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.
Apr
4
Fri
Please join your neighbors, volunteers and Jewish Social Services staff for candle lighting, challah, wine, songs and discussion to usher in Shabbat, along with the opportunity to recite Kaddish. We look forward to spending this special time together with you! We celebrate Shabbat at Capitol Lakes on the first Friday of each month, led by JSS Rabbi Renee Bauer, with assistance from JSS Staff and UW-Hillel student volunteers.
No tickets or registration required – if you have questions on the event, please contact Paul Borowsky at 608-442-4083.
Apr
6
Sun
The Doll “Verbnytsa” is a symbol of the spring holiday. The doll Verbnytsa represents the image of a woman who goes to church on Easter. It not only decorates the festive interior of the home but also serves as a powerful amulet. Our Slavic ancestors never created things just for beauty—each item carried a deep meaning. The doll Verbnytsa is a protective charm that safeguards the hearth and family. It symbolizes the spring holiday of Palm Sunday, which is celebrated simultaneously with the Christian Easter. This amulet can be considered a link between ancient Slavic customs and Orthodox holidays. Slavs often placed the doll Verbnytsa in a basket with festive Easter cakes, as it could replace the Easter eggs.
We will make a doll in green color.
Necessary materials:
- Strong threads (not thick) in white or flesh color, red
- Green ribbon (for the headband)
- A belt made of knitting threads (choose a color that matches the sundress)
- Thick fabric for the base, 80 * 40 cm (it’s very good to use an old sheet, tablecloth, or an old item that you no longer use, BUT!! the fabric must be cotton)
- Colored fabric in a small green pattern (optional), 20 * 50 cm
- Light fabric for the apron, 12 * 6 cm
- Yellow fabric, 15 * 15 cm
- A headscarf
- Green scarf, 20 * 20 cm (choose a shade lighter than the sundress)
Кукла вербница — символ весеннего праздника. Кукла вербница олицетворяет образ женщины, которая идет в церковь на Пасху. Она не только украшает праздничный интерьер дома, но и служит мощным оберегом. Наши предки- славяне никогда не создавали вещи просто так, для красоты — каждый предмет нес в себе глубокий смысл. Кукла Вербница — это оберег, который защищает домашний очаг и семью. Она символизирует весенний праздник Вербное воскресенье, который отмечается одновременно с христианской Пасхой. Этот оберег можно назвать связующим звеном между древними славянскими обычаями и православными праздниками. Славяне часто ставили куклу Вербницу в корзинку с праздничными куличами, так как она могла заменить пасхальные яйца.
Мы будем делать куклу в зелёном цвете Необходимый материал:
– нитки крепкие (нетолстые) белые или телесного цвета, красные
– ленточка зелёная (на очелье)
– поясок из ниток вязальных (подобрать по цвету к сарафану)
– плотная ткать для основы 80 * 40 см (очень хорошо взять старую простынь, скатерть или старую вещь, которой уже не пользуетесь,НО!! ткань должна быть хлопчатобумажной)
– цветная ткань зелёного оттенка в мелкий рисунок (необязательно) 20 * 50 см
– светлая ткань на фартук 12 * 6
– желтая ткань 15 *15 – подкосынка
– зелёный платок 20 * 20 (подобрать светлее, чем сарафан)
Apr
7
Mon
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 the week 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: Braised rosemary lamb, (veg option: blackbean meatballs), garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed garden vegetables, challah rolls, fruit salad & cookies
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Program: Songs for the Soul – Jim and Beth
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.
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. For this event, we are excited to host Chef Hasina serving Rohingya Cuisine.
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.
Apr
9
Wed
Jewish Social Services is proud to announce the formation of a new Alcoholics Anonymous group hosted at Beth Israel Center. Hosting a recovery group in a Jewish space is an important step for the Jewish community’s work to destigmatize substance use disorder and welcome individuals and families facing this illness.
The group will be open to anyone in recovery or with the desire to stop drinking or using, whether or not they are part of the Jewish community. It will be listed at MAICO as “The Mound Street Meeting” – you can visit their website at https://aamadisonwi.org/
No registration required. Contact Rabbi Renee with any questions at rabbi@jssmadison.org.
Apr
16
Wed
Join JSS for a passover seder at Capitol Lakes! Our Rabbi, Renee Bauer, will lead a full seder in the Grand Hall. All are welcome at this event – the cost for the full luncheon menu includes brisket, matzah and other sides. Register by contacting Capitol Lakes at gcvetkovic@retirement.org or (608) 283-2204. This event costs $25. See the full menu below:
Seder plate, Matzo ball soup, beef brisket, asparagus, caramelized onion demi, potato kugel, and flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Vegetarian version available upon request.
You can call Paul Borowsky at JSS with any questions at 608-442-4083.
Jewish Social Services is proud to announce the formation of a new Alcoholics Anonymous group hosted at Beth Israel Center. Hosting a recovery group in a Jewish space is an important step for the Jewish community’s work to destigmatize substance use disorder and welcome individuals and families facing this illness.
The group will be open to anyone in recovery or with the desire to stop drinking or using, whether or not they are part of the Jewish community. It will be listed at MAICO as “The Mound Street Meeting” – you can visit their website at https://aamadisonwi.org/
No registration required. Contact Rabbi Renee with any questions at rabbi@jssmadison.org.
Apr
18
Fri
Join JSS Rabbi Renee Bauer, Volunteer Coordinator Paul Borowsky, and Spiritual Care Assistant Kristin Geil for a passover learning event at Oakwood Village! We are excited to feature special guest Cantor David Wallach, who will be teaching us about the story behind passover. We will light candles, say Kiddish, and have passover snacks as well. All are welcome, and no registration required. Please note the Nakoma Room is located in the Heritage Oaks building.
Apr
21
Mon
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 the week usually runs as below:
11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Traditional brisket, (Veg option: squash stuffed w/ Quinoa), roasted potatoes, root vegetables, challah rolls, fresh fruit and dessert
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: How to be an empowered health care consumer: You Have A Voice… Use it! – Lorrie Klemons
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.
We are excited to announce this new weekly Al Anon Family Group, geared towards supporting those who are dealing with a loved one’s addiction. This open group is inclusive and open to anyone, and does not require a reservation or any sort of fee. Please join us at Beth Israel Center, every Monday, from 5 – 6pm.