September 24, 2026 | 13 Tishri 5787
Cecilia Parkes got started as a Congregation Sinai madricha; will soon graduate with her K-12 theater teaching license Cecilia Parkes has attended Congregation Sinai since she was about 5 years old. For as long as she can remember, Sinai has been a part of her identity. Her parents have always been deeply involved in the […]
Current and former ASKT presidents celebrate their Glendale shul On Monday night, Aug. 10, at Congregation Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah, “Celebrate 40 Years of ASKT” was this year’s annual event with current and former ASKT presidents. From left to right: Bruce Peckerman, Bob Michels, Steve Baruch, Jerry Tepper, Bob Rabinoff, David Amrani, Doug Cohen, Bruce […]
The author of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘ was antisemitic—should we read him? Certain books can be found in almost any children’s library. Among other classics are Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.” With magical worlds popping from the pages, Dahl’s novels are favorites of many young readers. […]
My favorite Kol Nidre is in the 300-year-old Portuguese shul Beth Jehoeda, with a mostly Ashkenazi congregation, in my hometown of The Hague. With its inner courtyard, hidden between buildings, corridors and walls, it is sandwiched between the Turkish Embassy on one side and the more-than 300-year-old building of the first Order of Freemasons in […]
This year, I choose… To make a stronger effort to stay connected to Milwaukee’s Jewish community. As someone who grew up almost exclusively within the Jewish community, I haven’t been as intentional in adulthood about engaging with the Milwaukee Jewish community on a regular basis. I am involved as the treasurer on the board of […]
This year, I choose to remember the why. Life can be challenging. There are days when the things in front of me feel overwhelming, and even the next step can seem insurmountable. In those moments, I’ve learned that I need to stop and remember why I’m taking that step in the first place. For me, […]
My wife and I are fortunate to be healthy early retirees. And as the calendar flips to 5787, we’re also becoming empty nesters with a commitment to break the inertia of middle age. I haven’t truly wandered since I studied abroad in college. Remember the Eurail Pass, the precious ticket that provided unlimited train travel […]
I’m a cautious person and have sometimes tended to meet new ideas with a quick ‘No!’ As with most choices in our lives, what I choose this year is strongly influenced by previous decisions and events in my life. Last year I left Vermont, my home for most of my life, to take a job […]
My father was a Holocaust survivor and a rabbi, who taught me to count my blessings, which I do every day. This coming year, I choose to continue to count my blessings and work towards a just world. The Jewish value of tikkun olam is central to who I am as a Jew. We are […]
This year, I choose “joy.” That’s the first word that came to mind when I paused to consider this prompt. I could have chosen “grief.” Every day, my heart aches for my mom as she faces the increasing challenges of Parkinson’s disease. I miss my dad, who died from lung cancer 13 years ago, and I continue to grieve […]
