On Wednesday, Feb 13, representatives of several Denver Orthodox Jewish institutions joined Agudath Israel in meetings with elected officials. The “Day at The Capitol” event is an annual event for nonprofits hosted by the Colorado Association of Non Profits, but this was the first time that it featured a large Orthodox presence.
Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D-Commerce City) was happy to see the group, and encouraged them to have a stronger Orthodox presence at the Capitol.
“Lawmakers are constantly making decisions about issues affecting our community, so it is critical that we are here to express our concerns or support,” said Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, Director of Agudath Israel of Colorado. “We will be ramping up our grassroots advocacy and engagement in the months ahead as several relevant pieces of legislation will be moving through the General Assembly.”
The participating organizations included: Agudath Israel of Colorado, Aish Denver, Beth Jacob High School, Denver Academy of Torah, Denver Community Kollel, and Yeshiva Toras Chaim.
“Our elected officials want to serve the best interests of their constituents, they therefore need us to educate them about our needs” says Rabbi Yechiel Erlanger, Director of Community Relations for Aish Denver.
Members of the group met with:
- Representative Tony Exum Sr., (D-Colorado Springs)
- Representative Meg Froelich, (D-Greenwood Village)
- Representative Chris Hansen, D-Denver)
- Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet, (D- Commerce City)
- Senator Dominick Moreno, (D-Commerce City) Representative Donald Valdez, (D-Alamosa)
- House Minority Leader, Representative Patrick Neville, (R-Castle Rock)
To get involved in Agudath Israel’s grassroots efforts please contact Rabbi Yossi Kaplan at ykaplan@agudathisrael-co.org or 720.589.1414.