Second Chances with Dafna Michaelson Jenet

The Open Window: Dafna Michaelson Jenet on Faith and Reinvention

Christy Belz sits down with Dafna Michaelson Jenet — author, TEDx founder, former Colorado state senator, and 2026 Girl Scouts of Colorado Woman of Distinction — for a story about courage, faith, and second chances. A legislator turned advocate, Dafna shares how a decade of open windows led her from the statehouse to confronting antisemitism full-time, and why she keeps choosing to jump through them.

Key Takeaways

A Grocery Store Conversation: After a lottery ticket didn’t win, a conversation with her boyfriend about what she’d do with the money led Dafna to commit to 50 states in 52 weeks, meeting 500+ community changemakers.
The First TEDx Women License in Colorado: TED New York agreed to Dafna’s women-only event, but only if men were included — she held one with eight women and two men, and got the license a month later.
Deciding to Run: Dafna didn’t set out to run for the state legislature — a city councilman’s ask nudged her toward city council, and a different ask, from a Democrat who’d lost her seat, redirected her to the House instead.
A Family Crisis Becomes Policy: After her son’s mental health crisis at age nine exposed gaps in care for kids with unmet needs, Dafna advocated for free youth mental health care for any Colorado student.
Leaving the Legislature: After a decade in office and antisemitism she experienced directly, Dafna left this year to lead the David Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism.

Connect with Dafna Michaelson Jenet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dafnamichaelson

Website: https://journeyinstitute.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DafnaMichaelson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dafnam

Connect with Christy Belz:

Website: https://christybelz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybelz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christybelzcoach/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyBelzCoach/

UPROOT Course: https://christybelz.com/uproot/

Book: https://christybelz.com/influencer/