One Generation to the Next
Written by Shlomit Ovadia of JCC Denver.
The traditions, wisdom, and customs we receive from our parents and grandparents play a large role in shaping our identities. For Nashville transplant Lexi Hammerman, this principle inspired her to establish a fund at JCC Denver to support young Jewish Families.
The new mom comes from a long line of JCC enthusiasts who instilled the value of caring for others. Having grown up being heavily involved in the Gordon JCC Nashville, Lexi learned through “direct example that being Jewish meant taking care of your community.” Her grandparents Madeline and Eugene Pargh, were the inspiration for the Madeline Pargh Arts and Crafts Center at the Gordon JCC Nashville, having made sure that everyone who wanted to participate in a JCC program had the means to do so.
The same day that Lexi and her husband Adam moved to Denver in July 2022, they joined JCC Denver, knowing it was an opportunity to make their roots with a new local Jewish community.
Through JCC Denver’s various programs, including Jewish Baby University—a series of classes to prepare expecting parents, and Baby Café—a social space with educational resources for new parents, Lexi and her husband have found their home away from home. “We have so much to thank the JCC and JBU for giving me, my husband, and our daughter community,” she shares.
At JCC Denver, Lexi and Adam found the connection they were seeking, and Denver was starting to feel like home. That’s when Lexi, true to her namesake, began thinking of ways she could support other parents and first-time moms like herself who might be going through similar experiences and looking to create networks of friends.
Following in the footsteps of her family, Lexi established the L’dor V’dor Fund in partnership with JCC Denver. L’dor V’dor is a Hebrew phrase that means “from generation to generation.” To her, the phrase means, “learning that privilege comes from the hard work and generosity of our previous generations and exercising our ability to step up and create change for our next generation.”
The L’dor V’dor Fund allows families to engage with JCC Denver programs and build strong foundations rooted in Jewish values. It does so by providing subsidies for JBU, as well as “living Jewishly” scholarships to defray the costs of rituals like a Brit Milah or baby naming ceremony.
“We’re trying to knock down barriers for Jewish families in our community to not only have access to necessary resources for their children and as parents but also for them to live Jewishly and bring Jewish culture into their home,” in ways that resonate.
L’dor V’dor Fund is also spearheading Baby Supply Bank, which will provide necessary products like wipes and formula, and other staples such as Shabbat candles and complementary candle stick holders handcrafted by JCC’s Ceramics Department.
Through this fund, Lexi can lead by example for her now six-month old daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, to show that community is “an important investment of time, human capacity, and kindness.”
“I hope this fund can support Jewish families care for their children and live Jewishly.”
Help pave the way for future Jewish families by donating to the L’dor V’dor Fund.