Steamboat's First Full-Time Rabbi Leaves After Doubling Congregation

Steamboat Springs —From 70 families to approximately 150. That is the headline number in a statement released by Har Mishpacha, the Steamboat Springs Jewish congregation. It is also the metric that defines the tenure of Kolby Morris-Dahary, who announced in late October that she is stepping down as the congregation’s rabbi effective June 30.

Morris-Dahary has held this position since 2022, making her Steamboat’s first full-time rabbi. In the letter to members, she framed the departure not as a retreat, but as a strategic pivot for her family.

“This has been an extraordinarily difficult decision, precisely because of how deeply I care about Har Mishpacha, the people who make up this community, and the Jewish community we have built together,” Morris-Dahary wrote. “This is my decision, made after careful thought about what is right for my family and for the next chapter of my rabbinate.”

The timing matters. By announcing in late October, she is giving the board roughly eight months to navigate a transition that will likely reshape the religious landscape of Routt County. Board President Katy Goodman confirmed in the statement that the board has accepted her decision and will form a search committee in the coming weeks. The board also plans to seek members’ input on Har Mishpacha’s future, a move that signals the organization is not just looking for a replacement, but redefining its structure.

Let’s do the math on what Morris-Dahary left behind. She claims credit for more than doubling the congregation’s membership. She also lists a revitalized Jewish education program, consistent Shabbat and High Holiday services, and the launch of several distinct initiatives. These include STAND (the Steamboat Team to Disrupt Antisemitism and Discrimination), the Har Young Adult program, a book club, and a women’s group. On the infrastructural side, Har Mishpacha added a Torah scroll, modernized its systems, and expanded its staff.

The financial picture appears stable. Morris-Dahary noted that through fundraising, the congregation has maintained balanced budgets and built prudent reserves. She specifically highlighted an endowment established through the generosity of the Liman family. For a small congregation in a resort town, an endowment is more than a line item; it is the difference between surviving a slow ski season and collapsing.

Morris-Dahary’s letter suggests her family may be moving away from Steamboat entirely. She asked members to meet the news with “tenderness and chesed,” emphasizing gratitude for what was built.

The Vacancy Problem

The practical reality is that Steamboat Springs has never had a full-time rabbi before Morris-Dahary arrived. For years, the Jewish community likely relied on visiting clergy or a part-time presence. Now, that full-time anchor is leaving.

The community grew from 70 to 150 families during her tenure. That is a significant demographic shift in a town where the population swells seasonally. A full-time rabbi serves as an administrative hub, a community organizer, and often the primary point of contact for interfaith partnerships. Morris-Dahary noted that her team deepened these partnerships, engaged local schools, and advocated for Jewish life in the valley.

When she leaves on June 30, that administrative and spiritual infrastructure loses its central node until a successor is found. The search committee will be tasked with finding someone who can sustain the growth, manage the endowment, and keep the community engaged without the specific personal chemistry that built it from 70 to 150 families.

For locals, the immediate impact is logistical and cultural. The community that has expanded over four years now faces a leadership vacuum in the middle of its growth curve. The cost of maintaining that momentum — staffing, programming, and financial reserves — will fall on the board and the remaining members. The search is for a rabbi, yes, but it is also for the next chapter of a community that has doubled in size and now must prove it can sustain itself without its founder.