You can鈥檛 miss artist Randy Salky鈥檚 house in the hills above downtown Steamboat Springs. The yard is decorated with his found-object sculptures, built with tent poles and broken pottery. His latest creation is a menorah - a special candelabra that Jewish people light during the eight nights of Hanukkah - made from recycled snowboards.
鈥淚 affectionately call it eight nights of shred,鈥� Salky said. 鈥渢here are eight candles made out of snowboards, each with a light that represent the eight nights of Hanukkah with the center one, which is taller, and that's referred to as the Shamas or the leader, and that's generally the candle that is used to light the other individual candles each night.鈥�
For 8 Nights of Shred, each 鈥渃andle鈥� takes 4 snowboards, mounted at right angles on a rotating plywood base. The local Christy Sports donated the used decks for the project. Salky said he started the project last summer and wrapped it up in time for the Jewish Festival of Lights with help from several friends and neighbors.
But 8 Nights of Shred is not the first time Salky has been inspired to infuse the Hanukkah holiday with a little mountain culture.
鈥淭his is probably the fourth menorah that I've built. There's one that I made a long time ago, made out of skis,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou see a lot of houses where people make fences out of skis and snowboards. And I got the idea of, why not make a menorah out of skis?鈥�
Salky鈥檚 large-scale, sculptural menorot (the plural of menorah in Hebrew) have long been a holiday symbol for Har Mishpacha, the oldest synagogue in Steamboat Springs, where he has been a member for years.
鈥淚t's very Steamboat,鈥� said Kolby Morris-Dahary, Har Mishpacha鈥檚 rabbi. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing way to celebrate the holiday, but also be truly Coloradan.鈥�
Salky鈥檚 earlier creations - one menorah made of plexiglass, followed by another made from fenceposts - have been official Har Mishpacha menorot for about a decade. The congregation mounts the menorah each Hanukkah on the lawn of the Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church, where the synagogue has been housed for about a decade.
Rabbi Morris-Dahary said Salky鈥檚 menorot are especially beloved by the congregation because of their part in the story of Har Mishpacha鈥檚 evolution from a small, scrappy congregation that lacked a physical home, into the thriving community it is today.
The rabbi said the story predates her tenure with the congregation, but she said it all started about 10 years ago.
鈥淭he courthouse here in Steamboat wouldn't allow for the Jewish community to display their menorah on the lawn,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t the time, many years ago, we didn't have a home, we didn't have a building, we didn't have anywhere that we could put our menorah for Hanukkah.鈥�
When Pastor Tim Selby at the Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church read about the synagogue鈥檚 predicament in the local paper, he reached out.
鈥淚 don't remember how that exactly happened, but I know my feeling was we'd love to have them do that here on our property,鈥� Selby said. 鈥淚t's that sentiment of, 鈥楬ey, we want to help you have your expression here as well.' So, we offered.鈥�
That year, Har Mishpacha Salky鈥檚 menorah on the lawn of the church, and a relationship between the two congregations blossomed from there. It wasn鈥檛 long before the United Methodist Church welcomed the Jewish Congregation into its building, giving Har Mishpacha a permanent physical home.
鈥淚t's really become a legend in my community,鈥� Morris-Dahary said. 鈥淭he light that came out of it and this incredible partnership that wouldn't have maybe come around had it not been for Heart of Steamboat saying yes (to the menorah).鈥�
Sentiment has certainly changed at the local government in the intervening years. In 2014, the county wouldn鈥檛 allow a menorah on their property at all. Now, in 2024, they鈥檙e the Chabad Jewish Center in Steamboat had no trouble getting permits to hold a Hanukkah party in the area in front of the courthouse, including their own ice menorah that will remain on the grounds for the duration of the holiday.
This year, Salky鈥檚 newest sculpture, the snowboard menorah, will also be on display at the base of the Steamboat Ski Resort, where Rabbi Morris-Dahary says her congregation is proud to share their tradition with the larger community.
鈥淭his time of year it's darker, we tend to shelter inwards in our own families,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut our holidays, including Hanukkah, encourage us to spread our light and to be open to other cultures, other people in our community and in the world.鈥�
On Saturday her congregation will celebrate with a Hanukkah party at the base of the mountain. They鈥檒l sing songs, chant the blessings to light the snowboard menorah, and serve hot cocoa and sufganiyot - jelly donuts that are a traditional Hanukah treat.
The Har Mishpacha Hanukkah party and menorah lighting will start at 3:00 on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the base of Steamboat Ski Resort. Everyone is welcome.
