The best place to stay up to date on all events and programming at JSS! This calendar is always up to date and includes all the information you need to get involved.
Jun
23
Sun
Join us for a celebration of community – including our clients, staff, volunteers, and organizational partners. We will have delicious food, games, speakers, music and a great time! All are welcome.
Jul
2
Tue
Jul 2 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
The Summer Levy Series has become a welcoming of summer, and an occasion to socialize, share a wonderful meal, and feed our minds with a variety of inspiring presentations and discussions. Please join us. The program and menu for this event is below – call 608-442-4081 to register at a cost of $25 per person.
Dan Barker: “Faithful and Not-So Faithful: Some Favorite Jewish Composers and Songwriters”
Many famous Jewish composers and songwriters were secular, not believing, but most showing some caring and appreciation of their Jewish heritage and community. Some were atheists and agnostics. But a few were not. Harold Arlen, son of a Cantor, never claimed to be a nonbeliever, though he did marry a Catholic. We don’t know if Dorothy Fields was a believing Jew, but in the absence of any statements from her, we might assume she was, at least nominally. And we do know some Jews who, like Aaron Copland, had no interest or little knowledge of the faith — Leonard Bernstein called him a “fake Jew.”
Dan Barker is a talented pianist and composer who never fails to impress us with his musical stylings as well as the breadth of his knowledge about popular American composers. Dan Barker graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Religion and was ordained as an evangelist minister at the age of fifteen. He became a “freethinker” in 1983 and is now the co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
Lunch: Caesar salad, assorted artisan rolls & mini muffins, Broiled tilapia with caper picatta sauce or Goat cheese and spinach strudel, barley pilaf and steamed carrots. Dessert: Door County cherry pie a la mode
Jul
17
Wed
Jul 17 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
The Summer Levy Series has become a welcoming of summer, and an occasion to socialize, share a wonderful meal, and feed our minds with a variety of inspiring presentations and discussions. Please join us. The program and menu for this event is below – call 608-442-4081 to register at a cost of $25 per person.
Daniel Stolz – “Recent Research in Ottoman-Jewish History”
This talk will provide an introduction to recent historical scholarship on the many Jewish communities that once lived across the vast Ottoman domains of the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa. Recent years have seen a wave of innovative studies explore Ottoman-Jewish history to shed light on topics such as modern citizenship, coexistence, international law, and the formation of national and diasporic identities. Rather than explore any one subtopic in depth, this talk will reflect on the broader significance of these histories.
Professor Stolz is a gifted instructor, researcher and writer with a particular interest in the history of the late Ottoman Empire and the emergence of the modern Middle East in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His studies focus on how Ottomans used new kinds of technical knowledge to transform their society in the decades before World War I. Professor Stolz currently chairs the Turkish Studies Committee, which oversees the Kemal H. Karpat Center for Turkish Studies.
Lunch: Cream of asparagus soup, dinner rolls & mini muffins, Atlantic Salmon or Tofu Poke Bowl with veggies, ginger soy sauce, and sesame seeds, honey glazed carrots, Dauphinoise potatoes. Dessert: Mango sorbet with pirouline
Aug
15
Thu
Aug 15 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
The Summer Levy Series has become a welcoming of summer, and an occasion to socialize, share a wonderful meal, and feed our minds with a variety of inspiring presentations and discussions. Please join us. The program and menu for this event is below – call 608-442-4081 to register at a cost of $25 per person.
Lauren Strauss – “American Jews and the Impulse Toward Social Justice”
When and why did America’s Jewish community begin to organize around issues of social and civic justice? During the 20th century, the community began to engage with many social issues of the day – from immigration, labor, free speech, and women’s rights to civil rights and racial justice. This talk analyzes Jewish American activism and organizational skills, which stayed constant even in a changing world.
Dr. Lauren Strauss teaches Jewish history and Israel studies at the American University in Washington, D.C., where she also serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Jewish Studies Program. Dr. Strauss lectures widely and is a commentator at Jewish cultural events and in the press. She is active in “shared society” groups and academic organizations in the U.S. and Israel, and she has curated or served as historian for several museum exhibits. Her published articles focus on Jews and the arts, gender, and political activism.
Lunch: Nakoma salad, dinner rolls & mini muffins, Baked Cod with Toasted Spinach-Lemon Butter Sauce or Vegetable Phyllo topped with marinara and crème fraiche, roasted red potatoes, French beans and baby carrots. Dessert: Turtle sundae
Feb
16
Sun
Join us for a discussion and film screening presented by JSS, Open Doors for Refugees, Dr. Fran Kaplan, and Catholic Multicultural Center. We will watch Dr. Kaplan’s film, “Can We Make A Home Here?’, featuring stories and information on several different refugee families living in Milwaukee. Then, Dr. Kaplan, Kai Mishlove, Zabi Sahibzada, and Jason Mack, Director of ODFR, will present a panel discussion. This event is free and open to the public – please join us!
Feb
17
Mon
Tables Across Borders is a powerful community-driven dining series founded by Kai Gardner-Mishlove, Gregory Leon, Caitlin Cullen, & Christie Melby-Gibbons. This initiative highlights the culinary traditions of Milwaukee’s refugee and immigrant chefs, celebrating the diverse cultures and cuisines that enrich Milwaukee. JSS is proud to sponsor this series of events!
Each event gives guest chefs a platform to share their stories through food, offering a menu that reflects the chefs’ heritage & personal journeys. This time we welcome Syrian cuisine from Chef Tahani.
TAB fosters connections, cultural exchange, and an appreciation for the vibrant diversity within our community and is a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the transformative power of food to bring people together.
Jun
4
Wed
Join us for the first event in our 2025 Levy Series, “Sustaining Journalism and Serving Jewish Wisconsin”! What are the major challenges that confront journalists? What can Rob Golub and other journalists do to fight for a better way forward? Rob will explain approaches sometimes referred to as “community journalism” and “community engagement.” He will also share experiences from his journalism career and all about the training programs he leads, which have been a launching pad for some great American journalists. We will learn about the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, its role in the community, and how you can connect with it.
Prior to Rob Golub’s position as editor of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, he was the chief editor of The Journal Times in Racine, where he supervised both editors and news reporters. Golub has won multiple awards from the Milwaukee Press Club for his work, including a first-place award in 2022 for Best Long Hard Feature Story. For more than 15 years, he has run an internship program that trains the leading journalists of tomorrow. His “graduates” have become employees and interns at Facebook, CNN, Bloomberg, MSNBC, and other news organizations worldwide.
10:30-10:50 – Check-in
11:00-12:30 – Program
12:30-1:30 – Lunch
Lunch: Nakoma Golf Greens and Veggie Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Broiled Whitefish with Caper Piccata Sauce or Vegan Sweet Potato Curry, Barley Pilaf, French Beans and Baby Carrots. Dessert: Chocolate Mousse Sundae
Register by phone at 608-442-4081, or via mail / in-person at Jewish Social Services, 6300 Enterprise Lane, #309, Madison, WI 53719. You can print out the registration form here: Levy Registration Form
Jun
18
Wed
“Yiddish and Pennsylvania Dutch”
Today, about one-half of the world’s approximately 7,000 languages are in danger of losing their native speakers. However, a small number of languages associated with highly traditional Jewish and Christian groups are resisting the pressure of linguistic assimilation and are thriving. The two most widely spoken of these exceptional languages are, coincidentally, historically related to one another: Yiddish and Pennsylvania Dutch. In this presentation we will explore the success of Yiddish and Pennsylvania Dutch, which is connected to the demographic health of their main speaker populations, the Hasidim and the Amish.
Mark L. Louden is the Director of the Max Kade Institute for German American Studies, and an affiliate faculty member in the Mosse/Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his undergraduate and graduate education at Cornell University. Professor Louden taught for 12 years at the University of Texas at Austin before joining the UW-Madison faculty in 2000. His research focuses mainly on heritage Germanic languages spoken in North America, especially Pennsylvania Dutch and Yiddish. He serves as a medical and legal interpreter, cultural mediator, and patient navigator for Amish and traditional Mennonites.
10:30-10:50 – Check-in
11:00-12:30 – Program
12:30-1:30 – Lunch
Menu: Caesar Salad, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Pesto Crusted Sea Bass or Roasted Vegetable Napoleon, White and Wild Rice Blend, Steamed Asparagus Dessert: Tiramisu
Register by phone at 608-442-4081, or via mail / in-person at Jewish Social Services, 6300 Enterprise Lane, #309, Madison, WI 53719. You can print out the registration form here: Levy Registration Form
Jul
1
Tue
“How Jewish Wisdom Can Help Us Grow Older, Better”
The Jewish tradition is filled with practical wisdom that can help us age with more hope, resilience, and good humor. In this conversation, Holocaust scholar and certified life coach Rachel Baum shares three wise voices from different time periods of Jewish life. How can these voices be put to use today in giving us inspiration in creating a life of intention and joy? What are some essential tools for overcoming obstacles in this pursuit?
Rachel teaches courses on the Holocaust and American Jewish culture. She is also a certified life coach and host of the podcast, Making Midlife Magic, where she offers weekly insights on how to create a life of joy and meaning.
10:30-10:50 – Check-in
11:00-12:30 – Program
12:30-1:30 – Lunch
Lunch: Cream of Asparagus Soup, Assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Atlantic Salmon stuffed with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach, Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce or Tofu Poke Bowl with Veggies, Ginger Soy Sauce, and Sesame Seeds Honey Glazed Carrots, Dauphinoise Potatoes Dessert: Mango Sorbet with Pirouline Cookie
Register by phone at 608-442-4081, or via mail / in-person at Jewish Social Services, 6300 Enterprise Lane, #309, Madison, WI 53719. You can print out the registration form here: Levy Registration Form
Jul
22
Tue
“New Beginnings: Contemporary Re-Readings of the Genesis Narratives”
The creation stories in Genesis are foundational to our narrative as Jews in the world. They have been mined for meaning throughout the generations – each generation uncovering new layers that speak to their moment. Contemporary voices continue this practice. We will explore cartoonist Liana Finck’s graphic novel of Genesis and also Midrash written in recent years by Israeli women. What is novel in their interpretations? What new possibilities do they uncover? We will open such questions as: why keep returning to these narratives? How can these stories inform our relationship to the messy, ever-changing world that we inhabit?
Prior to her work at UW Hillel, Rabbi Judy spent a summer serving as rabbi of Moses Montefiore Congregation in Appleton, Wisconsin. Previously, she taught Jewish studies at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in the Chicago suburbs. Judy was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she also received a master’s degree in Midrash. She has a BA from Harvard College. Judy loves reading and baking, but you can most often find her knitting. This week Judy and her family celebrate seven years of living in Madison.
10:30-10:50 – Check-in
11:00-12:30 – Program
12:30-1:30 – Lunch
Lunch: Vegetable Barley Soup, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Baked Tilapia With Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish or Portabella Fettucine, Roasted Red Potatoes, Vegetable Medley. Dessert: Turtle Sundae
Register by phone at 608-442-4081, or via mail / in-person at Jewish Social Services, 6300 Enterprise Lane, #309, Madison, WI 53719. You can print out the registration form here: Levy Registration Form