Calendar

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.

“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

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.

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.

“The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America”
In the decades directly following the Holocaust, Jewish leaders anxiously debated how to preserve and produce what they considered authentic Jewish culture, fearful that upward mobility and suburbanization threatened the integrity of Jewish life in America. Many communal educators and rabbis contended that without intervention, Judaism as they understood it would disappear altogether. In their searches for solutions, postwar Jews came to see residential summer camps as panaceas to their communal ills, constructing their programs with an eye towards collective transformation.
(Note: Professor Sandra Fox will be joining us via Zoom for this talk)

Sandra Fox is the Rifkind Chair in American Jewish History at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Professor Fox received her doctorate from New York University’s joint History and Hebrew Judaic Studies program in 2018. In addition to her research, Sandra is the founder and executive producer of the Yiddish-language podcast Vaybertaytsh: A Feminist Podcast in Yiddish, and is on the editorial board of In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies. She is director of the Archive of the American Jewish Left in the Digital Age. Her research interests include American Jewish history, the history of youth and childhood, Yiddish culture, and the history of sexuality. Sandra will be discussing her book, The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America (Stanford University Press: 2023).

10:30-10:50 – Check-in

11:00-12:30 – Program

12:30-1:30 – Lunch

Lunch: Caprese Salad, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Pan-fried Walleye with Panko Breadcrumb or Sun-dried Tomato and Asparagus Quiche in Puff Pastry, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Stir Fry Vegetables. Dessert: Door County Cherry Pie á la Mode

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

“What is Happening in Our Schools? Anti-Semitic Assignments and Empowering Students to Speak Up”
A chance meeting at a bookstore in upstate New York propelled author Liza Wiemer to write The Assignment, which explores how two brave teens found the courage to speak up against antisemitism and hatred. Join us for a powerful presentation about the real-life assignment, the behind-the-scenes details, the fascinating World War II research, including the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Center in Oswego, New York, and the impact on students across the globe.

Liza Wiemer’s second novel, The Assignment, was published by Delacorte Press and has received 12 honors, including being named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book. To date, The Assignment has also been translated to Russian, Polish, Italian, and Korean and has been optioned for film. In addition, Liza has had two adult nonfiction books published and several short stories included in the New York Times bestselling Small Miracles series. Since August 2020, she has presented over 650 talks and workshops across the globe. Her debut picture book, Out and About: A Tale of Giving, was published in August 2023. Every month, she writes a children’s book review column for the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. Liza received the honor of being named one of “The Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2021” by the Algemeiner. A graduate of UW-Madison, Liza has two married sons and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband, Jim.

10:30-10:50 – Check-in

11:00-12:30 – Program

12:30-1:30 – Lunch

Lunch: Seasonal Fruit Plate, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins. Choice of entrée: Mahi-Mahi with Toasted Kale Buerre Blanc or Stuffed Portabella Mushroom, Au Gratin Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables. Dessert: Assorted Cookies and Bars

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

We continue our annual tradition of cooking out at Goodman Jewish Community Campus, bringing our community together around good food and good company. Please join us for this fun event! Many JSS staff and volunteers will be in attendance. There is a $10 attendance fee per person, and lunch includes Kosher beef hot dogs and burgers, veggie burgers, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit and dessert.

Register online at this link, OR give us a call at (608) 442-4081! You can also print the attached form out and mail it in with check or cash: https://jssmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Senior-BBQ-2025.pdf

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.