Travis Lehman is springboard fellow
Travis Lehman, of Manitowoc, is a springboard fellow at Hillel at Florida International University. The two-year program is for early-career professionals working “to make Jewish campus life more engaging and inclusive for college students,” according to Hillel International’s website.
Lehman has a degree in international studies and political science from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was active in the Milwaukee Jewish community at both Hillel and Chabad.
Lehman was part of the first cohort of Birthright Israel Fellows since the attacks of Oct. 7.
Lake Park Synagogue is closed
Lake Park Synagogue, which opened on Milwaukee’s east side in 1987, has permanently closed, according to its final president, Andrew Colegrove.
The shul’s last service was on Dec. 28, 2024, after membership declined and finding a new rabbi became difficult. The Orthodox congregation has at different times been led by rabbis Joseph S. Ozarowski, Baruch Perton, Nahum Spirn, David Fine, Shlomo Levin, Nissan Andrews and Joel Dinin.
Colegrove moved to Milwaukee in 2019 and became president in May 2024. The shul owns its building, a grand, older house, at 3207 N. Hackett Avenue, which may be transferred to another Jewish organization.
“I think there were a lot of things that were special about Lake Park as a community,” Colegrove said. Members have joined other synagogues, he said.
Grants for Wisconsin camps
The Foundation for Jewish Camp announced $15 million in new funding this winter for its network of over 300 day and overnight camps, from The Gottesman Fund to support capital expansion projects and field growth.
Grant recipients included Camp Ramah, north of Eagle River, and OSRUI, the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, in Oconomowoc.
Reva Fox joins fellowship cohort
Reva Fox, arts & culture director for The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, is one of the eleven JCC professionals in the third cohort of The Martin Pear Israel Fellowship.
The 18-month program immerses JCC professionals in a comprehensive learning experience, including in-person gatherings, web-based education, and an impactful Israel experience, followed by six months of project implementation, according to a news release. The fellowship aims to develop and retain JCC talent, helping to cultivate a new generation of leaders committed to Israel and Jewish communal life.
“We are very excited to begin the third cohort of the Martin Pear Israel Fellowship and look forward to their journey,” said Dr. Andi Meiseles, director of the Martin Pear Israel Fellowship and senior advisor for Jewish education at JCC Association. “Building on the incredible dedication demonstrated by members of the first and second cohorts, members of the third cohort will continue the important work of engaging with the complex realities of Israel and forging their own deep, lasting connections to the country and with one another.”
Fox began her career in the Jewish community as Milwaukee’s first PJ Library Coordinator. Fox specializes in using the arts to tell Jewish stories and bring together diverse communities.
With a background in theater, Fox holds an MFA in Directing and has worked professionally as a director and actor in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, and Milwaukee. She has been a founding member of several theater companies, including Milwaukee’s Bard and Bourbon.
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