New Israeli Consulate lead
Elad Strohmayer has started his tenure in Chicago with the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest as its new consul general.
The Bat Yam native, who started the role in September, worked for more than 15 years in U.S.-Israel diplomacy in several U.S. states and most recently Jerusalem, according to a press release from the consulate.
“From Israel to Chicago, my mission as consul general is to build bridges that bring people together. These bridges are built not only in words, but in actions – through partnerships, through innovation, and through the everyday connections that strengthen our communities,” Strohmayer said.
MJDS solidary for Thea Fladwood
The Milwaukee Jewish Day School has been showing care and solidarity for Thea Fladwood, a senior kindergarten student battling leukemia.
Thea, daughter of MJDS 3K teacher Angela Fladwood, was diagnosed with leukemia this past summer and is currently undergoing treatment.
Since her diagnosis, the MJDS community raised funds for Thea, started a meal train, and created “Thea’s Sparkle Squad” T-shirts. Proceeds went to the Fladwood family and Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.
The goal is to present a heartfelt demonstration of strength, compassion and community spirit, according to school officials.
Lone female volunteer residence in Israel
A first-of-its-kind facility, “Bnot Sherut Bodedot Residence,” has opened in Jerusalem. The residence welcomes lone female National Service volunteers through Nefesh b’Nefesh, a nonprofit assisting North American Jewish immigration to Israel.
All participants are “Lone Bnot Sherut,” meaning they came from other countries to volunteer for Israel’s National Civic Service. They’re spending their year working in a variety of places such as hospitals, nonprofits and government offices.
The updated residence is housing 95 women in more than 50 apartments. These volunteers have no immediate family in Israel, according to a September press release from Nefesh B’Nefesh.
The residence also acts as a religious and social program, providing weekly Torah lessons, educational trips, Hebrew language programs, and shabbatons.
“The incredible young women who will live in this house want to not only take part in Aliyah to Israel, but also in the great national effort of the Jewish people at this time,” said Orit Strock, Israeli Minister of National Missions.
Nefesh b’Nefesh helps olim, immigrants to Israel, integrate into Israeli society through assistance with job placements, social programming, and educational services.
Chevra Kadisha training offered
Kavod v’Nichum, an organization that trains and educates Chevra Kadisha, is holding its Gather and Grow Conference this Nov. 9-11 in Ojai, California.
Chevra Kadisha, translated as “holy society” in Hebrew, are communities of volunteers responsible for preparing the Jewish deceased for burial, according to sacred Jewish ritual. These volunteers also provide support for living loved ones after a death.
The event will recognize volunteers, hold community-led workshops and lectures on Jewish practices, and encourage connections between community leaders involved in the end of Jewish life.
“These volunteers don’t receive recognition (and often no investment), but their work is a significant part of the depth and meaning in our communities,” said Sarit Wishnevski, executive director of Kavod v’Nichum.
The event will be Kavod v’Nichum’s first in-person conference since 2019 and will include clergy, Jewish community leaders, funeral home professionals, and volunteers from around the country who are involved in Chevra Kadisha.
Kavod v’Nichum provides workshops and educational resources to train volunteers on the Jewish purification rituals through ancient religious texts.
Applications open for Maccabiah games
Applications to be a part of the U.S. delegation for the 2026 Maccabiah, an international Jewish athletic event and competition, have opened.
The 2026 games are set to gather thousands of athletes in Israel to compete in the “Jewish Olympics.” The event will include a wide range of sports competitions, from surfing to karate.
The U.S. delegation plans to send more than 1,200 American Jews to Israel to represent the U.S. in sports and volunteer at the event. Delegates will also benefit from cultural programming around Israel.
The parent organization of the games, the Maccabi World Union, is an international Jewish and Zionist organization with a mission “to foster unity and connection between Jews around the world and Israel, using the transformative power of sports,” according to its website.
The U.S. is one of over 80 other countries set to compete in the summer games that happen once every four years. For more information, visit maccabiah.com.
United Airlines resumes flights to Tel Aviv
United Airlines will be resuming flights to Tel Aviv from Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles international airports starting Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, respectively.
Flights will operate four times per week from Chicago, which is the United Airlines headquarters, and three times per week from Washington Dulles.
United is the only airline operating direct to Tel Aviv from both these locations, as of Chronicle press time. United has flown more to Tel Aviv and continues to offer more flights to Tel Aviv than any other U.S. airline, according to an airline press release.
“The resumption of these flights underscores United’s longstanding commitment to Tel Aviv,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances.
United currently offers flights twice daily from the New York area to Tel Aviv.
Apply for FEMA flooding assistance
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is accepting applications from homeowners and renters in Milwaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties who have uninsured damage to their properties or emergency needs due to the August floods.
The deadline to apply for assistance is Nov. 12. Those with insurance should file a claim first and FEMA will determine eligibility based on policy coverage, according to a FEMA press release.
The August flooding in the Milwaukee area damaged 4,500 residential and commercial buildings, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Some areas experienced more than 10 inches of rain in 24 hours.
The assistance application, available online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA app, requires provision of personal information, including a general account of damages and losses.
‘Paper Midrash’ to visit synagogue
Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun is welcoming Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik, also known as “Paper Midrash,” as artists-in-residence for the weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 2. The couple will lead workshops and immersive experiences that combine Jewish text study, art and pop culture.
Isaac is an artist who reassembles comic books into papercuts that explore the stories of the Jewish people. Shawna is a Torah teacher who relates traditional Jewish ideas to a modern context. The weekend workshops and events will connect these two interests.
The weekend is filled with immersive art projects, meals, and lectures, some of which are limited in attendance. To view the program and register for events, visit Ceebj.org.
Tel Aviv University measures eye movements
Researchers from Tel Aviv University have completed a study that determines memory can be measured by tracking eye movements alone. This new method of memory measurement can be used for people who cannot verbally attest to remembering an event, such as infants, animals, and patients with brain injuries.
The Israeli study had 145 healthy subjects watch an animated video that included a surprising event. Researchers found that during the second viewing of the video, subjects consistently gazed at the part of the screen where the surprising event took place right before it occurred.
Memory is primarily recounted with words. However, Dr. Omer Sharon, one of the leaders of the study, says that with eye movement, “finer nuances can be discerned,” according to a press release.
Comparison of eye movement data with verbal reports of memory demonstrated that the gaze direction could actually be an even more accurate measure of memory than speech.
Israeli council advises caution for travelers
The Israeli National Security Council has released its newest assessment on terrorism threats to Israelis traveling abroad, specifically for this year’s High Holiday season.
The council has not issued any new travel warnings, but does highlight the ongoing terrorism threat from Iran, Hamas, and other global jihadist organizations abroad.
A level four travel warning, which implies a severe threat, remains in effect for the Sinai Peninsula. Israelis and Jews worldwide should also take precaution on and around the second anniversary of Oct. 7, per the council’s recommendation.
The update encourages Israelis and Jews to continuously check the council’s travel warnings before buying travel tickets. Also among the council’s travel recommendations are avoiding displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols in public, attending large events without security, traveling to isolated areas, and more.
The full update with travel recommendations and lists of countries to refrain from traveling to can be found online at the Israeli National Security Council website, which can be found at this article online.
Bill on servicemember graves passes
The bipartisan Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act passed in the House of Representatives in September. The bill, led by U.S. representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Max Miller, would ensure that fallen American-Jewish service members are buried under military grave markers that are true to their religion.
Hundreds of Jewish servicemembers who fell during World War I and II were incorrectly buried under Latin cross grave markers instead of Stars of David, according to a press release from Wasserman Schultz’s office.
Replacing a military grave marker takes resources and time. The bill would create a restoration program that rewards contracts to nonprofits who will identify and research improperly marked Jewish servicemember graves.
If signed, the bill “will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers’ descendants to know that their loved one’s military service, life and religious heritage are properly honored,”Wasserman-Schultz said.
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