Tuesday, April 5
Israeli singer Yair Dalal and Palestinian singer Mira Awad will perform together in a concert at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, illustrating a universal commitment to peace and communication through music. World-renowned violinist, oudist (Middle Eastern lute) and composer Yair Dalal is a peace activist who sees music as a language of peace and a bridge of communication between Arabs and Jews. During the Concert for Peace, Dalal will be playing the oud, as well as a treasured violin that was rescued and restored from the Holocaust. Dalal will be joined on stage by Palestinian singer, songwriter and actress Mira Awad. Throughout her musical career Awad has developed a unique fusion of sounds, combining the East with the West, which weave the Arabic language and its oriental ornaments with Western harmonies. Awad has collaborated with a wide range of world-famous musicians such as Noa (Achinoam Nini), World Music artist Idan Raichel, David Broza, George Dalaras, Andrea Bocelli, and Bobby McFerrin, to name a few. She is a relentless peace activist and believes in non-violent activism as a means to build bridges toward solutions. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the JCC. Held at the JCC’s Daniel M. Soref Community Hall, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance.
Joshua Hahn, Wisconsin area director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, will provide an overview of AIPAC, its mission and its work. An American organization, AIPAC works to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship by working with members of Congress in a bipartisan manner. Off the record. Bring a lunch! Co-sponsored by the local Jewish Community Relations Council and the Israel Center, both of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. RSVP at ClaireM@MilwaukeeJewish.org. Held at the Helfaer Community Services Building, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee. Noon-1:30 p.m.
Professor Levin on Milwaukee poverty
Congregation Sinai’s social action Shabbat will feature Professor Marc Levin, who will address and propose strategies for improvements to the poverty rates in the City of Milwaukee. Levin is a senior fellow and founding director of the Center for Economic Development. He teaches courses within University of Wisconsin-Miwaukee’s history department and urban studies programs. His recent work includes the subjects of urban redevelopment, wage polarization and urban labor markets. All are welcome at the program, which will begin at 6:15 p.m. 8223 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point. Free.
Part of a Latin American Film Series, “Havana Curveball” is about a Jewish American teen who sets his heart on donating equipment to young baseball players in Cuba. Beforehand, “Wheel of Life” will be screened, a short film on Cuban dance culture. Shown by the Sam and Helen Stahl Center of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and co-sponsored by the UWM Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. 7 p.m.
Individuals and groups are encouraged to sign up for a very big day of good deeds, “Milwaukee Does Mitzvot,” part of the global Jewish Good Deeds Day, organized locally by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Global results from 2015 include 930,000 participants, 61 countries and 3 million volunteer hours. For more information, contact Jake Velleman, 414-390-5727 or JakeV@MilwaukeeJewish.org. Visit MilwaukeeJewish.org/GDD to see volunteer site locations and shifts.
Temple Menorah is holding a spaghetti dinner and silent auction, with a huge selection of items and gift certificates. Works of art and a myriad of new items will be offered every 20 minutes and bidding will begin during dinner. Winners will be announced at the end of each round. The spaghetti dinner will feature Rabbi Gil Ezer’s special secret sauce served atop mounds of delicious pasta. Hosted by the Sisterhood and Men’s Club of Temple Menorah at the synagogue. 414-355-1120. Temple Menorah, 9363 N. 76th St. Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Silent auction at 6 p.m. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, April 6, at $8 per person.
Hanna, an attractive and intelligent young German woman, travels to Israel to volunteer with the disabled – solely so she can add this to her professional resume. Little does she expect to find some life-changing experiences along the journey – as well as romance. Instructor: Dr. Sherry Blumberg. In Hebrew, German and English with subtitles. Part of the “Incredible Journeys: Paths that Transform” series. Shown at the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. 7 p.m. Free to all.
Wednesday, April 13
“What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Jewishness of Jesus: A New Way of Seeing the Most Influential Rabbi in History, with Rabbi Evan Moffic.” A session for Christians and Jews with Milwaukee native Moffic, spiritual leader of Congregation Solel in Highland Park, Illinois. His book of the same title was released Feb. 1, 2016. See story, page 6 of this edition of the Chronicle. Co-sponsored by Congregation Shir Hadash, Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, and Plymouth Church. Held at Plymouth Church, 2717 E. Hampshire St., Milwaukee. 7 p.m. Free.
“Propaganda and the Public: The Power of Persuasion.” Panelist Dr. Michael Jasinski, associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, specializing in conflict and human behavior research, will look at the anti-Semitic era in which Arthur Szyk lived and sought to counter in his work. Panelist Dr. Patrick Jung, associate professor of history at Milwaukee School of Engineering, will address the ways Nazi art was used as propaganda and the nationalistic basis of German art before the Nazis came to power. Dr. Shay Pilnik, executive director of the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, will moderate this discussion and lead the post-program Q&A. This program is co-sponsored by the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center and is being offered in connection with the Jewish Museum Milwaukee exhibit, “Arthur Szyk: The Art of Illumination,” on display through May 15, 2016. RSVP by April 8 to Programs@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org, (414) 390-5730 or visit JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. Held at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee. 7 p.m. Free for members, $5 for non-members.
A new class, “American Politics and the Jews: Past, Present and Future,” is to meet five Wednesday mornings starting on April 13.As the presidential campaign heats up, join Rabbi Ron Shapiro for a special series examining the relationships between the American Jewish community and the U.S. government. Some topics include the attitudes of past American presidents towards the Jews; Christopher Columbus; Samuel Pallache (the “pirate rabbi”); early American Jewish communities; and Jewish views during the Civil War. The last two sessions will be devoted to political issues vital to Jews today, as well as a closer look at the positions of this year’s presidential candidates. To register for this class, contac Laurie Herman at LHerman@JCCMilwaukee.org or 414-967-8212. Held at the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay.Class dates are April 13, 20 and 27, in addition to May 4 and 11 at 10-11:30 a.m. $30 for both members and non-members.
Sunday, April 17
People of all faiths and philosophies gather in a small group to share a meal and participate in a moderated discussion about lived experiences and the role of faith or spirituality in their lives. Sponsored by the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. For locations contact Jenni or Tom at AmazingFaiths@InterfaithConference.org or 414-276-9050. 2 p.m., in Mequon.
Join acclaimed radio host Ben Merens for an interview with Nate Taffel, a member of the Holocaust Education Resource Center Speakers Bureau. This program allows community members, both children and adults, an opportunity to listen to the testimonies of our local Holocaust survivors while there is still time to do so, and to recognize these unique individuals for their heroic survival of the Nazi era and their creation of a new life on American soil. More information: HolocaustCenterMilwaukee.org. Co-sponsors: Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. Held at the JCC, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. 10 a.m.
A Seder will be conducted by Rabbi Levi Emmer, Veterans Affairs chaplin, and sung by Cantor Jerome Berkowitz. Guests will be veterans at the hospital and members of the Jewish War Veterans Organization. Held at the Clement J. Zablocki Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, Third Floor-B-3435, formerly B-312. 10:30 a.m.
For Seder options at area synagogues on April 22 and other dates see this edition’s Passover special section, page 2, or visit MilwaukeeJewish.org/Passover.
“A New Exodus: African Asylum Seekers in Israel” is a chance to learn about an issue. This February, Milwaukee absorbed three African asylum seekers who spent time in Israel before receiving refugee status and resettling to the United States. The issue has been a source of internal Israeli conflict and global criticism. Hear personal experiences, and explore perspectives from two local women who have led local resettlement efforts. Note: This lunch will take place during Passover; feel free to bring a lunch. RSVP at ClaireM@MilwaukeeJewish.org. Helfaer Community Services Building, 1360 N. Prospect Ave. Thursday, April 29, noon-1:30 p.m.
The keynote speaker for the community Yom HaShoah Commemoration is Sam Harris, who is one of the few Jewish children to survive the camps and was the driving force behind the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois. The commemoration will also include distinguished guest Bishop Richard J. Sklba, S.T.D., Bishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Milwaukee and winners of the Holocaust Youth Essay Contest.
The commemoration is a collaborative effort of the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. Visit MilwaukeeJewish.org/Yamim for further information. Held at the JCC, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd. 3 p.m.
An international Jewish arts festival tied to multiple cities opens in Madison on Sunday, May 1 and continues through Thursday, May 5. The focus is on recently rediscovered musical, theatrical and literary works of Jewish artists. Tickets for most events are $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased through the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office. Visit http://go.wisc.edu/4lp9sn.
Tuesday, May 3
Film class: “Run, Boy, Run”
This 2013 film is based on a true story. It follows an 8-year-old boy named Srulik who flees from the Warsaw Ghetto and survives in the forest, taking on a Christian identity with the help of strangers. Based on the bestseller by Israeli author Uri Orlev. Instructor: Jeffrey Gingold. In Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew and German. Ages 14 and older. Shown at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., White%uFB01sh Bay. 7 p.m. Free to all.
ONGOING HEALTH & SUPPORT
North Shore Al-Anon
North Shore Al-Anon holds weekly meetings on Mondays, 6:30 p.m. at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point, in the small chapel. Use the east or back entrance.
Al-Anon family groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of substance abusers who share their experience, strength and hope to solve their common problems. In Al-Anon you are not alone. Contributions are voluntary. For more information contact Abby at Abby@Cong-Shalom.org or Gerald Melnick at MelnickGerald@gmail.com.
Grief and Loss Support Group
The Grief and Loss Support Group is specifically for people who have lost a spouse. Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. Co-sponsored with Jewish Family Services and held at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point. RSVP to Abby at either Abby@Cong-Shalom.org or at 414-352-9288.
SENIOR LIVING EVENTS
MEQUON – Rabbi Steve Adams continues his series, "Bible Women," on Mondays, April 4 and 18, at 3 p.m., with "Ruth." These presentations will include some texts, discussion, and music from a piece called Bible Women, written by Elizabeth Swados, who recently passed away. "Bible Women" runs twice monthly through June 2016; stay tuned for future dates and topics.
On Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m, the Milwaukee-based Nu Jazz duo Mrs. Fun performs. Mrs. Fun, featuring vocalist Connie Graver and instrumentalist Kim Zick, brings their blend of off-center jazz, ultra-funk and neo-cabaret to each high-energy performance.
The Milwaukee Letter Carriers Band performs on Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. The 18-piece band plays patriotic tunes and music from the 40s, particularly music by the Glen Miller Orchestra. Their tremendous energy and spirit is sure to take over the stage.
On Friday, April 15, at 9 a.m., the Homestead String Orchestra plays at Sarah Chudnow Community. The orchestra, comprised of Homestead High School students, regularly performs and travels across the U.S. and abroad. Last year, they toured to New York, culminating in a memorable performance at legendary Carnegie Hall.
Songstress Julie Thompson brings her silky and soulful sounds to Sarah Chudnow Community on Wednesday, April 20, at 2:30 p.m. Expect an afternoon of toe-tapping jazz standards.
To complement its special programming, Sarah Chudnow Community also offers recurrent monthly programs. Lisa Gorelick, RN, BS, presents "Healthy Living" on Friday, April 8, at 11:15 am, and Saturday, April 23, at 2:30 p.m. Gorelick brings insight into preventative health practices. Her programs are interactive. She provides a program at Sarah Chudnow Community the second Friday and fourth Saturday of every month. If planning on attending, please refrain from wearing fragrances.
For more information on Sarah Chudnow Community events, visit SarahChudnow.org or call 262-478-1500. Questions? Email Info@SarahChudnow.org
MILWAUKEE – The “Designs of Our Lives” series continues with a variety of presentations and demonstrations throughout April at Chai Point, focusing on the appreciation of design and how it has enhanced our daily living. Speakers will include area architects, product designers, interior designers and photographers.
The April presentations kick-off on Wednesday, April 6, at 2:30 p.m., with Cindy Davis, owner of French Poodle Floral. Her “Touch of Paris” demonstration will focus on her specialty: custom European hand-tied bouquets. Davis loves playing with color, line and texture, and making people see flowers in surprising new ways.
Frankie Flood, associate professor at UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts and coordinator of the Digital Craft Research Lab, presents “The Remarkable World of 3D Printing and Other 21st Century Innovations” on Wednesday, April 13, at 3 p.m. Flood’s interest in machines and tools and the influence of his working class upbringing is a source of inspiration for the functional objects that he creates. The connection between design and fabrication and how each is influenced by material and process has been the focus of Flood’s recent research. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has received many awards.
On Thursday, April 14, at 6:45 p.m, students from the Fashion Design program at Art Institute of Wisconsin bring “Fashion on the Runway” to the Rubenstein Pavilion. The objective of the bachelor of arts in fashion design degree program is to help students attain a fundamental grounding in fashion design, including an introduction to the theory and practice of tailoring, draping, pattern drafting, construction and sewing, fashion illustration and creative design.
Lisa Jansen, ASID, vice president, Interior Design Studio, at Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Milwaukee, discusses “Trends in Interior Design” on Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m. Jansen has served in her role with Zimmerman since 1998. Design philosophy enhances the human environment with inspired, creative and rational design, which respects the past while revealing the potential of the future.
The series “From Soup to Nuts,”featuring Milwaukee culinary professionals, continues on Tuesday, April 5, at 3 p.m., with Michele Rifkin of Trader Joe’s at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale. Rifkin will talk about healthy food and snacks, and provide some samples for noshing.
Concert pianist Zoya Makhlina Goldenberg presents a spring concert on Thursday, April 7, at 1:30 p.m. The program will include classical, contemporary and jazz selections, including the music of Chopin and Mendelssohn. A native of Ukraine, Goldenberg studied piano from the age of five. After the Chernobyl disaster, she moved from Kiev to Milwaukee, where she established her piano studio.
The music continues into the evening on Thursday, April 7, at 6:45 p.m., with “Spring Fling Evening” featuring pianist Bill Hindin and vocalist Robin Pluer. Hindin has conducted and accompanied thousands of performances, most notably with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Jackson has sung in various Chicago nightclubs and appeared as the voice of the plant in Skylight Music Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors. Pluer has performed with a number of Milwaukee musicians, including Paul Cebar and Mrs. Fun. She dazzles audiences with French ballads, jazz tunes and the sultry sound of cabaret.
“Jewish History Journey at Chai Point” continues on Monday, April 11, at 2:45 p.m., with “Eastern Europe: From the Shtetl to America;” and Monday, April 25 at 2:45 p.m., with “20th Century: Zionism, Rise of US Jewry, WWII, Israeli.” Facilitated by Rabbi Steven Adams, the series explores the culture and religion from its beginnings to today and beyond. “Jewish History” runs through May 2016.
On Tuesday, April 12, at 3 p.m., local history enthusiast Karl Bandow presents “Milwaukee in Kodachrome – 1970s,” featuring a recently discovered collection of slides offering a fascinating snapshot on how Milwaukee used to look. Bandow and Adam Levin stumbled upon this chance find in a Bay View antique store. Bandow said, "To get the opportunity to see things that my grandparents saw with their own eyes; to get to kind of walk in their footsteps and see that stuff in color, it’s just incredible."
Chai Point favorite James Slauson, professor of art history and humanities at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, returns for another insightful art history lecture on Thursday, April 28, at 1:30 p.m. His publications include articles on Mediterranean art and culture, as well as writing on art and design locally and internationally.
All programs and performances are free at Chai Point unless otherwise noted. Free parking is available under the building at 1414 N. Prospect Ave.
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