Rabbi Jonathan Biatch’s title will soon be followed by the word “emeritus,” but he doesn’t view that transition as his retirement.

Rather, Biatch said, he is “concluding and progressing.” On June 30, Biatch will finish his tenure as the rabbi for Temple Beth El in Madison, a Reform congregation serving about 600 households.

Biatch has been at the synagogue for 19 years, having worked there since 2005.

“Working with people, being with families undergoing sometimes joyous and sometimes painful life cycles, really the quality of the people has kept me here,” he said.

Raised in California, Biatch initially pursued a career in the field of broadcasting and spent a year in Israel working for a division of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

Upon returning to the U.S., Biatch completed a graduate degree in Jewish communal service and in the 1980s worked for Jewish Federations before he decided to become a rabbi, realizing he “would even be more happy working for a synagogue.”

An aspect of the work Biatch has enjoyed has been advocacy outside Temple Beth El. Being based in Wisconsin’s capital, Biatch said he has used his position to be engaged in statewide issues.

For example, he said, in 2006, a proposal circulated in Wisconsin to amend the state constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. Biatch said he engaged his community to take a stand opposing the amendment, something he said religious communities don’t do with frequency. He also testified at the Capitol and connected with legislators representing the area to make his case.

The amendment passed but was struck down by the judiciary in 2014. Biatch reflects fondly on what he called the “social justice part of my work.” That is, applying Jewish principles in life.

The congregation is acknowledging Biatch’s efforts in that area. On April 14, Temple Beth El’s Mitzvah Day, board president Leslie Coff said the synagogue recognized the inaugural recipient of its Rabbi Jonathan A. Biatch Tikkun Olam Award.

“Rabbi Jonathan Biatch has been passionate about social action and social justice, following the legacy of Temple Beth El’s three other rabbis,” Coff said.

She said Temple Beth El “looks forward to growing and learning in its next chapter,” which will be led by Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit. He now works at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California.

As rabbi emeritus, Biatch said he’ll meet with his successor, but he plans to follow a custom of being less visible at the congregation during the initial months of Prosnit’s tenure to facilitate the transfer of authority.

Biatch is not ready to stop working, though. He still has “a lot to offer a Jewish community,” he said.

Although he has not made any long-term decisions, Biatch knows where he’ll spend his first year after the transition. He has accepted a role as an interim rabbi for Temple Emanuel of Tempe in Arizona.

In that position, Biatch will assist the congregation as it transitions toward its next permanent rabbi.

The career move comes as his wife, Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, takes on a similar role. For the next year, she will be the interim rabbi for Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, helping the congregation transition following the June 30 retirement of Rabbi Dena Feingold. Unlike his work as the leader of a Madison synagogue, Biatch does not anticipate his role in Tempe will involve advocacy in Arizona’s state capital of Phoenix. He expects his work to entail teaching classes and development of the Emanuel community.

“My job is to be a helper. My job is to be a leader,” Biatch said. “That shifts at various points for any particular member of the clergy. I’m looking forward to playing both of those roles – a leader and a helper, a guide and a rabbi for them, a teacher.”

I accepted the job as executive director of Hillel Milwaukee just over a year ago because of my passion for Jewish learning, my love of building supportive Jewish communities, and my desire to have an impact on the future of Judaism by strengthening the next generation of Jewish leaders. And though Zionism and a love of Israel have always been central to my Jewish identity, and while I hope to use this position to help Jewish students discover and develop their own love for Israel, I have always wanted this to be framed positively. I want their relationship with Israel to be based on a love of its people, history and culture, not out of a need to defend it from offensive and absurd criticisms. I want them to think critically of Israel, acknowledging its shortcomings and mistakes and seeking to fix them out of a deep commitment to its character, not avoiding these conversations for fear of how their classmates will exploit them.   

Yet as I write these words, during a rapidly changing situation, Hillel students and staff are mired in a situation which has cast Jewish life on campus into the defensive. It began with protests just days after the Oct. 7 attack, which called for Israel’s destruction, robbing our students from the opportunity to mourn that horrific day before immediately being put on the defensive. It continued when a November panel, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, included disgusting antisemitic statements from a panelist invited by the university, in the presence of Chancellor Mark Mone, and the university’s refusal to acknowledge or apologize for the offensive remarks. In April, I was with a group of Jewish students and Hillel staff, who gathered to hand out lunch and listen to songs of peace performed by an Israeli singer. We were encircled by protesters calling for “intifada” until we needed police protection to flee campus. Then, an illegal encampment set up by protesters openly calling for Israel’s destruction was not only tolerated by the University, but each time it rained the protesters were given a warm room to ride out the storm before returning to their encampment. And most recently, the encampment has come down, disassembled by UWM employees paid for with taxpayer money. This was part of Chancellor Mone’s choice to capitulate to the protesters’ demands, while also adopting their hateful rhetoric in a May 12 public letter and agreement with encampment organizers.  

Unlike Chancellor Mone, I do not have a large degree of influence on the culture of UWM, but I am deeply invested in the culture of UWM’s Jewish student community. When I speak with the Jewish students at UWM every day, I often have two conflicting emotions. First is a deep sense of sadness, each time I see a student shrug off someone screaming an antisemitic epithet at them from a passing car or see a student leader post a call for intifada on social media. I am sad because while it clearly bothers them, they are so used to it, as hostility towards Jews has become so common on campus. But my other feeling is deep gratitude. Our students have continued to make attempts at dialogue with those who scream in their faces, demonstrating that they will not respond to hatred in kind. They have supported each other and created unique bonds with one another and with Jewish faculty and staff to face these challenges with the support of their campus community. And most of all, they continue to show up at Hillel to celebrate their heritage and find pride in their identity. 

I felt this most poignantly on the second day of the encampment. Students came to Hillel for our Mimouna celebration, the traditional Moroccan-Jewish celebration of the end of Passover. On their way to our building, some of them had to walk past the encampment for the first time. Several arrived in tears, not believing that such hate was proudly on display on their campus and being tolerated by the university. Yet only a few minutes later, and just a few feet away from the encampment, those same students were dancing to Israeli music, and held a joyful henna ceremony for two of our student leaders who just became engaged. Looking at our students dancing, and outside of our window seeing the encampment, I was struck by the dissonance. A protest mired in death, destruction and hate on the one side, and a celebration focused on life, community and joy on the other. One of these groups could set the tone for the culture on the UWM campus. Perhaps the chancellor ought to pay a bit more attention to the ones focused on learning, listening and engagement, and a bit less on those acting out of anger, outrage and hate.  

Our amazing students give me hope for the future, as does the support of our local Jewish community. Though I was born and raised in this community, I have returned to it after many years away, and am reminded of why I came back. This community supports one another in a way that is exemplary of what we endeavor to build and nourish at Hillel. While our staff and students have faced challenges, we at no point have faced them alone.  

When I spoke on that horrific panel in November, I saw the faces of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council leadership sitting in the audience to support me and our students. When we were encircled and harassed by antisemitic protesters on campus, I was comforted because I was with my congregation’s cantor, Hazzan Jeremy Stein, who had joined us to share his musical gifts at the event, and we were protected by Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Josh Martinson, who had joined us to keep us safe. I have received calls and advice from the leaders of every institution in town, including Jewish Family Services, the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, and the rabbis of nearly every congregation.  When we had to decide how to celebrate Shabbat at Hillel for the first time in earshot of the encampment, over sixty community members came to lend their support in numbers. Madison’s Hillel’s CEO, Greg Steinberger, has spent countless hours on the phone with me and leveraged every personal relationship he has to open doors for me to stakeholders and decision-makers who can help me to support my students, all while managing his own challenges on campus. And most of all, I have had a partner in Miryam Rosenzweig, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation president and CEO, who has supported, mentored, and advised me, and activated her entire staff and donor base to help me and my students weather this storm. 

I joined Hillel to build a beautiful Jewish community, and the experience of doing so in such trying times has led me to realize that I am only able to do so because of the beautiful Jewish community which raised me, and which currently supports me. Someday, soon I hope, the protests on campus will calm down and the university administrators who have acted improperly will be held accountable. Meanwhile, our students will continue to support one another and celebrate their Judaism. Despite all the challenges, as serious as they are, our amazing community and incredible students have me feeling something wonderful: I am grateful.

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Writer Rabbi Joshua Herman is executive director of Hillel Milwaukee, which serves students at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and other area schools. 

After Oct. 7, Jewish students at University of Wisconsin-Madison found themselves acting as ambassadors for the Jewish people. 

Many times, their non-Jewish, not-involved friends on campus asked them to explain what was going on in Israel and Gaza. Jewish students gave their best answers, but in these kinds of conversations, they also learned something. The encampment on the school grounds, which lasted for about 12 days toward the end of the school year, may not have had some of its desired effect.  

The encampment was not a beloved gem of the campus, among typical students. 

When the Chronicle asked ten Jewish students with deep ties to Jewish community, and deep ties to the wider campus community, what their friends thought of the encampment, the word “annoying” kept coming up in separate interviews. The ten highly engaged Jewish students understand the pain and distress of the Middle East, no doubt, but the stories they relay say something about campus culture. 

“I think for the average student it was, I don’t want to say ‘annoying’ because that sounds like it’s not really the right word, but in a lot of ways, it was annoying,” said one Jewish student. 

“I think they’re all very annoyed,” said Jewish student Lindsay Dubin, who graduated in May and plans to work in Chicago. “I don’t think it has been helpful to the Palestinian cause at all. I think encampments have drawn so much attention away from the mass tragedy that is taking place in Israel and Gaza. And these students are a very small minority of the university. Yet they have been so loud and so disruptive.” 

Dubin continued: “Every single one of my non-Jewish friends except for two, found the encampment disturbing. I’ve had a lot of conversations with my non-Jewish friends about it. They think it’s very distracting and they think it’s very intimidating and threatening. Some of my non-Jewish friends have felt intimidated by it. (The encampment protesters) were policing a public space – Library Mall.” 

Jewish student Chloe Astrachan, noting the many signs and chants at the encampment, put it this way: “It disrupted every single student’s life on campus. It was in the heart of our campus, so whatever you believe about the conflict, you have to walk by hatred.” 

Astrachan, from New York City, graduated in May and will attend Vanderbilt University for a master’s degree in special education next year.  

Yet another student said the encampment, beside the Memorial Library, overtook a spot where students like to sit, get tan and relax. “So, I would say that some students are just annoyed by that,” the student said. 

At one point, over graduation weekend, a family wanted to take photos by the Abraham Lincoln statue on campus.  

There was a problem. “There were (anti-Israel) protesters sitting at the bottom of the statue,” said Ezra Rosenthal. They would have been in the photo.  

Rosenthal has helped lead post-Oct. 7 gatherings of song, dance and prayer for his fellow Jewish undergraduates on campus. But when he was at the Abraham Lincoln statue, he was with a smaller group of Jewish students, counterprotesting with a sign that said, “no negotiations without Jewish representation.” 

Rosenthal recalled: “The brother helped his sister, who was graduating, get onto the statue. And then when she was up there, they tried to hold their signs up to block the picture.” 

“And I just asked as kindly as I could: ‘Can you please just put it down? This is one photo for the rest of her life’,” Rosenthal said. The protesters then yelled about universities in Gaza. Rosenthal asked again: “Can you please just allow her to take the one photo she wants right now? And then you can protest all you want.” Then, they yelled again, he said.  

The family took their photos as best they could. “They came over to us and hugged us all and said thank you,” Rosenthal said. 

Some students were perplexed 

Jewish students’ friends who were not personally invested in the controversy at times seemed perplexed. Jewish students described their friends’ reactions to the encampment and protests in a colloquial way – several times, the explanation went something like this: “They were like: What?” 

Rachel Dallet of Whitefish Bay played for the UW-Madison soccer team and answered questions from teammates. Dallet graduated in May and is making aliyah to play on an Israeli team, Hapoel Jerusalem F.C. “A lot of people asked me, ‘What is going on? Why are there camps?” she said.  

“It’s really interesting,” said Ari Rosenblatt, who said she kindly explained the conflict many times. “I’ve had a lot of different conversations with a lot of my friends who are not Jewish, who are not Palestinian, not Middle Eastern, and just kind of gauging their thoughts. And honestly, a lot of them just don’t even understand it.” 

Rosenblatt, from the San Francisco Bay Area, is entering her junior year pursuing communications and sociology with a certificate in Jewish studies. 

One student quoted a non-Jewish friend: “Like, I don’t get why they’re camping out. Don’t they have exams and stuff?” Another Jewish student said the typical student would say the whole thing seemed “ridiculous.” 

Another Jewish student had a non-Jewish friend who was supposed to do a group project with a student protester who asked to meet at the encampment on Library Mall. At first, she thought it was a joke. She asked to reschedule. 

Anti-Israel students 

Of course, this does not describe all students. There are those who accepted an anti-Israel narrative.  

“I just wish everyone would take the time to know the facts of both sides before jumping to conclusions,” said Demi Batten, who graduated in May.  

Chloe Astrachan, the student from New York City, theorizes the protesters were “extremely uneducated” on Israel and Gaza. “They didn’t even understand 90% of what they were screaming and saying. I don’t think they truly understand any of it and read one thing or saw one TikTok and then they think that they can just take to the streets and scream these things,” she said.  

“My personal belief is that many students are joining these pro-Palestinian groups because they are uninformed and ignorant of the current situation in the Middle East,” said Maya Stagman, an Israeli-American now entering her junior year. “They don’t understand that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that Israel is fighting terrorism. The irony is that some of these people who are supporting Hamas would be murdered by Hamas within 24 hours of being in their presence, simply because of their sexual orientation or religious affiliation.” 

The encampment protests included hate and apparent calls for violence, referring to Palestinian uprisings that infamously included acts of brutal terror. “Globalize the intifada was being screamed on a microphone,” said Dallet, who attended the Oconomowoc Jewish summer camp, OSRUI, growing up. “They are supporting Hamas by doing what they’re doing. And they don’t acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist organization,” she said. 

“These students seem to think they are being activists and are joining the ‘trend’ that is this encampment, but I think that they are simply looking for a place to fit in and think that this mob mentality gives them power and purpose. They are very misguided,” Dallet said. “They are supporting a terrorist organization that not only wants to destroy Israel, but also destroy America. This terrorist group does not support free speech or democracy. It is completely preposterous that anyone who values the rights we have in America would support this terrorist group.” 

Dubin, who left for her Birthright trip to Israel in mid-May, offered this analysis: “We are living in times of binary thought, whether or not in the classroom or outside of the classroom. It’s extremely uneducated in my opinion. It’s black versus white, oppressor versus oppressed, colonizer versus colonized. And I think that is a really uneducated way of viewing the world and thinking of people. I think it’s an extremely polarizing way of viewing the world. And it is not going to drive progress. It’s only going to take us backwards.” 

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The encampment at University of Wisconsin-Madison, laced with anti-Israel and anti-Jewish slogans, was painful, even frightening. Yet if it’s possible to imagine a silver lining, it was the Jewish pride on campus. 

“The rallies that we’ve had, and being together, has been so powerful and meaningful,” said Ariana Rosenfeld, who is entering her junior year at UW-Madison. In her youth, she attended Milwaukee Jewish Day School. 

“I’m proud of the response and how strong everyone has been. I feel proud to be a Jewish student at Madison,” Rosenfeld said. 

The Chronicle asked Rosenfeld and nine other undergraduate students with deep ties to Jewish community about their post-Oct. 7 campus. Among the students were Rosenfeld, who was very involved with BBYO-Wisconsin and Friendship Circle in the Milwaukee area; Ari Rosenblatt, a student from the San Francisco Bay Area, who chose to attend UW-Madison largely because of the strength of Hillel and the Jewish community; and Chloe Astrachan, who flew to Israel to volunteer after Oct. 7, over her January break.  

These students and others talked about a hard year, made so much better by Jewish community.  

A hard year 

“In the days following Oct. 7, I felt empowered to speak at Chabad in front of over 50 students,” said Maya Stagman, who is entering her junior year and has roughly 50 relatives in Israel. “In the middle of my speech, I began crying and couldn’t stop for weeks. I went to sleep every night praying for this nightmare to end – and I still do. After a much-needed winter break collecting my feelings and healing with the comfort of my family, I returned to school with the intention of continuing with life as normal, while continuing to pray for the war to be over and for the hostages to be released. I intended to finish my sophomore year on a positive note and in high spirits.” 

But Stagman said that when she learned in April that an encampment was coming to Madison, “I was triggered, and my mental state reverted back to those weeks following Oct. 7.” Stagman, of Boca Raton, Fla., also said she “walked to the library to study for finals, trying to focus on my studies while hearing and seeing the very people who want me dead and aren’t afraid to hide it.” 

Ezra Rosenthal, who was part of a group of Jewish students who met with Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin, said in an interview with the Chronicle that the encampment allowed antisemitism and protected it. This, he said, “makes me feel unsafe and targeted and like I’m not welcome on campus or that people on campus don’t want me there. Which is not something that I want to be thinking about or feeling during finals week, when I should be studying and getting ready for my finals.” 

Demi Batten, who helped plan vigils for Jewish students, put it this way: “Between this and Covid, this year has definitely been one of the hardest years of my life.” 

Lindsay Dubin, who graduated in May, was disturbed by the calls to “globalize the intifada,” which she said some people seem to think just means resistance. 

“However, to a lot of Israelis and Jewish people, it is a call for violence against Israelis and Jews as we’ve seen in the First Intifada and the Second Intifada. To us, it means suicide bombers and mass violence. It does not mean resistance to a lot of Jews and Israelis. So I did my best to avoid Library Mall at all costs. I didn’t want to walk past it. It was intimidating. And it was scary,” Dubin said.  

While several Jewish students interviewed similarly said they avoided walking past the encampment, Astrachan headed straight for it and walked through it. 

“I think I was more angry than scared,” Astrachan said. “But I think that that’s just my personality. I think everyone else was scared for me. So I should have been way more scared. But I was so proud to be standing there to be a voice for other people.” 

Astrachan visited the encampment repeatedly, at times with an Israeli flag or with a sign that read: “Bring them home.” 

During the encampment and protests, about a dozen Jewish students, including some of those interviewed for this article, came together and wrote a 23-page document with requests for the university. The requests included equal condemnation of antisemitism to other forms of hate and a first-year civics requirement to help students understand the importance of civil discourse. Included were written student testimonials.  

The chancellor held a meeting that included students who worked on the document, with leadership from Madison Hillel and Madison Chabad. The students were careful to call their list of items “respectful requests,” not “demands.”  

“That got a laugh out of the chancellor,” Rosenblatt said. 

“It was really great,” Rosenblatt added. “It was really nice to feel validated in our experience of how we were feeling and discuss ways in which the university isn’t showing up, but also the ways in which they are showing up, and being able to ask a lot of our questions. It was very, very nice.” 

The strength of community 

“I think that Hillel and Chabad at Wisconsin are both incredible and are always welcoming to students,” said Rosenthal, who praised the rabbis and other leadership at the two organizations. He said they “are always welcoming and trying to invite you in, and offering you meals, just talking to you if you ever need anything, and always there, which I think is very important and very loving.” 

On Oct. 7, terrorists entered Israel and brutally attacked civilians at a music festival and in their homes. They took hundreds of innocent hostages. Almost immediately, more than 400 people gathered on campus for a vigil. It was at Library Mall, where the encampment would eventually plant itself, but the vigil was a place for hugs, calls for peace and singing “Hatikva” by candlelight.  

Rosenthal started wearing a kippah on campus the day the encampment went up. One passerby in a car stopped and said, “bless your heart.” But when he walked by the encampment wearing the kippah, with nothing political, he said he was yelled at: “Free Palestine,” “from the river to the sea,” and one person yelled, “Zionists are Nazis.” 

Rachel Dallet of Whitefish Bay attended gatherings for Jewish students: “I left with the biggest smile on my face and the biggest sense of belonging, all of us just being on the same page. It felt good to just to sing and dance to Hebrew songs. It was nice. It kind of brought me back to camp days.” 

Students said hundreds of Jews could turn out for an event with a few hours’ notice. One campus text group for Jewish students had 450 people on it. 

“I would say it was traumatic in a lot of ways, and it was lonely in a lot of ways,” Astrachan said. “But it was also so meaningful because there’s such a strong community here through Chabad and through Hillel, that as alone as you felt, you knew you were never really alone because we had those places to go to. Through all the hate that we were seeing and experiencing, the amount of new connections I made with so many different people because of this is so incredible.” 

Most Jewish students on campus are pro-Israel, Rosenblatt said. 

“I think we have come out stronger than I could have ever imagined. Standing at events and speaking with fellow Jews, truly warms my heart and brings light to the darkness,” said Demi Batten, who graduated in May and is part of her San Diego Jewish community, back home. “I have met more Jewish students within the last couple of months than I have in my three years away from home. We have instantly connected and have created friendships that will last a lifetime because we were all there for each other through the hardships.” 

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When Chancellor Mark Mone of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee released the text of an agreement with encampment protesters, it immediately angered and disturbed much of the Milwaukee Jewish community. 

Nine days later, on May 21, Mone apologized for discussing geopolitical issues but not for the agreement’s content. The agreement was not withdrawn. 

Then, Hillel Milwaukee and Milwaukee Jewish Federation issued a statement in response (see page 7), expressing disappointment that there was no retraction. 

How it unfolded 

The May 12 “agreement” with anti-Israel encampment protesters was rapidly met with furor. Many saw it as capitulating to encampment protesters and welcoming anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment. 

Written as a letter to the UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition, the agreement’s issues were manifold for the Jewish community. Examples can be found in the subheads of the agreement. Among them, “Condemn Genocide,” even though there is no genocide in Gaza; and “Denounce Scholasticide,” without a mention of tunnels or terrorists at schools, or any reference to Israeli leaflets, calls or texts to try to warn civilians. 

Mone’s apology did not address such details. It was not an apology for the agreement’s content but for the choice to weigh in on the issues. 

“It is clear to me that UWM should not have weighed in on deeply complex geopolitical and historical issues. And for that, I apologize,” said Mone, in the May 21 statement. “I acknowledge that it is an increasingly difficult time for many Jewish students at UWM and across America. I’ve also heard that some students have not felt comfortable reporting their concerns or experiences. This distresses me. The expressions of grief and frustration over the conflict in the Middle East must not destabilize our shared sense of humanity or be twisted into a platform to spread hatred.” 

Mone’s statement of apology also condemned antisemitism and stated that the campus must be welcoming and inclusive. 

Jay Rothman, president of the University of Wisconsin System, had been critical of Mone’s agreement when it was first publicized. He said on X, the social media platform, that he was “disappointed in the course taken by UW-Milwaukee.” Rothman said that “maintaining viewpoint neutrality is critically important, especially in situations where students and other university stakeholders on multiple sides of an issue are in vehement disagreement.” Days later, Mone issued his apology for weighing in on issues. 

After Mone’s apology, Rothman issued a statement: “I appreciate that the chancellor reassessed his approach at UW-Milwaukee regarding the illegal encampments and issued a statement reflecting his apology. Chancellor Mone has dedicated his career to UWM, and I know he is committed to ensuring that all students feel equally welcome, safe, and supported as members of one UWM campus community.” 

Before the apology 

Before the apology was issued, a joint statement from Jewish organizations was highly critical of Mone’s agreement with encampment protesters.  

“The agreement is among the most offensive and dangerous of any university agreement reached with encampment protesters over the last two weeks,” according to a joint statement issued on May 14 by Hillel Milwaukee, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, and ADL-Midwest. “Chancellor Mone’s agreement with protesters comes after seven-plus months of him refusing to meet with Jewish students and failing to adequately respond to antisemitic incidents on campus since October 7.”   

More than two dozen Wisconsin rabbis and cantors added their names to the statement as co-signers, including leaders of some of the largest synagogues and Jewish organizations in the state. After Mone published the agreement, protesters cleared the two-week encampment from UWM property in mid-May.  

The May 14 joint statement said that the agreement “provides no meaningful support to UWM’s Jewish community and fails to acknowledge the fear and pain Jewish community members have endured due to the actions of protesters during the encampment and before. In contrast, Chancellor Mone gave protesters who fueled hate and violated school policies at UWM a seat at the table and even invited them to nominate individuals and faculty to serve on key university committees and working groups. The chancellor’s decision to grant immunity to individuals who mocked and broke school rules and the law sets a dangerous precedent for future incidents on campus.” 

Community outrage 

When the agreement was first forged, local media recognized the alarm in the Jewish community. WTMJ4 noted that “people in the local Jewish community expressed outrage.”  

A local Jewish mother of a UWM student wrote that she was “disgusted” and accused the school’s leadership of “antisemitism” on Facebook. Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, who leads Congregation Shalom in Fox Point, wrote on Facebook: “I cannot understate the damage that UWM Chancellor Mark A. Mone has caused by capitulating to unjust demands in response to unjust behavior.” 

Individuals in the local Jewish community fired off letters. Lloyd Levin wrote a letter to Mone, also sending it for publication in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It made the case that if you’re going to boycott Israeli technology, as Mone seemed willing to support in the agreement, you’re going to find yourself boycotting much of the technology we all use every day.  

Andrew Mishlove wrote to the leadership of the University of Wisconsin System. He argued that the number of deaths in Gaza quoted in the agreement cannot be trusted, because they came from Hamas, a terrorist organization. Discussion in the agreement of a “humanitarian crisis” leaves out Hamas itself making a crisis, diverting supplies for its own use, he added. 

The Mone agreement calls for the release of both Hamas and Israeli “hostages,” which also produced ire. 

Ann Jacobs, who is active in the Jewish community, wrote on Facebook: “The outrageousness of UWM’s response to the protesters cannot be overstated. Equating babies held hostage to murderers held in custody is grotesque.” 

Andy Palec wrote in his letter to Mone: “This gives credence to a false moral equivalence between hostages forced from their homes and dragged into Gaza, and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for acts of terror and violent crimes.” 

The Water Council controversy 

The Mone agreement also targeted Israeli water organizations: “At the Chancellor’s urging, The Water Council no longer has relationships with these entities, and they have been removed from the global listing on the Water Council’s website.”  

Mone is treasurer of The Water Council, a Milwaukee nonprofit that seeks to drive freshwater innovation. In an unusual move, the Water Council issued a statement that appeared to contradict its own treasurer.  

The Water Council statement asserted that its “open dialogue has included Israeli water technology organizations, including Mekorot, Israel Innovation Authority and Ben-Gurion University, in the interest of sharing innovations and discovering new water technologies.” But it added: “The Water Council disagrees with the characterization that it has recently ended relationships with Mekorot and Israel Innovation Authority as there has been no activity with these organizations since 2019 and they were never members of The Water Council. Additionally, The Water Council has had no formal ties, ongoing projects or financial interests with any company or organization in Israel or the Middle East in recent history.” 

The Chronicle asked The Water Council communications office for comment on Mone’s assertion that Israel entities have been removed from “the global listing on the Water Council’s website.” 

Stacy Vogel Davis, a spokeswoman, responded: “After talking to the chancellor, we realized our Global Directory had become outdated, so we removed several organizations that are not active partners of ours. This included Mekorot, Israel Innovation Authority and Ben-Gurion University, along with the city of Daegu, South Korea, and a few Chinese water organizations we have worked with in the past. If you search our website in general, you can still find many references to our past work with Israeli organizations.”   

Palec’s letter took issue with Mone on The Water Council: “You have thrown The Water Council and its partners under the bus, all to appease the pro-Hamas crowd. Israel is a global leader in desalination, water recycling, drip irrigation, wastewater management, and much more. In his acclaimed book, ‘Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World,’ Seth M. Siegel addresses the efforts Israel has made to provide a better life for Gazans, only to have Hamas repeatedly reject expansion of Mekorot water for Gaza because it would require working with the ‘Zionist Entity’.” 

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation May 14 statement put it this way: “Chancellor Mone appears to have used his public university position to compel a private company to submit to demands of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.” 

The May 14 statement added: “Chancellor Mone has been negligent in his duty to ensure all students feel and are safe on campus. We call on the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to immediately negate this agreement and take the aggressive steps necessary to ensure Jewish – and all – students are able to attend UWM and all UW campuses without the threats of harassment, intimidation and hate just because of their identity.” 

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Jewish Social Services of Madison has moved – just down the street – doubling its physical space to accommodate its growing staff of more than 20. 

The agency, which moved April 1, had grown beyond the capacity of its previous space. 

“Our refugee resettlement team, which is the largest department that we have right now, was housed in a different location than our administrative and our family, services, social workers and volunteers,” said Kai Yael Gardner Mishlove, executive director. “They were in a different building.” 

The new, combined space brings the resettlement team into Jewish Social Services offices on the west side of Madison on Enterprise Lane.  

Jewish Social Services was previously renting space at the Jewish Federation of Madison facility. Mishlove appreciates the Madison Federation’s support, and the two agencies still work together closely, but growth and some security considerations demanded the change, she said. Jewish Social Services has a staff of more than 20, mostly full time.  

About the agency 

“Our mission is to empower families and individuals across generations and across cultures, to build community and self-sufficiency, with a strong commitment to the Jewish community, inspired by Jewish values,” Mishlove said. The agency provides case management and Jewish spiritual care, among other services. Those served include Jews from the former Soviet Union, Holocaust survivors, people facing addiction, and those with long COVID. 

“We’ve had some pretty innovative programming this past year; we hosted a winter market bringing all of our refugee and immigrant artisans together. We had folks who were Ukrainian, Russian, Congolese, Afghan, Syrian, who came and showcased their art, whether it was jewelry, or whether they were doll makers, or culinary artists or bakers. We had a beekeeper who came,” she said. “We’re based in Jewish values. But we serve everyone.” 

She added: “Our goal is to provide culturally responsive support via our diverse staff who are experts in their field. We have staff from four continents, seven countries and over 20 languages spoken.” 

Mishlove said she wants to get the word out that refugee resettlement is an important aspect of what Jewish Social Services does, but it is not the whole story. 

“We’re known for refugee resettlement, because we’re the only refugee resettlement agency in south central Wisconsin,” Mishlove said. “But also, we provide services to seniors, and to folks who are at risk of homelessness and to folks who are disabled, and to folks who are from the Jewish community. We do so much.” 

 

Marsha Fensin 

Marsha Fensin, 78, died Monday, April 15, 2024, in Waukesha with her children by her side. She had fought a courageous battle with cancer. 

Marsha was born Dec. 18, 1945, in Haifa, Israel to Simon and Ruth Gelbart, both Holocaust survivors. She attended Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida and Stetson University in Deland, Florida. She spent the majority of her career as a cantor, chaplain, and Jewish educator. Her passions included gardening, all things music, spending time with her grandchildren, and loving her cats. 

Loving wife of the late Lee Fensin, adoring mother of Scott (Aimee) Fensin and Lori Fisher, doting grandmother of Alex, Arielle, and Aubree Fisher, Ivie and Reda Fensin, and step-grandmother of Ryan and Nathan Bucher. Further survived by brother-in-law Ken (Cindy) Fensin, and other friends and family. 

The family would like to extend special thanks to the dedication and compassion of the caregivers at Legacy Hospice and New Perspective, especially Ariana, Lauren, Suzy, Jacqueline, Savannah, Jazie, Wynesha, Alyssa, Wendy, Wendy, Jami, Fran, Mary, Nicole, Lois, Scott, Sara, Makaila, Tammi, and Keonnah. Also, her wonderful oncologist Kathleen Hemauer and her team, including Becky and Robin. 

Graveside wes held April 25, 2024, at Mound Zion Cemetery, Brookfield. If you wish to donate in her memory and honor, please consider the Encore Breast Cancer Support Group, or the American Cancer Society. Rabbi Steve Adams and Cantor Martin Levson assisted the family, with Blane Goodman Funeral Service.  

Rosalie Harkavy 

Rosalie Harkavy died on May 3, 2024 at the age of 87.  

Beloved wife of Dr. Raymond Harkavy. Loving mother of Leah (Gary) Kieffer, Gail Harkavy, Aaron (Sheri) Harkavy, and David (Orete) Harkavy. Proud grandmother of Samantha Kieffer and Danielle, Maya, Ari, Harrison, Josephine and Joshua Harkavy. Further survived by Stanley Sehler, Sylvia Bar, Aaron Marmorash, other relatives and dear friends.  

Graveside funeral service held May 6, 2024 at Anshai Lebowitz Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Jessica Barolsky and Cantor David Barash officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to Jewish Community Pantry or Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation appreciated. 

Leon “Lee” Katz 

Leon “Lee” Katz, Glendale, died April 28, 2024, at the age of 100. Loving wife of Jacquelin Katz for almost 70 years. Dear father of the late Gary Robert Katz, Joy Ellen (Craig) Horwitz, and Steven Jay (Yvonne) Katz. Adoring grandfather of Daniel William Horwitz, Jennifer Beth Horwitz, Joseph Gary Katz, and Shayna Tali Katz. Further survived by other relatives and friends. 

Lee served in the Army during World War II as part of the 290th Combat Engineers. 

Graveside services May 1, 2024 at Spring Hill Cemetery. Memorials to Gary Katz Fund at Congregation Shalom or Gary Katz Sports Complex at JCC Rainbow Day Camp. Rabbi Noah Chertkoff assisted the family, with Blane Goodman Funeral Service. 

Alison Ruth Kravit 

Alison Ruth Kravit, River Hills, died April 19, 2024. She was 41.  

Dr. Alison Kravit, Psy.D. was a well-known psychologist and ADHD coach, loving mother, empathetic listener, and compassionate advocate for the people she treated, her children, and for a more understanding world. In a book she wrote, she said, “One of my favorite things about myself – I make people feel understood for who they are and accepted. I loved helping people improve their lives. It’s my favorite thing to hear someone say they finally accept themselves for who they are and have the confidence to move forward.” She leaves behind her children, Jack Kravit O’Brien, Hannah, and Margot Kravit, who she loved and adored. She is survived by her parents, Stephen and Anne Kravit; her sisters, Dr. Jessie (Dr. Michael) DeFazio, and Katie (Craig Dimbleby) Kravit; her friend and former husband, Timothy (Amanda) O’Brien; along with her special nieces and nephews, Sammy, Luisa, and Cole. She is further survived by close cousins Michael, Emily, JJ, Harte, and Oliver and their respective spouses and children. She was preceded in death by her life partner, Clyde Blake, and her beloved grandmas Jackie and June. 

She was a principal therapist at Mequon Clinical Associates for more than a decade. As an ADHD-certified coach, she was a nationally recognized authority, treating people from all over the world. She wrote “People with ADHD are my absolute favorite people!” 

Ali was unique and special. She loved tie-dyed clothing, tattoos, rainbows, and anything colorful. She was unapologetically herself, embracing her individuality with hair in every color and wearing sweatpants as often as she could. She wrote that she hoped attendees of her funeral would “wear sweatpants, neon or skulls. Make people smile. Do what you need to do in order to be OK.” Ali loved helping people see the good in themselves and work with their brains instead of against them. She said, “I want to be remembered as someone who truly cares about what people go through and their perceptions of things.” Her greatest joy was seeing people learn, understand, and love themselves. She wrote “Be yourself – as Dr. Seuss says, ‘those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind!’.” 

Her last words were: “No matter what, be kind. I love all of you!” 

Memorial service April 22, 2024, at Congregation Sinai. Memorials to Milwaukee Jewish Day School, 6401 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53217. Rabbi David Cohen assisted the family, with Blane Goodman Funeral Service. 

Marlene J. Marks 

Marlene J. Marks (nee Fedderly) died April 24, 2024, at the age of 83.  Beloved wife of Jerome J. Marks.  Cherished mother of Randy (Bruce Dahnke) Marks, Mitchell (Cathy) Marks, and the late Roberta E. (Fred) Kauer.  Loving grandmother of Rebecca (Nathan) Lipton, Jordan (Sydney Lichten) Marks, Michaela Marks, Hillary Moeckler, Lindsay (Michael) Krumholz, and Aaron Kauer and adoring great-grandmother of Leon Lipton and Levi Krumholz.  Dear sister of Sanford (Roberta) Fedderly and fond sister-in-law of Claire (Louis) Plotkin.  Further survived by other loving relatives and many dear friends. 

A graveside service was held on April  26 at Spring Hill Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Taylor Poslosky officiated. Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to Congregation Shalom, 7630 North Santa Monica Boulevard, Fox Point, WI 53217 appreciated.  

Gordon Jay Paykel 

Gordon Jay Paykel died May 5, 2024 at the age of 87.   

Loving brother of Alvin (Fifi) Paykel, Marsha (Milton) Kleinberg, Robert Paykel, and the late Diana (the late Daniel) Wilets.  Dear uncle of Rachel Paykel, Cindy (Michael) Levy, Hershel (Lisa Cohen) Kleinberg, John (Linda) Wilets, Mark Wilets, and the late David Paykel.  Further survived by 10 great-nieces and nephews, 19 great-great-nieces and nephews, other loving relatives, and dear friends. 

A graveside service was held on May 8 at Mound Zion Cemetery, Brookfield.  Rabbi Steve Adams officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to Friendship Circle of Wisconsin  appreciated. 

Rhoda Pine 

Rhoda Zucker Pine, of Pikesville, Md., died April 18, 2024, at the age of 95. She was born in Milwaukee.  

She is survived by her children, Daniel Pine (Judith Brazen), Debbie Pine (Andrew Busch); grandchildren, Jacob Pine, Abigail Pine (fiance Zachary Goldman), Ezra Pine, Johanna Busch (Jacob Goldman), Ben Busch, Ethan Busch; beloved nieces and nephews and many close friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Rabbi Jerry Pine; her son, Jon Pine; her parents, Benjamin and Rebecca Zucker, and her siblings Richard and Dorrace Zucker and Donald and Dorothy Zucker. 

Rhoda lived a very full life, right up until the day she died. She worked for decades as a speech language pathologist, and she loved being the wife of a Rabbi. She was a great friend, cherished by her family, and was deeply proud of her children and grandchildren. 

Services at Sol Levinson’s Chapel, Pikesville, Md. on April 21, 2024, at 4 p.m. Interment at Baltimore Hebrew Berrymans Lane Cemetery. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to Pine Family Legacy Fund of Housing Unlimited Fund, 12125 Veirs Mill Road #201, Silver Spring, MD 20906 and Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21208.  

Jerold Plotkin 

Jerold Plotkin died on May 1, 2024 at the age of 78. 

Beloved husband of Bonnie Plotkin (nee Bilansky).  Loving father of Tom Plotkin and Rabbi Daniel (Rachel) Plotkin.  Proud grandfather of Ari and Joshua Plotkin.  Dear brother of Steven (Linda) Plotkin and Gary (Laurie) Plotkin.  Further survived by other relatives and friends. 

Graveside funeral service held May 3 at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery, Milwaukee. Rabbi Jessica Barolsky officiated.  Goodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. Memorial contributions to L’Chaim Chaverut Clubhouse Northshore or Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun Brotherhood appreciated. 

Vitya Raskina 

Vitya Raskina died on April 16, 2024 at the age of 96. Beloved wife of the late Viktor Prusin. Loving mother of the late Alexander Prusin. Dear aunt of Leonid (Tatyana) Raskin. Private burial service at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodel Cemetery.  Gpodman-Bensman Whitefish Bay Funeral Home assisted the family. 

Sunday, June 2 

Annual concert 
Join Milwaukee’s Jewish Community Chorale to present a variety of traditional and contemporary Jewish choral music. Voices in Harmony – Kolot B’harmonia. In concert with community cantors and guest choir. June 2, 4 p.m. Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid, 6880 N. Green Bay Ave., Glendale. For more information visit milwaukeejewishcommunitychorale.org. 

Nathaniel Hoffman 
Join Torah Academy of Milwaukee to inaugurate the Nathaniel Hoffman Legacy Garden. June 2, 2 p.m. Torah Academy of Milwaukee, 6800 N. Green Bay Ave., Glendale. For more information call 414-352-6789 or email tamoffice@TorahAcademyMil.org 

Tuesday, June 4 

Spring social 
National Council of Jewish Women Milwaukee is planning a fun spring social. NCJW Members, partners, and friends welcome. Desserts, drinks and musical entertainment. June 4, 7:30 p.m. MOXIE, 501 E. Silver Spring Dr., Whitefish Bay. For more information and registration, contact president@ncjwmke.org or go to NCJW Milwaukee’s website, NCJWMKE.org/program. 

Wednesday, June 5 

Coffee with the Shlicha 
Come enjoy coffee and conversation about the complexity of the current events in Israel. June 5, 5:30 p.m. Friendship Circle Cafe, 8649 N. Port Washington Rd., Fox Point. Contact NoaG@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

Shirey Erets Concert 

Songs of the Land with Yaniv Dinur & Shiree Kidron. Experience a special concert featuring renowned pianist and conductor Yaniv Dinur alongside vocalist Shiree Kidron. This program is sponsored by the Libby Temkin Endowment for the Arts. Members $22. Community $28. June 5, 7 p.m. Daniel M. Soref Community Hall, Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. Contact RFox@JccMilwaukee.org. 

Thursday, June 6 

Opening preview 
Opening preview of Chagall’s Dead Souls: A Satirical Account of Imperialist Russia.” Join Jewish Museum Milwaukee to celebrate the satirical world created by Gogol and Chagall with a tour from Chief Curator, Molly Dubin. Light appetizers, dessert and wine. Members $15. Community $20.  June 6, 7- 9 p.m. Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee. Learn more at JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org/events. Contact Info@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. 

Friday, June 7 

Cream City Schmooze 
Every month, you are invited to join NextGen for an evening of connection and camaraderie, where you can unwind with a refreshing drink and engage in lively conversation with your fellow young adults. Open to adults aged 22-45. Free. June 7, 4:30-6 p.m. Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee. Learn more and RSVP at MilwaukeeJewish.org/NextGenEvents.  

Sunday, June 9 

Milwaukee Pride Parade with J-Pride 
Join J-Pride Milwaukee at the upcoming Pride Parade. Meet before the parade at 1p.m. to schmooze and take pictures. Parade starts at 2 p.m. J-Pride will be meeting on 2nd Street in Walker’s Point between Scott St & Seeboth St. June 9, 1-4 p.m. RSVP at MilwaukeeJewish.org/JPride. Contact NicoleG@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

Friday, June 14 

Pride Shabbat 
Judaism teaches us that everyone is created b’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God. Congregation Sinai welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to its religious, social, and educational life and programs. Diversity is the congregation’s secret power; come be a part of it. June 14. 6 p.m. Congregation Sinai, 8223 N. Port Washington Rd., Fox Point. Contact Rabbi David Cohen, 414-352-2970. For the Zoom link email JFriedman@CongregationSinai.org. 

Sunday, June 16 

Food Justice Walk 
Join Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee for their Food Justice Walk. Benefitting THI’s Veggie Chop Shop Community Meal Program. Open to the community. $20. June 16, 9 a.m. Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Pl., Milwaukee. RSVP at bit.ly/24THIFoodJWalk. Visit THI-Milwaukee.org to learn more. 

Tuesday, June 18 

Community Outdoor Movie 
Enjoy an outdoor showing of Trolls Band Together at the JCC. Enjoy popcorn and other treats, as well as activities the whole family can enjoy. Bring chairs and blankets. Free. Movie snack bucket available for purchase for $8. June 18, 5 p.m. JCC Fenced Courtyard, Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. Sponsored by Pete’s Pops. Contact RPressman@JccMilwaukee.org. 

Sunday, June 23  

Rising Song Workshop 
MJDS alumni are planning for a night of music. Own Your Judaism, founded and run by Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, will be hosting Joey Weisenberg at MJDS, a co-sponsor of the event, thanks to MJDS alumnae Michal Deskalo and Mara Kleiman and for their help coordinating. June 23, 4 p.m. Milwaukee Jewish Day School, 6401 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Milwaukee. Contact Moishe@OwnYourJudaism.org. 

Thursday, June 27 

JCRC Annual Meeting 
Join the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation for their 2024 Annual Meeting. June 27, 11:30 a.m. Filament, 131 W Seeboth St., Milwaukee. RSVP at MilwaukeeJewish.org/JCRC-AnnualMeeting.  

Sunday, June 30 

Mom’s Retreat 
Friendship Circle of Wisconsin to host a Mom’s Day Off Retreat. June 30, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 4854 Lower Forest Beach Dr., Port Washington. RSVP and learn more at fcwi.org. 

Torah Academy of Milwaukee will honor the memory of a former board president, Nathaniel Hoffman, with a new memorial garden to celebrate his life’s passions: Jewish education and nature.  

Hoffman’s two daughters attended Torah Academy of Milwaukee, and he served on their Board of Directors for more than 20 years. Hoffman cared deeply about Jewish education and paid attention to improving every aspect of Torah Academy of Milwaukee, according to Trudy Farber, administrator at Torah Academy of Milwaukee. That included making educational suggestions, reviewing big picture financials and insurance coverage, and supporting the quality of teachers, she said. 

A hiker and camper, Hoffman found solace in the natural world and had a passion for the outdoors, according to Farber. He would often bring his own hedge clippers to maintain the landscaping around the building, originally installed with the construction of the Torah Academy of Milwaukee building approximately 15 years ago.  

The plan is that his legacy will live on through a new memorial garden, inspired by Hoffman’s infectious enthusiasm for nature’s beauty. The effort will revitalize the school’s existing landscaping,. using as little pesticide and herbicide as possible. The garden will be composed of plants native to Wisconsin. 

The garden will also feature many bird feeders to honor Hoffman’s love of bird watching. He loved to travel the world for bird watching and could also be found admiring the birds right in his Wisconsin backyard. 

An old friend of Hoffman’s, landscape architect Aaron Shamberg, came up with the garden design and donated the funds to obtain the native plants that will be used in the garden. American Landscaping, a Milwaukee-based company, will conduct the professional install.  

Not only will the garden serve to honor Hoffman’s memory, but the hope is also that students at Torah Academy of Milwaukee will utilize the space for outdoor learning and activities.  

“Our girls, as is typical of Wisconsin kids, head outside as fast as they can when the weather is decent,” Farber said. A patio will also be created on the corner of Green Bay Ave and Green Tree Road with tables and chairs in the hopes that students will take their learning outside and admire the garden’s beauty.  

Construction on the garden will begin in May 2024, weather permitting. On June 2 at 2 p.m., community members are invited to inaugurate the Nathaniel Hoffman Legacy Garden. For more information about the event, and about dedication opportunities, call 414-352-6789 or email tamoffice@torahacademymil.org 

On Friday Afternoon: A Shabbat Celebration, by Michal Babay, illustration by Menachem Halberstadt, published by Charlesbridge 

On Friday Afternoon is the perfect picture book to bring Jewish pride and joy into your home. The text is engaging and energetic, capturing the afternoon preparations for Shabbat. The dog and cat, and all the antics, will delight young readers and listeners. The bright, fun, action-packed illustrations are entertaining and engaging. This is a favorite of my one-year-old granddaughter, and I can never just read it once to her.  Highly recommend for toddlers to ten-year-olds. 

Building, by Leah Wachsler, illustrated by Renate Lohmann, published by Hachai 

Of all the books I read to my grandsons over Zoom, this is their favorite! They love the vehicles and sounds from the construction site. They’re captivated by the construction workers’ tasks  and the similar activities the children in the story participate in at school, the playground, and at home. Even though we’ve read this book too many times to count, my grandsons still love to shout out what was built on the construction site – a Shul! This picture book has many positive messages. 

Educator and author Liza Wiemer, of Fox Point, has taught in nine of our Milwaukee-area Jewish religious schools and day schools. Her latest novel, “The Assignment,” is appropriate for ages 12 and up.