’re not a religious center,” says Jonathan Lev, executive director of the Boulder JCC. “We are a cultural and educational center, and we provide space for the community at large.”
On the front door of the 52,000-square-foot campus, there’s a sign that says, “You Are Welcome Here.” They show that commitment to the Boulder community by opening their doors to all kinds of nonprofits, government agencies, local businesses, and charitable organizations, playing host to board meetings, galas, fundraisers, conferences, ceremonies, and events for local families. They also partner with Minister Glenda Robinson and the NAACP to host an annual MLK Day Celebration.
“Around 40,000 people come into our building a year,” says Lev. “Over $5 Million was raised [here] last year. Not for the JCC, but for other nonprofit organizations who had events here.”
This year, the Boulder JCC will also be the first and only Jewish Community Center in the country to host The Smithsonian’s The Bias Inside Us. This groundbreaking traveling exhibition and community-engagement project is grounded in scientific research and teaches viewers that bias is inside everyone. It sets aside shame and shows that bias is an inherent part of being human, encouraging viewers to be more aware.
Joy Alice Eisenhauer, director of arts, culture & education at the Boulder JCC, spearheaded bringing the exhibit to Boulder and sees it as an extension of their commitment to lifelong learning and fostering a truly inclusive environment. Over 20 community partners are also helping to bring the exhibit to life, including the Rotary Club and other volunteers acting as “Docents.”
The exhibit will be on view at the JCC from February 22, 2025 - March 23, 2025, and will be completely free and open to the public whenever the JCC is open. There will be sign-ups on their website, and Eisenhauer encourages school groups, community organizations, businesses, book clubs, friends, and families to come explore and reflect. It’s appropriate for those middle school-aged and up (though all are welcome), and Lev thinks everyone who comes will find a way to relate to it.
“It connects to who we are as humans,” said Lev. “It’s impactful, striking, and informative, and it provides a new way to understand bias.”
One of the goals as the project travels the country is to support communities in having meaningful dialogue to create positive change and increase empathy and inclusivity, and there will be several events running alongside the exhibit to encourage these connections and conversations.
There will be an opening reception on February 22nd from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., and Laura Zelle, the guest project manager for The Bias Inside Us, will be there to further contextualize the exhibit.
On March 3rd, there will be a screening and panel discussion around For the Living, a film that centers on the explicit biases that have led to genocides around the world, like the Holocaust.
On March 6th, there will be a Cultural Arts Summit with the Boulder City Office of Arts and Culture, featuring a panel discussing how to bring more awareness to internal and implicit bias. There will also be a new gallery show called The Triumphant Spirit kicking off with an interview with the Director of the Golda Meir House Museum.
On March 9th, Jewish Disability Advocates will host a panel discussion on bias and ableism.
The exhibit is a solo experience, but ultimately the team at the JCC is excited for what it can mean for the collective community. They hope people walk out of the building with curiosity—and maybe a new friend.
To learn move, visit BoulderJCC.org/Bias-Inside-Us/