What’s nu? October, 2019 | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

What’s nu? October, 2019

 

In theater: Hasidic man’s role in death

“Fires in the Mirror,” a play about a Hasidic man’s role in the death of a black child, runs though Oct. 13 at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

In the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in August of 1991, a Hasidic man’s car jumped a curb, killing a 7-year-old black child. Later, a Hasidic rabbinical student was stabbed and killed in what appeared to be an act of retaliation. Neither side felt like they got justice.

This play shows the racial tensions between the Jewish and black communities within the Brooklyn area and is based on the true events of the Crown Heights Riot.

“Fires in the Mirror” is written by Anna Deavere Smith and directed by Marcella Kearns and C. Michael Wright. The stars of the play are Marti Gobel and Elyse Edelman. The show runs through Oct. 13, 2019.

For ticket and schedule information, visit MilwaukeeChamberTheatre.com

Tony award winner Patinkin to appear

Mandy Patinkin, a Tony and Emmy award-winning performer, will appear in concert Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, at the Riverside Theater, an event offered by the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.

Patinkin played Inigo Montoya in the 1987 film “The Princess Bride.” He has been the voice of Papa Smurf and appeared in “Yentl” and “Dick Tracy.” He won a Tony Award for his role in “Evita” on Broadway and won an Emmy Award for his role on “Chicago Hope.”

The concert, called “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: DIARIES,” will be a mixture of many of Patinkin’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes, along with selections from his newest recordings on Nonesuch Records.

Patinkin is not only an acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller, but he is a board member of the Arava Institute, a leading environmental studies and research institute in the Middle East, and works with the International Rescue Committee, according to a news release. His social advocacy work also includes support of causes such as American Jewish World Service, Doctors Without Borders, Americans for Peace Now, PAX and the International Rescue Committee.

“Beyond an evening of exceptional music, storytelling, and community building – it’s a privilege to bring in an artist whose character matches his talent,” JCC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Shapiro said.

Tickets for “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: DIARIES,” presented by the JCC, are at PabstTheater.org.

‘Reverse Tashlich’ to benefit the Earth in Madison

University of Wisconsin – Madison students will do a “Reverse Tashlich” this Rosh Hashanah, in an effort to build a better Earth.

On Rosh Hashanah, Jews typically attend a tashlich service, where they symbolically repent sins by throwing bread into a body of water.

Human conduct creates six million tons of human trash every year, according to Madison Hillel. Hillel students, as well as anyone from the community who would like to participate, will help reduce this waste with Reverse Tashlich. Participants will gather at Madison’s lakefront to clean up trash and debris, to start off the new year with a beautiful and fresh environment.

For more information about the Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 event, visit UWhillel.org or call Madison Hillel at 608-256-8361.

Reform leader to speak

A president emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism is to visit Congregation Shalom in Fox Point for a scholar-in-residence weekend.

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie is to visit on the weekend of Oct. 25-26, 2019 for the Noman and Ethel Gill Scholar-in-Residence weekend.

The weekend will be filled with Jewish knowledge and learning with the rabbi, according the synagogue. During Friday night services, Yoffie will speak on “Social Justice and the Synagogue in a Divided America.” It is possible to speak with him at the Oneg following the service.

Saturday morning Torah study led by the rabbi will be in the Kesselman Chapel. A lunch and learn will follow with a discussion on “Healing the Soul of America: The Social Justice of American Jews.”

For more information, contact Abby@Cong-Shalom.org.

Five-year calendar published

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Milwaukee Jewish Federation published a new five-year Jewish holiday calendar to help teachers, coaches, government agencies and administrators organize their scheduling around Jewish holidays.

This calendar has every date you need through 2024. It includes major Jewish holidays and religious observances from Rosh Hashanah to Shavuot.

The community can use the calendar in meetings with employers and teachers. It is also very useful for family gatherings and holiday parties with friends or co-workers, according to the Jewish Community Relations Council.

The 2019-2024 calendar can be found here. To order a printed version, contact the JCRC Assistant at 414-390-5781.

Borsuk to enter Hall of Fame

Alan J. Borsuk, journalist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will be inducted into the Media Hall of Fame at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino on Nov. 1, 2019.

Every year, the Milwaukee Press Club recognizes individuals whose journalism has positively impacted the community.

Before going to law school in the 1970s, Borsuk wanted to work for a year or two. This turned into 37 years at the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As a reporter, columnist and editor, Borsuk has positively given back to the Milwaukee community with stories on Milwaukee city government, courts and environmental issues.

Borsuk finally made it to Marquette Law School in November 2009 as a senior fellow in law and public policy. He writes for the Law School faculty blog and works on the Marquette Lawyer Magazine and research projects.

For all of his hard work, Borsuk will be recognized at the Media Hall of Fame Dinner. For more information, visit MilwaukeePressClub.org.

Teen Israel Leadership Institute slated for Atlanta

A “Teen Israel Leadership Institute” is to be held in Atlanta this winter by The Center for Israel Education and the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel.

Tenth through twelfth grade students can attend the Teen Israel Leadership Institute from Dec. 6-8, 2019

The cost for the weekend is $100 per participant which includes kosher food, housing and program materials. There is also a travel stipend of up to $200, which teens must submit within 10 days of the workshop.

Teens will engage in a series of learning activities all about Israel and Zionism. The institute shows students how to apply their knowledge to benefit their communities, according to a news release.

“It just made me feel really lucky to be a part of a religion that comes together with so much strength and power,” attendee Noa Libchaber said, according to the release.

For more information on the Teen Israel Leadership Institute, visit CenterForIsraeled.wufoo.com

Temple Menorah invites you to Israel trip

Temple Menorah’s Rabbi Gil-Ezer Lerer and Debbie Lerer will be leading a tour to Israel Jan. 27-Feb. 9, 2020 in honor of the congregation’s 100th anniversary.

For 12 nights of accommodations, eight days of touring, four dinners, daily breakfasts, and transportation to O’Hare Airport, the cost of the trip is $4,863.

The entire community is invited to join this journey to Israel, according to Gil-Ezer.

For more information on this trip, email Rabbi@TempleMenorah.com.