Allison’s Jewish Journey Started in San Francisco
Like many members of Temple Micah, Allison Rimland did not grow up Jewish; she was raised Episcopalian. When she was dating Dan, they talked about what mattered to them most in their relationship and future family. She cared most about having a strong community, rituals, and presence of faith in their lives — and she was open to Judaism being the tradition that shaped their family.
Allison and Dan met in San Francisco, where they attended many interfaith programs through their synagogue and the local JCC. “I look back at that time with a lot of fondness,” explains Allison. “We spent intentional time in a community of support to figure out what we wanted for our family.” The interfaith group was led by a therapist — an experience that would plant the seed for Allison’s own career path.
How The Rimlands Chose Temple Micah When They Moved to Denver
When Allison was pregnant with their first child in 2004, she and Dan moved to Denver to be closer to her parents. It was important to find an interfaith community where they felt welcome. “We searched online for interfaith-friendly temples and visited several in-person,” says Allison. “When we went to a Shabbat service at Temple Micah, I immediately felt welcomed, which made it an easy decision.”
As a bonus, Rabbi Mo was newer to the congregation and had young children, so it felt like a great fit. Allison and Dan were also drawn to Micah’s strong social justice values that align with theirs — LGBTQ affirming, celebrating diversity, and a commitment to making the world better through social action.
Allison Discovered How Micah Meets You Where You Are On Your Jewish Journey
As their family grew, Temple Micah was there for Allison and Dan in whatever way worked best for them. For example, Rabbi Mo incorporated a baby naming ceremony for their daughter into a Shabbat in the Park service, even if it wasn’t the most traditional way of welcoming a Jewish child into the community. Their kids chose not to become a bar or bat mitzvah when they were 13. “In keeping with our family values, we let our children choose their rites of passage and the timing that felt right for them,” explains Allison. “Our daughter, Audrey, decided to have a bat mitzvah ceremony at her summer camp on the east coast when she was in high school.”
The Rimlands’ children, now 21 and 18, both attended Temple Micah’s Religious School. The family also participated in the Mishpacha group and became close with those families as they went on trips and retreats together. As the kids aged out of those programs, Dan has continued many friendships with other dads through the men’s softball team and Micah Men’s group. They also attend many services, holiday programs, and events…you may even remember Dan keeping the crowd laughing along with Kane Aldinger as one of last year’s Spring Fling & Barbecue Thing emcees!
Whatever your Jewish journey looks like, you’ll find a home at Micah.
Thinking About the Next Chapter of Life
Now, with both children grown and a new chapter on the horizon, Allison finds herself thinking about what comes next. “As I adjust to the empty nest phase and move into retirement, I think about how I want to spend my time,” says Allison. “I want to retire toward something, not away from something. My next frontier will be engaging in more of Micah’s adult education programs.”
Though she hasn’t officially converted, Allison has embraced Jewish life wholeheartedly — sometimes knowing more about the religion than Dan, who was raised Jewish, she jokes. “I appreciate that at Micah I feel fully included and welcomed. I may look at taking conversion classes in retirement if it calls to me.”
Allison says to anyone considering Temple Micah, “Whatever your Jewish journey looks like, you will find a home here.” She adds, “It’s a really warm, inviting, relaxed community that is small but mighty. People here care about the community and are highly invested. Some of the bigger temples may offer more programming, but it can feel harder to find your people.”
She reflects that she and Dan have accomplished exactly what they set out to do when they moved to Denver in 2004—they found a vibrant community to be a part of.
Allison runs Thrive Couple and Family Counseling, a Denver Tech Center practice specializing in relationship therapy. She also owns Points of Connection Travel, a therapy-informed travel advisor business helping people develop intentional and connecting travel experiences. Dan works in software sales.
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