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The first time I met Patti Sherman-Cisler, our executive director, she talked about museums providing transformative experiences. I, too, believe the stories we tell at JMM have the power to be inspirational and transformative for our visitors.

These scenes and accompanying text nag at us. Why the Jews? What power do we have over evil? How do we defend ourselves against irrational governments? How do we protect our most vulnerable citizens? What does it mean to be a refugee? And what responsibilities do we have for those being persecuted?

Jewish Museum Milwaukee has been privileged to participate in the Create a Jewish Legacy Program, which is coordinated through the Jewish Community Foundation of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Create a Jewish Legacy is a… Read More

A conversation overheard in the Jewish Museum Archives between Hazzan Jeremy Stein and Artist Marc Tasman. They have been working in the archives to find pictures that will be the backdrop of their upcoming Fiddler: The Untold Tradition, which will take place at Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid on Sunday, September 11 at 7:30 PM.

You probably don’t follow the Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team, but they rival any excitement found elsewhere in the world of sports. The five teammates Alona Koshevatskiy, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar, Ida Mayrin, and Yuval Filo are all competing in their first Olympics.

But how does this mysterious card get put together? That was the big question that I had for the Unger Brothers when I met with them. They described for me an awesome process led by volunteers that has been going on for almost 80 years.

My mother and grandmother started playing Mahj with the other wives in their officers’ wives’ clubs. The game was so widespread among military wives in the 1930s that the wives from the Army Air Corps field in Ohio, now known as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, decided to write down the rules of play in order to “allow players to transfer from base to post to port and still play the same game.”

By Sharon Levy, Intern In June of 1878 a young woman graduated as valedictorian from East Side High. Her name was Lizzie Black. She’s more commonly known in the Milwaukee Jewish community by her married name—Lizzie Kander, the founder of… Read More

By: Patti Sherman-Cisler, Executive Director Wow!  I have just completed my first year at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee and the time has flown by…..So many wonderful people…, staff, board, volunteers, visitors, donors and other new friends have made my transition… Read More

My love affair with Mahj Jongg began in 1957. In my senior year of high school three of my friends and I decided to start a Mahj Jongg club. After all wasn’t it part of our Jewish DNA?. We should be naturals at this complex game.

By: Jaxon Katch, 7th Grade Student When it was time to pick a project for my Bar Mitzvah, my Mom and I talked about ideas and I knew that I wanted to do something different.  In fact, when she asked… Read More

Honor that special Mahj player in your life or offer your own show of support with a Project Mah Jonng Sponsor Tile that will be beautifully displayed on a large tiered rack in the JMM Atrium Game Gallery

By: Michael Fishbach I began interning at Jewish Museum Milwaukee a month ago, and last week, I took my first guided tour with a group of students from Rufus King Middle School.  We first toured the visiting exhibit, which consisted… Read More

All of this energy followed me on my trip to open Stitching History in New York. The audience in New York expands the reach of this story considerably. The curation and design in New York is just lovely, adding elements to the exhibit that enliven the story–I love the addition of Hedy’s Signature to the wall and the ingenious way in which they MJH team made the fabrics accessible to touch.

1936. Lodz. The Szyk Haggadah, The Family at the Seder.     The Szyk Haggadah Reminds Us of Struggles Past and Present By Molly Dubin, Jewish Museum Milwaukee Curator Passover and politics.  It seems rather fitting that as we find… Read More

April 1, 1901 is the day that the Settlement Cook Book was published. The cookbook appeared in numerous editions, but here is the story of the first.

Arthur Szyk was an immigrant to the US, but felt deeply for African Americans and portrayed their struggle in his artwork.

By: Patti Sherman-Cisler, Executive Director, Jewish Museum Milwaukee This editorial appeared in the February 2016 edition of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. The Jewish Museum Milwaukee will present the work of mid-20th century artist and activist Arthur Szyk, (pronounced “Shik”), through… Read More

When the Democratic candidates for president face-off tomorrow in the Helen Bader Concert Hall in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, we are fairly certain that this is the first time a debate… Read More