Calendar

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!

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.

Join us for this exciting collaboration with Temple Beth El!

6 – 7pm: Rabbi Prosnit, Kai Yael Gardner Mishlove, executive director of Jewish Social Services, and Rabbi Renee Bauer, director of spiritual care at Jewish Social Services, will be in conversation about the challenges and opportunities of running a social service agency like Jewish Social Services in 2025.

7:30 – 9pm: Rabbi Renee Bauer, Jewish Social Services’ Director of Spiritual Care and Outreach, will offer the sermon on “Finding joy while facing challenges in 2025 America.”

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

“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

“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