Join in supporting the New Building Campaign!
We encourage your participation in two matching grants
$360,000 Grandparents Challenge Match – A generous match to inspire gifts from grandparents and ensure a strong Jewish future for our children and grandchildren.
$180,000 Match in Honor of Rabbi Marc – A special opportunity to recognize Rabbi Marc’s leadership and lasting impact on our community.
With your support, these matches will double the impact of every dollar given, bringing us closer to making our new home a reality. Our vision is for 100% participation. Every gift—no matter the size—moves us forward.
Bonai on the Common's land-use plan approved by the City of Boulder and Boulder Planning Board
February 09 2026
On Tuesday night, a public hearing of the City of Boulder Planning Board culminated in a moment of profound significance for Bonai Shalom. We attended the public hearing to present our case as to why the Planning Board should approve a Site Review Amendment to the Boulder Jewish Commons Site Plan allowing for the development of our new synagogue building. While the agenda was detailed and bureaucratic, the experience—and especially the unanimous outcome—was deeply moving.
The thought and work that Jeff Gan Levy, Liz Hanson, Daniel Aizenman and others on the new building team put into how we presented our case was staggering.From a thorough and compelling presentation from our lead architect Shannon Jones, to powerful testimonies from our members about sustainability, inclusion, education and social action, to a sobering presentation from our security consultant, and to very loving and supportive statements from Rabbi Fred Greene of Har HaShem and The Rev. Mary Kate Rejouis of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, we presented an engaging and full picture of our values as a community, and why a new building is so desperately needed, that impressed everyone deeply
It was a long meeting and after a short recess, the members of the Planning Board returned and one by one gave very enthusiastic and positive responses. They expressed their gratitude and praise for the ways in which we have gone above and beyond what we are required to do and the thoughtful ways in which we have responded to the neighbors’ concerns with a design of a building committed to a sustainable facility with considerable outdoor space and a building that fits into the neighborhood. They added very positive, personal comments about how impressed they were with our community, and the unanimous approval was, in my view, not just an endorsement for a new building, but for the place of the Jewish community in Boulder!
It was a huge boost for us and for our campaign as we move forward to close the gap and break ground by the end of this year!
A big shout out to Jeff and the whole team!
In my brief comments, I shared that the Torah reading this week, Parshat Terumah, begins descriptions of a more ancient community building project - the Mishkan, the desert Tabernacle, or portable sanctuary. Every person participates, bringing a voluntary donation from their heart. The verse - ‘v’assu li Mikdash, v’shachanti b’tocham - let them make for me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among them (Exodus 25:8), is so poignant. God says if the community builds this sacred space, God will dwell among the people, in their hearts, not in the building. That is our aspiration too; that we create this new building together, for the sake of the many people who will gather in community, to schmooze, to learn, to pray, to celebrate, to mourn, to be together.
I feel very proud of what has been accomplished and confident that we will have a beautiful, new spiritual home in which we will all feel safe and seen for who we are and what we bring.
- Rabbi Marc
Bonai on the Common’s land-use plan submitted to the City of Boulder
May 09 2025
We are excited to announce that Bonai has filed a land-use application with the City of Boulder to initiate the City’s Site Review process to approve the development of a synagogue building on Lot 2B of Boulder Jewish Commons. This is the first formal step in a multi-step City of Boulder approval process.
Submitted to the city is the design work for the new synagogue to reflect the focus of the City review at this juncture: our overall site plan, the location of our building, the relationship of our building to the public realm, the quality and aesthetics of our building and perimeter fencing, and high level landscaping. While we anticipate that the City will generally be favorably inclined towards our project, it is common to be asked to make a number of changes before the City approves our project.
We anticipate the review and approval process will take approximately 6 months. Once the City of Boulder grants general approval, the next phase is the submission of Construction documents & Building Permit application. This phase will require submission of additional design and technical details.
You can view the design work submitted to the City of Boulder in the slideshow below, or by clicking here.
Charitable Giving Presentation
Interested in making a gift to Bonai's capital campaign, but unsure of the best way for you to give? Curious about IRA required minimum distributions? Standard deductions for charity? Donating appreciated assets to avoid capital gains taxes? Have all your questions answered by Jeff Witz CFP®, Director of Business Development & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® at MEDIQUS Asset Advisors, Inc.
Watch the recording of his presentation here!