Get Your JAAMM On!

The Neustadt JAAMM Series 2022 – 2023 is just around the corner. 

If you’ve been a long-time friend of the J, you may remember JAAMM being a festival, but thanks to your support and patronage, we have shifted the series into a “season model,” which will now run from September 2022 to April 2023.  

There are so many events to get excited about that it will be hard to choose, so come for them all! 

We sat down with Rich Cowden, our General Manager of Arts, Culture, and Community to talk about this year’s unique offerings. 

Q: It’s officially JAAMM season! How do you and the Mizel Arts and Culture Center staff choose which events to host each year?
RC: We want to curate a series that has a broad, diverse range of guests, and checks all of the boxes in the JAAMM acronym — Jewish Authors, Artists, Music, and Movies. From there, we reach out to the many artists and agents in our orbit and begin to see who’s available, who would make a strong connection with our audiences – both existing and new ones – and from there, we gradually hone in on a presented season like the one you see this year. At that point, it becomes a lot of logistical work behind the scenes — contracts, travel, technical considerations, all the nitty-gritty stuff the audience never sees.  

Q: Will all events be hosted in person this year?
RC: Yes! We’re planning all of our events to be in-person, with many also having a streaming or virtual option. 

Q: How will this year’s festival be different than years past?
RC: We try to make each year’s lineup unique and provide a little something for all types of patrons, so while we’re still refining the details around discussions, Q&As, etc., I can guarantee that we are striving for a great deal of participatory engagement — that is, we don’t want the audience to just come in, sit down, watch something, and go home. We want them to engage deeply, to interact, and feel part of the experience — because they are! 

Q: And will the JAAMM Bookstore make a return this year?
RC: Absolutely! We’re bringing JAAMM back to its roots with the return of the JAAMM Bookstore in the Mizel Lobby from October 17 to November 3 in association with our partners at Jewish Book Council (JBC) and Tattered Cover. Patrons will have the opportunity to stop by, grab a cup of coffee, browse our stacks of JBC books, and catch up with old friends. During the time the bookstore is open, we’ll be welcoming over a dozen authors with books on sale to visit and give presentations, both in person and virtually. (link to bookstore) 

Q: What makes JAAMM such a celebrated event at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center?
RC: JAAMM not only represents the most diverse set of individual opportunities for cultural engagement with professional, renowned guests that the Mizel and JCC Denver offer, but it also is guided by timeless Jewish values that we feel have a very strong appeal not only to the Jewish community, but far beyond.  

Tickets are now on sale for all JAAMM 2022-2023 events. We can’t wait to see you this season!