Jewish Social Services

Calendar


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.

Jul
2
Tue
Levy Series: Dan Barker: “Some Favorite Jewish Composers and Songwriters”
Jul 2 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Levy Series: Dan Barker: “Some Favorite Jewish Composers and Songwriters” @ Nakoma Country Club

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
Levy Series: Daniel Stolz – “Recent Research in Ottoman-Jewish History”
Jul 17 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Levy Series: Daniel Stolz –  “Recent Research in Ottoman-Jewish History” @ Nakoma Country Club

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
Levy Series: Lauren Strauss – “American Jews and the Impulse Toward Social Justice”
Aug 15 @ 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Levy Series: Lauren Strauss – “American Jews and the Impulse Toward Social Justice” @ Nakoma Country Club

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

Sep
16
Mon
Lechayim
Sep 16 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule for this week can be found below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Roasted chicken w/ lemon-rosemary, (Veg option: seared tofu w/ lemon-rosemary risotto), turmeric rice, tzimmes, challah rolls, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Welcome Back

If you would like a meal, contact Jewish Social Services at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.  If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Sep
23
Mon
Lechayim
Sep 23 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule for this week can be found below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:00 am -12:00 am: Blood pressure screening with Lori Edelstein
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Traditional brisket, (Veg option: vegan eggplant parmesan), rice pilaf, roasted carrot & root vegetables, challah rolls, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Mark Stransky: piano inspired by nature and people

If you would like a meal, contact Jewish Social Services at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.  If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Oct
14
Mon
Lechayim
Oct 14 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule usually runs as below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:00 am -12:00 am: Blood pressure screening with Lori Edelstein
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Smoked BBQ brisket, (Veg option: Stuffed bell peppers), roasted potatoes, fried corn w/ sautéed onions & peppers, challah rolls, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: “Our Vanishing Heritage: the Remnants of Jewish Life in Poland” with Beth Wortzel

If you would like a meal, contact us at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Masks are optional at our host site, Beth Israel Center. Some individuals will wear masks indoors, especially when in proximity to people they do not live with or know well. As members of a supportive, loving community, we respect that each of us will take precautions we deem necessary and encourage all to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Oct
21
Mon
Lechayim
Oct 21 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule usually runs as below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Herb De Provence chicken, (Veg option: Eggplant Parmesan), carrots & scallion couscous, green bean & three onion sauté, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Sound Billies, Americana Music

If you would like a meal, contact us at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Masks are optional at our host site, Beth Israel Center. Some individuals will wear masks indoors, especially when in proximity to people they do not live with or know well. As members of a supportive, loving community, we respect that each of us will take precautions we deem necessary and encourage all to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Oct
28
Mon
Lechayim
Oct 28 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule usually runs as below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Traditional brisket, (Veg option: pesto risotto w/ seared tofu), roasted potatoes, sautéed squash medley, challah rolls, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Interesting program, lecture or performance! Stay tuned for more details. 

If you would like a meal, contact us at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Masks are optional at our host site, Beth Israel Center. Some individuals will wear masks indoors, especially when in proximity to people they do not live with or know well. As members of a supportive, loving community, we respect that each of us will take precautions we deem necessary and encourage all to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Dec
9
Mon
Lechayim
Dec 9 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule usually runs as below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Smoked brisket, (Veg option: Mushroom Moussaka), rice pilaf, tzimmes, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Quivey’s Grove – Manor House and Stable to Restaurant

If you would like a meal, contact us at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Masks are optional at our host site, Beth Israel Center. Some individuals will wear masks indoors, especially when in proximity to people they do not live with or know well. As members of a supportive, loving community, we respect that each of us will take precautions we deem necessary and encourage all to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Dec
16
Mon
Lechayim
Dec 16 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Lechayim @ Beth Israel Center

Join us for our weekly Lechayim series! Each event begins with yoga from a chair at 11am, followed by a lunch and a wide variety of programming that is different each week. The schedule usually runs as below:

11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Roasted chicken w/ lemon-rosemary sauce, (Veg option: seared tofu w/ risotto), green bean & three onion saute, challah rolls, fruit salad & dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Immigration Stories – Danny Westerman

If you would like a meal, contact us at (608) 442-4083 or email: paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal.If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.50 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $17.20 for those younger than 60 years old.

Masks are optional at our host site, Beth Israel Center. Some individuals will wear masks indoors, especially when in proximity to people they do not live with or know well. As members of a supportive, loving community, we respect that each of us will take precautions we deem necessary and encourage all to be sensitive to the needs of others.