Welcome to our new series, Voices of Micah, where we are showcasing different members of the Micah community! In this first post, we feature one of our extraordinary board members, Ann Kaplan.
Meet Ann Kaplan!
If you’ve been to Temple Micah in the last two decades, you’ve probably met…or at least seen…Ann Kaplan, her husband, Mike, and their four kids. Ann is a board member and active member of the Micah community. Let’s get to know more about her and her Micah journey…
Temple Micah (TM): How did you learn about Temple Micah and what initially drew you to it?
Ann Kaplan (AK): That’s a funny story. Mike and I both grew up Jewish and were committed to raising our children in a Jewish household. When we got married, we joined a local synagogue and sent our kids to preschool there. However, we never went to services there–not even for the High Holidays, weren’t making any friends, and didn’t feel comfortable there. We started to face the fact that we didn’t like this temple. When a new assistant rabbi, who I happened to know from summer camp, started at that congregation, I met with him and told him how I’d been feeling. Rather than try to “sell me” on staying at that synagogue, he said, “Have you heard of Temple Micah?” That confirmed that we didn’t belong at that temple, so we went to check out Micah, on what happened to be Beatles Shabbat. I immediately felt happy and totally comfortable. We joined right away. That was 17 years ago and we are so happy we made that decision!
TM: How long have you served on the board and what are you most proud of during your tenure?
AK: I have been on the board for four years. Honestly, we went through a hard few years: we moved buildings, negotiated and renewed Rabbi Mo’s contract, and made some difficult staffing decisions. Not only that, but January 6 and the Israel October 7 war happened. However, we worked hard together through this dark time and came out on the other side even better. We improved everything, including our space, staff, backend financial and communications systems, and relationship with Montview’s staff.
It’s very real, authentic, non-judgmental, and a welcoming and open place for spiritual exploration. You don’t even have to be Jewish to come!
TM: What other ways are you involved at Temple Micah?
AK: We love to come to morning and evening Shabbat services. I enjoy attending Shabbat Tisch after the morning services and engaging in interesting, substantive conversations and joyful songs. I joined the High Holyday choir (truthfully, I was “voluntold” to join) and I usually sign up to read Torah on Shabbat at least a couple of times a year. My kids have all gone through religious school at Micah, and my youngest will become a bar mitzvah in about 18 months. I even taught kindergarten for several years! I also like to help with events like the Chanukah party and Spring Fling, and participate in the women’s book club.
TM: Wow, maybe we should have asked what you don’t participate in–it would’ve been a shorter list! What do you like about Micah? What keeps you engaged?
AK: It’s very real, authentic, non-judgemental, and a welcoming and open place for spiritual exploration. You don’t even have to be Jewish to come!
TM: How would you describe Temple Micah to someone who has never heard of it or attended any services or programs?
AK: It’s an alternative temple. If you’re looking for a temple that feels different from a typical one, this is it. There’s a huge bent on social justice, very open and welcome, people are having real conversations about real stuff. You’ll get counterpoint perspectives on pretty much every Jewish topic you could think of.
TM: What are three words you would use to describe Temple Micah?
AK: Fun, authentic, and deep.
TM: As a parent, what do you like about Micah’s religious school program?
AK: I love the morning gathering before the students go to their classrooms. It has good vibes and energy, and the kids get to be familiar with Rabbi Mo, who is so relatable, approachable, and does a good job involving the kids. He has a box of icebreaker-type questions and he calls on different kids to come up and answer them, which really helps build community. I am also impressed by the high-caliber teachers! They’ve always been good and I think they keep getting better.
Ann is a business, life, and parenting coach. Her husband, Mike, is a worker’s compensation attorney. They both grew up in Michigan, went to the University of Michigan, and met in Boulder in 2001. Ann and Mike have four kids: Elijah (21), River (19), Gigi (16), and Skye (11).
If you would like to share your story, please fill out this form or contact Alaina Green, communications manager.
