Explore, learn & connect!
Kavod on the Road offers engaging programs for active, older nonresidents living in the greater Denver community. Our team brings exciting events to various partner locations throughout the month. Join us in exploring new horizons, building connections and enjoying enriching experiences right in your community!
Advanced registration is recommended. Walk-ins are welcome as space allows, in the order they arrive.
February
REGISTRATION CLOSED: From Catskills to Culture: Jewish Life in the Borscht Belt
This program has reached the room capacity and we can no longer accept registrations or walk-ins on the day of the program.
Wednesday, February 18
from 1 – 2pm
at JCC Denver
Cost: $5
Presenter: Rabbi Daniel A. Roberts, Catskills/Borscht Belt specialist
Learn about the rise of the Borscht Belt as a vibrant center of Jewish life in 20th-century America. More than just a vacation destination, the Catskills became a place where Jewish families found community, opportunity, and belonging at a time when many resorts excluded them.
This lecture traces the social, cultural, and historical forces that shaped the Borscht Belt—from its immigrant roots and family-run hotels to its role in shaping American Jewish identity, humor, entertainment, and social life. Through stories, context, and reflection, we’ll examine how the Borscht Belt functioned as both a refuge and a cultural incubator, and consider the legacy it leaves behind today.
KvetchUp Live! Klezmer Music Performed by a Six-Piece Ensemble
Tuesday, February 24
from 1 – 2pm
at Hebrew Educational Alliance
Cost: $5
Musicians: KvetchUp Group
Get ready for a joyful, toe-tapping musical experience as KvetchUp—a dynamic six-piece klezmer band—takes the stage. Blending traditional Eastern European melodies with fresh, contemporary flair, KvetchUp brings high energy, rich musicianship, and irresistible charm to every performance.
Featuring vibrant clarinet lines, playful brass, soulful strings, and driving rhythm, this ensemble delivers both heart and humor through music. Whether you’re a longtime lover of klezmer or brand-new to the genre, this concert promises warmth, nostalgia, and plenty of reasons to smile.
March
The Jews of Auraria
Thursday, March 5
from 1 – 2pm
at BMH-BJ
Cost: $5
Presenter: Phil Goodstein, local historian and author
At the center of the campus of the Auraria Higher Education Center is an old stone building with Hebrew lettering. It was once the home of Shearith Israel, an independent Orthodox congregation. About a block away, is the Golda Meir House, the place where an Israeli prime minister lived as a girl in 1913-14.
The old Auraria neighborhood was once also filled with numerous Jewish residents and businesses run by such prominent Jewish families as the Ebers, the Hyatts, the Groussmans, and the Katzes.
Larry Ambrose and Phil Milstein, visible members of Jewish Denver, were crucial figures in shaping the Auraria campus. Added to all of this, there were once direct links between Auraria Jews and numerous Jewish-owned businesses in old West Denver along Santa Fe Drive. All of this and more, including the connections between Auraria and West Colfax Jewry, will be part of this wide-ranging talk.
Besides being the author of Denver Jewish Cemeteries, Phil Goodstein has written How the West Side Won, a history of Auraria and old West Denver. He treats Jewish West Colfax in his North Side Story. Copies of the books will be available at his talk for a discount with cash purchase.
Jewish Flavors In Classical Music
Wednesday, March 11
11am – 12pm
at Temple Emanuel
Cost $5
Presenter: Besty Schwarm, classical music historian
Even if they weren’t/aren’t Jewish (as Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein were), many composers have been inspired to draw upon the rhythm and flow of Jewish music. Some echoed folk traditions, others the synagogue – even if the resulting composition wasn’t intended for worship, the result was always something distinctly Jewish in spirit.
Betsy Schwarm explores the classical sounds of Judaism in this moving and informative program.
Nervous Wrecks: Jewish Men and the Women Who Love Them
Wednesday, March 18
from 1 – 2pm
at JCC Denver
Cost: $5
Presenter: Adam Rovner, Professor & Director – Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver
Writers, scholars, and comedians all point to a recognizable strain of “Jewish humor” that winds its way from the Hebrew Bible, to rabbinic commentaries, and through to today’s literary humorists and provocative stand-up comics. And this history of Jewish humor is full of examples of schlemiels and the women who love them.
Join Adam Rovner for an interactive talk that describes the how Jewish men and women are portrayed in American culture (stereotypes of Jewish masculinity, Jewish motherhood, and the non-Jewish temptresses), and what these images tell us about ourselves.
You Can’t Show That! The Story Of Film Ratings And Censorship in America
Tuesday, March 24
from 1 – 2pm
at Hebrew Educational Alliance
Cost: $5
Presenter: Dan Hudak, movie critic
In 1922, The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Of America was created by studio executives to stave off government censorship and ensure the wholesomeness of Hollywood films. It later morphed into the MPAA ratings we have today, and is now known as the MPA.
How did we go from a couple not being allowed to share a bed to steamy sex scenes? This hour-long talk explores how and why the MPA has evolved to where it is today.
Clips and images from King Kong (1933), Some Like It Hot, MASH and more are featured.
CODE OF CONDUCT: Please take a moment to review Kavod on the Road’s Code of Conduct. Our policies help create a safe, respectful, and enjoyable experience for everyone—participants, presenters, and partners—across all KOTR programs, trips, conferences, and events. Click here for details.
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS: While we are unable to provide transportation to and from our events, we’ve compiled a list of options to help you get there [click here].
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