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.
May
4
Mon
Join us for great food, friends, fun and interesting programs at Lechayim Lunchtime Plus. Meeting at Beth Israel Center, 1406 Mound Street, located on the corner of Mound Street and Randall Avenue. Many thanks to UW Hillel Adamah Catering for providing our delicious kosher meals!
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 $5 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $13.56 for those younger than 60 years old. The program usually runs as follows:
11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair
11:30 am -12:15 pm: Kosher catered meal from Adamah at UW-Hillel
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Lecture, performance, workshop, or another engaging program!
May
15
Fri
A Friday erev Shabbat service led by Rabbi Renee Bauer, with assistance from additional JSS staff and volunteers. Join us as we light candles, eat Challah, say Kiddush, and sing songs around the table, every third Friday of the month. The service takes place in the Westmoreland Room behind the front desk of the main entrance. No tickets or registration required – please message Paul Borowsky for any questions.
May
21
Thu
Join JSS social workers Maya Garbuz and Kate Shenker for our monthly Memory Cafe! A meeting place for designed for people experiencing memory issues, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Socialize, find support and build community without the stigma associate with dementia. Each month features a different topic, and oftentimes includes a special guest speaker or activity. All are welcome at this free and open monthly meeting!
- Start: Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Sunset (civil twilight ~6:45–6:50 PM in Madison)
- End: Nightfall (sunset on Saturday, May 23, 2026)
- Duration: Two days, from May 21 to May 23, 2026
If you want the most precise time for your exact location in Wisconsin, you can check a local sunrise/sunset calculator for Madison or Milwaukee on May 21, 2026, to confirm the exact civil twilight moment. This will give you the exact moment Shavuot begins in your area.
May
22
Fri
JSS office is closed until Tuesday, 5/26/2026. We wish you a happy holiday!
May
25
Mon
JSS office is closed until Tuesday, 5/26/2026.
Jun
5
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.
Jun
9
Tue
Register by phone at 608-442-4081, or via mail / in-person at Jewish Social Services, 6300 Enterprise Lane, #309, Madison, WI 53719. The program costs $30 per person. You can print out the registration form here: Levy Registration Form
Jordan Rosenblum, Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Director of Religious Studies at UW-Madison
His most recent book, Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig (New York University Press, 2024), won a 2024 National Jewish Book Award. According to The Wall Street Journal, “ ‘Forbidden’ is an engaging and surprisingly cheerful study of that odd couple of the religious imagination, the Jew and the pig.” In addition, he is the author of Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us About Rabbinic Literature (University of California Press, 2020); The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World (Cambridge University Press, 2016); and Food and Identity in Early Rabbinic Judaism (Cambridge University Press, 2010). He is also the co-editor of four volumes, including Feasting and Fasting: The History and Ethics of Jewish Food (New York University Press, 2019); and Animals and the Law in Antiquity (Brown Judaic Studies, 2021).
“Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig”
Jews do not eat pig. This (not always true) observation has been made by both Jews and non-Jews for 3,000 years. Over time, the pig becomes a popular metaphor for Jewish/non-Jewish identity. This talk explores this historical development. Starting in the Hebrew Bible, where the pig is tabooed (but not necessarily singled out more than other food prohibitions), we see the emergence of the pig as a symbol of Jewish identity in the Second Temple period and beyond. From the pages of the Talmud to the pages of The Forward, we follow the pig as it forages through Jewish history.
Lunch: Nakoma Golf Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, assorted Artisan Rolls and Mini Muffins choice of entrée: Atlantic Salmon stuffed with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach, Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce or Vegan Sweet Potato Curry (mild), Barley Pilaf, French Beans, and Baby Carrots
Dessert: Tiramisu
Jun
19
Fri
JSS office is closed until Monday, June 22nd, 2026.
A Juneteenth Seder is a celebratory ritual meal, usually convened by Black Jews, combining Jewish Passover traditions with Juneteenth Day, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. It features a specialized haggadah (script) to recount stories of liberation, honor ancestors, and engage in racial justice dialogue. Please email us at office@shamayim.org to join the waitlist.