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Jews across the world are preparing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As the holiday that marks and celebrates the creation of the world, it is a time to reflect on the current state of the world. This year, that reflection feels especially heavy.

Our community is still reeling from the recent school shooting in Evergreen and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The shock and grief are heavy. These tragedies remind us of how vulnerable we are–and how quickly violence can shatter the lives of families and communities.

An ancient passage in the Talmud (Bava Batra 25a) offers a haunting metaphor for this vulnerability: “The world is similar to a building, enclosed on three sides, and the northern side of the world is not enclosed.” The sages imagined the world itself as a structure left open to the north, a reminder that there are always cracks through which danger, chaos, and suffering can enter.

This image echoes a verse from the prophet Jeremiah: “From the north shall disaster break loose upon all the inhabitants of the land” (Jeremiah 1:14). The Bible acknowledges what we feel so acutely in moments like this: there is no perfect safety. For reasons we may never fully understand, the world carries within it openings where pain can break through.

But Jewish tradition also provides a way for us to begin fortifying that opening and protecting ourselves from vulnerability. One teaching centers on the ancient ritual of Bikkurim, the offering of the first fruits. Farmers would bring the first produce of their fields to the Temple in Jerusalem as an act of gratitude. But according to tradition, this ritual could not begin until every single family in the nation had received its portion of land. In other words, no one was permitted to celebrate until everyone was able to participate. Joy was incomplete if even one family was left out.

This is a powerful teaching about interconnectedness. It reminds us that our well-being is bound up with the well-being of others, and that true celebration, true safety, and true healing can only exist when everyone shares those benefits.

That message speaks powerfully in light of recent events. On one level, the pain and shock we felt reminds us that we are connected–what happens in someone else’s backyard does affect me. On the other hand, these tragedies also reveal the fractures in our society, the lack of interconnectedness, where all that seems to matter is my satisfaction, my opinion, and my way of life.

If we are to heal as a community and as a country, we must reclaim that sense of interconnectedness and responsibility for one another. We must refuse to let our shared home remain open to chaos and despair. We can begin to close that open side–one person at a time, one congregation at a time, one community at a time.

Through our deeds of kindness, justice, and connection, we help close the openings through which pain seeps into the world–and in doing so, we bring blessing not only to ourselves, but to all who share this fragile, beautiful home.

As we enter Rosh Hashanah, may this New Year be a year of healing, safety, and renewed connection–for our community, our country, and our world.

Barry Gelman is Rabbi of The Denver Kehillah and a member of the executive committee of the Rocky Mountain Rabbis and Cantors (RMRC)

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The tragedy at Evergreen High School reminds us that even this country’s most idyllic communities — from our mountain towns to the quaint cities on the plains — must prepare for violence in their schools. School shootings have never been only an inner-city problem, and to believe otherwise is to ignore Colorado’s tragic history.

We were dismayed to learn that security at Evergreen High School may not have been a priority because of the school’s location about an hour west of Denver in the forested foothills of Jefferson County.

Mental illness and radicalization can occur anywhere, especially in a society connected seamlessly online to every type of content imaginable.

Every school in this state needs a dedicated resource officer who can respond immediately to a threat on campus.

Seconds matter in a shooting, and two students from Evergreen High School are in the hospital fighting for their lives. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded quickly to the shooting but even that was unable to prevent tragedy.

The evening before the shooting at Evergreen High School, the school’s principal told concerned parents that a school resource officer had been “deprioritized” for Jefferson County’s mountain schools. The school’s full-time deputy was on medical leave, and the contract with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has a deputy on campus “as staffing allows.” At the time of the shooting, the officer assigned to the campus was responding to a call off campus.

Every Colorado school needs an armed officer on campus during school hours. We are glad the Jefferson County School District will increase security before students return, and a similar plan should be put in place at every school in the state.

School violence has struck a charter school in the suburban community of Highlands Ranch where a road is now named for the hero — Kendrick Castillo — who saved his classmates but died. A few miles north at Arapahoe County High School in Littleton, Claire Davis was shot and killed by one of her classmates. Two teachers were shot and injured in the middle of Denver at East High School, and another student was shot and killed in the school’s parking lot a few weeks earlier.

But small towns, rural communities and the mountains are not immune. In 2006, a gunman took students hostage at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, about a half-hour drive from Evergreen on twisting mountain roads. Emily Keyes was shot and killed.

We understand having law enforcement in every school in this state is a challenge financially and logistically, but in the face of yet another school shooting, we don’t see another option.

Americans can no longer be complacent. Our schools are not safe, and while locking down Evergreen quickly undoubtedly saved lives, we know that having a trained police officer on campus reduces the response time to seconds.

The teenager who shot two classmates and then killed himself last week had been active online in what experts describe as a new nihilism — the belief that life is meaningless — combined with a twisted desire to destroy society.

The teen’s social media accounts contained antisemitic and white supremacist posts and glorified other school shooters. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the teen had been “radicalized through an extremist network.”

The only response is to harden our schools and protect as many students as possible. Of course, statistically, it is still unlikely that a student will be harmed in an act of violence on campus. The riskiest part of a student’s day is still apt to be their drive home.

But just as we require our children to ride in car seats, wear seatbelts and often buy them their first cars with airbags and other safety features, so too must we make schools as safe as possible.

We pray the victims of this shooting — 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone, and a second student who has not been identified at the behest of his family — survive and thrive.

And we pray that the next time someone targets our schools with violence that they are met by a show of force from law enforcement that protects innocent life.

No place is immune from school violence, a lesson we thought Colorado learned long ago when 12 students and a teacher were killed at Columbine High School.

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I was sitting in my congressional office before heading to the House floor for votes when my phone lit up. Charlie Kirk – right-wing activist and podcaster – has been shot in the neck at a rally on a college campus in Utah. The growing political violence we’ve seen recently has been gut-wrenching and terrifying. I’m not only scared for the safety of friends and colleagues but fearful for the future of our country.

Then my phone lit up again. I received additional horrifying news: there was, at that very moment, an active shooter at Evergreen High School.

I was stunned sitting on the couch thinking about the parents receiving word that there was an active shooter and that they were warned not to go to the school for their safety. The helplessness and not knowing if they’d ever see their kids again. My heart breaks for the students who continue to fight for their lives in the hospital, the parents who are at their bedsides not knowing if they will ever come home, and for the kids and educators who will carry the trauma of this day forever.

Just like every parent reading the headline, I felt the shock and terror and thought: what if that was my kid? What if that was his school? I’m outraged that this is the result of failed policy and inaction.

‘Radicalized’ Evergreen High School shooter appeared to hold antisemitic, violent views in online accounts

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I grew up here. I attended high school in Jefferson County, not too far from Columbine. I still remember the shock I felt as a junior in high school when the unimaginable happened. Back then, it shocked the nation. But now it’s become all too common. Mass shootings have become an ugly stain on our state. My heart breaks that Evergreen now joins the long line of Colorado communities forever changed by a mass shooting.

While Colorado has a history of making national headlines for gun violence, we’re certainly not unique. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in this country. Not cars. Not cancer. But gun violence. It’s worth repeating – guns are the number one killer of our kids. And the most outrageous part about all of this is that it’s completely preventable. How many lives do we need to lose before we are willing to say enough?

Just weeks ago, we saw kids in Minnesota killed at school. And earlier this summer, lawmakers murdered outside their homes. Now a conservative activist. Now once again, high school students in Evergreen. Who’s going to be next? It feels like we’ve reached a breaking point. This is untenable.

We are living through a dark moment in our country’s history – one that will be remembered for whether we confronted the radicalization and violence tearing at our communities or allowed it to break us apart. As a society, we are being forced to answer a fundamental question: is this who we want to be as a country? This is a policy choice. Not a political one.

We have to ask ourselves – do we want to live in a country where our kids are being gunned down in their classrooms? Where your life hangs in the balance at a grocery store, a movie theater, or a political rally?

This is the moment to decide. Overwhelmingly, we want a world where our kids can come home safe from school. Where their lives aren’t at risk because of what they believe. But we need leaders who have the courage to stand up and decide that we are no longer going to standby while one more life is taken too soon.

We’re all still reeling from the events of this week. But our community is resilient. The world feels heavy right now but we can’t give up hope. My kids and our kids depend on it.

If you are struggling and need support, please call 988 to be connected to someone who cares. Also know that my team and I are here to support you and our community every step of the way as we recover from this tragedy.

Together, we can build the future our children deserve.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen was first elected to represent the 7th Congressional District in Colorado in 2022.

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Part of my job as a Grand Canyon educator is picking up stuff a hiker drops or leaves behind next to a trail. Some of the things I’ve found this summer lead me to wonder what the John Muir they were thinking.

A fast-food burger, in the original wrapper. I suppose they left it for the timid woodland creatures, except if fast food isn’t good for us, why would critters want it?

Someone’s last remains. When a hiker pointed out a shiny object off the trail, I clambered over rocks to find a sealed urn of cremains, which is illegal to leave in a national park. Local tribes have also asked that visitors avoid doing this for religious considerations.

I reported finding the urn to park rangers, and for the next month was identified as “the lady who found the body.”

A can of corned beef. We found this on day three of a seven-day backpack. Those who abandoned it surely thought, “Oh, whoever finds this shall fall upon it with glee!”  Except we had enough food, thanks. Rather than carry a three-pound can of beef, though, we ate it, and yes, it was vile.

Balloons. I risked life and limb one day clambering down a scree slope after what I thought was an abandoned backpack only to find deflated balloons. It is a lovely thought to release balloons to honor a friend. But creatures can get tangled in the strings or eat them to serious ill effect.

Mascara wand. I understand that many women cannot bear to be without their makeup, but on the trail? For one thing, you are all sweaty and dirty, or at least, I am. In the same vein, I have come across discarded bottles of cologne. Perhaps the owners finally realized that no perfume can cover up the smell of a long hike.

Glow sticks. Tied to the trees. Not only are they plastic, they’re toxic to any animal who chews on them.

Double boiler filled with rice.  It might make sense to find this in a campsite, but four miles up the trail?

Underwear. I do know about these situations. Someone has an unavoidable emergency and no TP so they use whatever is at, um, hand.

Plastic tooth floss picks. Oral hygiene is important. However, most people do not leave their toothbrush behind, so why leave the silly things that only weigh one-tenth of an ounce?

A five-pack of beer. I assume they drank one and left the rest for later, then did not find tepid beer palatable. But stashing items along the trail is problematic. We never know if you are really going to pick it up later, or if you just got tired of hauling it around. So best keep it with you.

Laminated photographs. These are often left as a memorial. Does your loved one really want you to honor them by littering public lands with their portrait?

One shoe. How does one hike out with one shoe? Although I did once meet a hiker wearing a single shoe and sock, one for each foot.  Another time, we found a jacket, then a shirt, then a pair of pants, then socks. I guess they kept the shoes.

A hemostat used to compress a blood vessel. Was someone prepping for emergency surgery?

An empty backpack. How did they get their gear out?

A full backpack, including, among other things, a queen-sized bed sheet, a beach towel, canned food, and two hardback books. Rumor has it that the hapless hiker yelled, “I can’t do this!”, grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, and threw the pack off the trail. At this point, the hiker was five miles from the trailhead.

The first rule of “leave no trace” is to plan ahead. Perhaps one should sit down with one’s supplies and ask: Do I really want to lug these books, this frying pan, that good bottle of wine?

If yes, more power to you, and keep on lugging! Just make sure you take it all back out with you.

Marjorie ‘Slim’ Woodruff is a contributor to Writers on The Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She is a Grand Canyon educator.

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Over the past couple of days, I’ve had conversations and reviewed numerous letters from individuals within the City and County of Denver, all of whom are committed to ensuring the continuation of Scott Gilmore’s work.

My great-great-uncle once said:

“They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one: They promised to take our land, and they took it.” — Chief Red Cloud (Oglala Lakota, known as Mahpíya Lúta).

There is a significant divide between what is being promised and the reality of keeping that promise. We know that you cannot replace Scott Gilmore in the City of Denver, no matter how hard you try. Stop fooling yourself and listen. We know what is best for us. Listen to us.

The individuals who made the decision to include Scott Gilmore, who worked for years in the city’s Parks Department, in last week’s layoffs never consulted with our community. These “officials” never do. We are the forgotten people, the invisible people who are thrown away because of money. Who in the Denver City administration was ever adopted in a Sacred Hunka ceremony?

The action is going to hurt 100,000 American Indians living on the Front Range directly.

Who amongst the Denver administrators knows our creation story of the Buffalo? Who amongst you is going to the sweat lodge and pray with us as we make plans about Buffalo restoration? Who has ever been in a Pipe Ceremony? Who knows how to handle that pipe? What is its significance?

It is doubtful that any of your staff will get invited to a Yuwipi Ceremony. These are things that cannot be learned from a book; they can only be realized through participation. You can’t just expect to participate because you want to. You must be invited. It takes many years to develop the respect of our people. And even longer to develop the trust. It takes even longer to become a part of our Sacred Circle of Life.

We have a different way of seeing the world and everything around us. This is our homeland. This is where our ancestors died protecting a way of life. We have never forgotten our ways despite the torture and brutal actions to convert us to your ways.

We had our civil ways of interacting with other people. Among the Cheyenne, we had a sacred council of peace, called the Council of 44. The members were peace chiefs. We did not seek out war against people coming to our homelands. We sought peace until such a time that our destiny and continued existence were in jeopardy. Then and only then did we retaliate to protect our families and a way of life.

The people who came here ignored all those good ways and forced their concept of civilization on us. All my life, I have said that I hope that I never succumb to becoming civilized. Now more than ever, when I look across America and see what is happening on the national level, I see the devolution of your civility. That kind of future is bleak and uncomfortable at best. That is not what we want.

Who amongst you knows the leadership structure of the Denver Indian community? Who speaks for our Denver community? Do you know perhaps even one person? Do you have any connections with the leaders or community members in our area? Our community is small, and when someone like Scott comes along, we are comforted and start growing confidence that perhaps the city administration will look back at the iniquitous history that left us landless in our own homeland.

Our ways strongly condemn breaking promises. It emphasizes the importance of keeping one’s word, highlighting the negative consequences of dishonesty and the value of trustworthiness. We use “careful consideration” before making a promise and stress the need to fulfill it.

The city has put us in a difficult position because we know that you will never be able to fulfill your promises. It took Scott most of his entire career to gain the confidence and trust needed for us to trust and respect him. He earned it, and he knows the secrets needed to make and sustain good relationships with our diverse community.

My people think differently from you. We always have and always will. That is the innate nature of our people. Our values are vastly different than yours. The first law of our people is respect, something that is sorely lacking in the ways of the people around us.

The second way of our people is about relationships. We try to treat everyone as relatives. This is hard to do because it is a foreign concept for others. We end our prayers by saying mitaku oyasin …. all my relatives.

We tell our children to listen and only speak when spoken to. We have similar expectations in all our relationships. Listen! That is difficult for many people who make critical decisions for the people. We are a small community with no degrees of separation; we all know each other. We are asking you to bring Scott Gilmore back. It is a straightforward request to fulfill.

You have seen many letters from many of our people. And only a few responses promise things that we know can’t be kept.

We are watching and organizing our future action. Please don’t try that famous historic tactic of divide and conquer. It would only exacerbate this situation.

We want to negotiate with you and find a meaningful compromise that works for our people. We want you to listen, we want you to hear our concerns, because we are tired of looking back and seeing the genocide of the past. We want a rightful place in creating a meaningful future for our people in our homeland.

Richard B. Williams is a Lakota Elder who has lived in Denver for 54 years. 

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