At Jewish Museum Milwaukee, volunteer docents are doing some of the most important work. One of many trained tour guides, Renice Konik shares information about the museum’s exhibits to visitors. But a docent’s job isn’t just about presenting information; oftentimes, a docent will share their own personal connections to the exhibit, too. As a docent […]

When thousands of Jews stand in front of the Western Wall during the Days of Awe, it shows “the beauty of the diversity of Judaism,” according to Israeli Rakefet Ginsburg. During the 10 Days of Awe, from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, Jews seek atonement and at the Wall worshippers can feel a tremendous sense […]

Photos are generally not permitted at Rosh Hashanah services, even at the relatively liberal Congregation Sinai of Fox Point. How this photo came to be, of Jerry and Jim Salinsky each blowing the shofar, with Rabbi David Cohen and Cantor Lauren Phillips between them, will have to remain a mystery of the High Holy Days.

Ehrich Weiss wanted to be like a superhero. Weiss, known pre-immigration as Erik Weisz, was the man who performed magic and escape acts as Harry Houdini. For Weiss, Houdini wasn’t merely a stage name, but a persona. “He created a back story and a biography for himself that contributed to the understanding of him that […]

JSummit, the biennial conference for Jewish Community Center leadership in North America, is to be held in the Milwaukee area in 2020. The Milwaukee area’s Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center has been named host, according to a news release. The event, which is expected to bring nearly 1,000 leaders in the Jewish […]

Allen Kracower has had a lot hobbies over the years. He’s bred dogs, kept horses and has been an avid hunter. In recent years, however, those activities have largely given way to what has become Kracower’s greatest passion: beekeeping. And that passion has just as much to do with the thoughtful process of beekeeping as […]