"Awe rather than faith is the cardinal attitude of the religious Jew."
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Adventure Rabbi: Synagogue w/o Walls:

Adventure Rabbi is perhaps best described as a synagogue without walls. Our program was founded in November 2001 with the intention of bringing Jews back into communal religious life, through innovative religious programs, which combine the outdoors and Jewish practice.

Philosophy:
Adventure Rabbi was envisioned by Rabbi Jamie S. Korngold, who has experienced her most vibrant Jewish experiences in the outdoors. From scaling mountains to praying beneath the boughs of an apple tree in the backyard, she believes that the spirituality of the wilderness awakens Judaism.

Surrounded by the raw wonder of creation, Rabbi Korngold helps people experience an inner peace and an abiding connection to That Which is Greater Than Ourselves. In the wilderness, she believes, it is possible to distance ourselves from politics and protocol and allow the awareness of the connectedness of all things to permeate our souls.

70% of the Jews in North America are not affiliated with congregations. Adventure Rabbi is ready and able to serve the needs of these unaffiliated Jews. We offer an invigorating approach to Judaism, and have the ability to customize retreats and life-cycle events to suit your needs.

Come join us; let the wilderness awaken your Judaism.

Executive Director:
Rabbi Jamie S. Korngold serves as the spiritual leader of Adventure Rabbi. Rabbi Korngold received her ordination from Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion, the academic, spiritual and professional development center for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Korngold is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the international rabbinic association of Reform Judaism) Chaver (The Boulder Colorado Rabbinical Council) and the Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Association.

Creed:
Adventure Rabbi is philosophically and theologically aligned with the Reform Movement. We are dedicated to Torah, God and Israel, and to creating opportunities to enhance our member’s relationships with Torah, God and Israel.

Our rabbis are ordained by the Reform Movement’s seminary, and are expected to teach and preach in ways that are consistent with the mores of Reform Judaism. Our liturgy is reflective of mainstream Reform congregations.

As liberal Reform Jews, we look to our tradition to provide wisdom, insight and guidance. We then couple our ancient teachings with modern interpretations, in order to find appropriate forms of contemporary religious expression.

Like other Reform organizations, we are committed to equality of women in all forms of practice and worship, inclusion of people of all sexual orientations, and outreach to interfaith families and couples.

Life-Cycle Events
Adventure Rabbi offers life-cycle events for all stages of Jewish life. Since we do not have a building, these events are held in private homes, rented facilities, or wilderness venues.

Brit Milah and Brit Bat are the beginning of life ceremonies in which the Jewish infant is entered into the covenant with God. The parents commit themselves to raise their child with 1) the study of Torah, 2) the practice of mitzvot (Jewish ritual/ethics) and 3) to prepare their child to have a Jewish home of his or her own someday.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Rabbis from Adventure Rabbi officiate at Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for candidates who have completed the requirements of our B’nai Mitzvah program.

Weddings: Rabbis from Adventure Rabbi officiate at weddings in all sorts of venues including synagogues, back-yards, hotels, homes, parks, and mountain tops.

Funerals: Rabbis from Adventure Rabbi officiate at funerals

Teaching
Adventure Rabbi specializes in experiential teaching of Jewish ritual, practice and theology. Our outdoor programs are infused with teaching moments. From the Rabbi’s sermons on the Torah potion of the week, to discussions of contemporary theologians such as Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel, every event is filled with learning opportunities.

Rabbi Korngold is an expert in the field of Rabbinic texts dealing with Jewish attitudes about nature, and teaches from Talmud, Midrash and other sacred texts. Rabbi Korngold also has a strong background in Jewish ethics and frequently teaches on the subject of Jewish ethics for every day living.

Children’s Programs
Adventure Rabbi occasionally offers family programs. These two-hour programs are designed to encourage experiential learning on the subjects of liturgy, blessings, theology, ethical behavior and ritual practice.

Parents are expected to accompany their children to children’s programs, creating a family learning experience.

We also run educational retreats for youth, often sponsored by other synagogues or youth groups.

Pastoral Counseling and Chaplaincy
The rabbis of Adventure Rabbi are trained to provide pastoral counseling.

Pastoral counseling is provided at the request of individuals who need spiritual assistance with lifecycle events such as when contemplating conversion, preparing for marriage, coping with divorce, dealing with death etc. Pastoral counseling is also provided for individuals who want to clarify or better understand specific aspects of their Jewish religious faith.

Rabbis make visits to hospitals, retirement communities and residences to counsel the ill and the dying and to comfort the bereaved.

Rabbi Jamie Korngold: Senior Rabbi and Lead Guide.

Rabbi Korngold is a Reform rabbi, ordained by Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also received her Masters in Hebrew Letters.

Rabbi Korngold's resume is eclectic, including such seemingly divergent experiences as congregational rabbi in Canada, street musician in Japan, Emergency Medical Technician, and Outward Bound Guide.

(Click Here to see Rabbi Korngold's resume)
(Click Here to see Rabbi Korngold's Personal Statement)

Rabbi Lewis "Buz" Bogage

We are proud to have Rabbi Bogage as part of our rabbinic team. Rabbi Bogage brings years of experience to the Adventure Rabbi program. His rabbinate has taken him all over the world where he has continually explored different ways of reaching Jews.

Rabbi Bogage was born and raised in New England and was graduated from
Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He studied at Columbia University while serving as Rabbi the Central Synagogue of New York City. He continued graduate studies at the university of Denver while serving as Rabbi of Temple Micah.

Rabbi Bogage has received his graduate degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was ordained a Rabbi and received his Doctorate from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Rabbi Bogage has visited communities all over the world including Africa, Iran, India and Europe.He served the Jewish Community in India and also helped to organize Jewish communities in the Far East.

Rabbi Bogage served as Rabbi and Professor of Modern Jewish Philosophy and Religious Thought at University of South Florida and DePauw University in central Indiana.

He is retired and lives in Denver where he loves being in the outdoors, hiking, biking canoeing and fishing.

Bookkeeping/Accounting:
Chloe DiVita of DiVita and Associates is in charge of financial transactions, bookkeeping and accounting for Adventure Rabbi. Chloe has been with Adventure Rabbi since our inception in November 2001.

Web Development:
Jeff Finkelstein has been with Adventure Rabbi since our inception in Nov 2001 and launched our first website in Feb 2002. Jeff's talent and skills in web development allow Adventure Rabbi members to have an unprecedented level of accessibility to our group and an extremely interactive relationship with our staff. Our easy to use site serves as a model for other religious institutions. Our innovative monthly newsletters help keep our membership in touch with our ever growing list of services.

Alison Wallis began guiding for Adventure Rabbi in March 2004. Alison is well-known in the Jewish-outdoor world for (among other things) her work with Colorado Mosaic Outdoor Mountain Club (MOMC). On most weekends, you can find her in the mountains either adventuring with her husband Richard or leading trips.

Alison has vast experience as an outdoor leader and we are proud that she is a member of the Adventure Rabbi team.

Jeff Finkelstein brings to the trail years of experience working in the Jewish camping world. He is proud to be product of the Reform Movement's youth group system. Jeff adds to his Jewish knowledge his skills as a backcountry guide, ski patroller and mountaineer.

James Brodsky:
James Brodsky is a Denver resident originally from New York, who has been cycling as a hobby since he was 13. He has been involved with Adventure Rabbi for the past three years, and has also led cycling, hiking, and skiing trips for the Mosaic Outdoor Mountain Club. James Brodsky is the main biking guide for the Adventure Rabbi program and leads three hard-core road bike rides throughout the summer. He also guides the peak trip with Jeff Finkelstein and Rabbi Korngold.

Gwen Brodsky:
Gwen has been an active member of Adventure Rabbi since 2004. She and her husband James celebrated their marriage on an ARI peak trip with an auf-ruf ceremony at 14,000 feet. Gwen been on more trips than one can count. Gwen specializes in leading wilderness outings for the organization, including backpacking and mountain climbing in the Colorado high peaks.

Our Leadership Council is in charge of Vision, Programming and Fundraising. Each member of the Council has a portfolio of activity of which they are in charge. The Council meets regularly throughout the year.

Dr. Noah Finkelstein: President of Council
Noah Finkelstein is an award-winning and nationally-recognized, assistant professor of physics at the University of Colorado. In the last four years Prof. Finkelstein has built one of the largest research groups specializing in physics education in the country. With colleagues, he manages roughly 20 people (graduate students, postdocs and staff) and millions of dollars in funding. Finkelstein is considered a national leader in the field, was elected to and serves on four national boards which help develop and guide the fields of physics education and physics education research. He additionally serves as a consultant or advisor on many (roughly 5) national-scale research projects and has written and spoken extensively on the topic (with over 40 peer reviewed papers and over 50 invited addresses). From 2000-2003, he served on the Board of Directors of Hillel of San Diego, where he developed and supported the vision of the area-wide Hillel programs, and developed stronger ties among undergraduates, graduates and faculty involved in Hillel. Finkelstein has been actively involved in building and supporting Jewish communities since the 1980's.

Dr. Jeannette Domber:
Jeanette Domber is a structural engineer for Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, CO. She currently leads the Ball team tasked with designing the hardware for the repair of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph electronics aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Before working on HST, Dr. Domber was the lead structural analyst for an instrument to be flown aboard one of the nation's weather satellite systems. Dr. Domber specializes in the dynamics of precise structures having received her Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her research focused on the impact of material nonlinearities on the design and stability of large optical structures. In addition, Dr. Domber has served as a leader in the Boulder Jewish community acting as the contact and organizer of the Young Jewish Professionals group before moving on to become active in the Adventure Rabbi organization. She is a graduate of the Denver Federation's Leadership Program.

Raj Seymour:
Raj Seymour has lived in Colorado for the past 15 years. He originally moved to Boulder to attend Colorado University and received a degree in Sociology with a focus on conflict management and juvenile delinquency. During this time he worked at a Jewish sleepover camp in Malibu, ran an after school program and worked at a variety of elementary schools. For the last 10 years he has been a glass artist. In 1997 he opened a retail store in the Hill District of Boulder, and served on the Hill Alliance for a number of years ending in 2006 when he sold his store. He brings to the board strong roots in the community, a solid business background and a very personable demeanor.

Gwen Brodsky:
Gwen and her husband, James, have been active members of Adventure Rabbi since 2004. Gwen specializes in leading wilderness outings for the organization, including backpacking and mountain climbing in the Colorado high peaks. The outings are infused with Jewish teachings, such as the weekly Torah portion or an upcoming holiday celebration. Gwen is an environmental consultant specializing in the energy sector.

James Brodsky:
James and his wife, Gwen, have been active members of Adventure Rabbi since 2004. James specializes in leading road bike rides for the organization along the Colorado Front Range. During a rest break in the ride or a meal afterwards, James shares teachings from the weekly Torah portion and interesting facts from Jewish history. James is a software sales engineer for IBM.

Catherine Greener:
Ms. Greener, Vice President, Act Now Productions, has more than 20 years of experience in the implementation of strategy, sustainability, lean thinking, manufacturing, waste reduction, and quality management systems. She has led sustainability and resource efficiency projects for clients, from entrepreneurial start-ups to the industrial facilities of multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Greener is an advisory board member of the following organizations: Erb/CEMP, University of Michigan; Power Partners, Athens Georgia; Energy Pioneers, Camden, New Jersey; and Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.

Jane Saltzman:
Jane Saltzman is a former criminal defense attorney from Chicago. She has extensive experience serving as arbitrator and professional mediator. Since moving to Boulder, Salztman has supported a variety of schools and not-for-profit organizations and serve on the Board for the Watershed School. She is an artist and entrepreneur and through Adventure Rabbi found her way back into Judaism through strong beliefs in spirituality and nature.

Alison Wallis:
Alison Rabinoff has been a project manager for 11 years with Steelcase. Her project management and communication skills are tested each day as she manages nationwide services for a telecommunications company. Outside of the office, Alison is active in the Jewish community and outdoor activities. Her leadership skills and love of the outdoors led her to be a volunteer wilderness leader with Mosaic Outdoor Club, Adventure Rabbi and the Girls Scouts. Within the Jewish community she is known for her tireless dedication to the Jewish Group Home and its eight developmentally disabled residents.

Advisory Members:
Rabbi Joseph Goldman – Past Chairman of the Reform Rabbi’s Pension Board
Daniel Bennet - Executive Director for the Colorado Agency Jewish Education
Michael Stone – Business person and philanthropist