Community groups Walk for Israel, Celebrate Family amid anti-Semitic climate

DENVER – Several Jewish community groups walked in Denver during Sunday’s 2017 Walk for Israel event.

The event by Jewish Colorado and the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, coincided with the 69th anniversary of the State of Israel -- May 14th, 1948.

Organizers were hard at work before 6 a.m. on Sunday, preparing for the 9:30 a.m. walk. More than 22-hundred people participated in the two-mile Walk for Israel event.

The West Lawn at South High School was also the location for the Celebrate Family Festival that followed.

“We are thrilled that the Walk for Israel and Celebrate Family Festival continues to grow in attendance every year,” Dana Friedman said.

Friedman is an event co-chair. She added, “It is a great testament to our community that more than 2,000 of us come together to show our support for Israel and the local Jewish community.”

The walk is also co-chaired by Cindy Noam, Ronit Williamson, and Goldie Cohen. The presenting sponsor of the combined event is The Staenberg Group.

Cindy Noam added, “We have such a dynamic community and one that is committed to strengthening Colorado’s connection to Israel. We encourage everyone to join us on Sunday, May 7, to experience first-hand the feeling of being involved in such an important event.”

And the event was not overshadowed by the currently climate of anti-Semitism. 

Earlier this week, Denver7 told viewers about swastikas and other racially charged symbols of hate found carved into vehicles around DU.

This is a reality many Jewish groups across the nation face every day. Organizers said the route of the walk wasn’t released ahead of the event for safety reasons.

Osnat Fox, an Israeli woman who participated in the walk said, "We're not going to get intimidated. We're proud of who we are. We're proud of what we support, and we're going to keep on doing this because you know, truth always shines."

Denver7 spoke with Lucy Finkelstein. She identified herself as a Russian-Jew who recently returned from Israel. 

Finkelstein talked specifically about her experience, adding that millions of Jews throughout Israel have contributed plenty to the world we live in.

"They've given us violinists. They've given us science discovery. They've given us medical discovery. They've given us a lot of appreciation of what it means to overcome the hardship," Finkelstein said.