Inspired by the legacies of Milwaukee changemakers Lizzie Black Kander and Helen Daniels Bader, women whose leadership in social welfare and social justice helped shape our community and are portrayed in JMM’s 48 Jews: Layers of Identity exhibit, this program explores the role of Jewish women, identity, and values in the practice of tikkun olam (repairing the world).
Through lived experiences and personal stories, a panel of Jewish women leaders working with different organizations and populations across the city will reflect on what it means to carry forward traditions of service, advocacy, and repair in today’s complex and often difficult landscape. A facilitated discussion follows, inviting participants to consider the challenges and rewards of this work and how values informed by justice, compassion, and communal responsibility can illuminate opportunities for supporting it.
Event Information
DATE: Tuesday, August 11
TIME: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Jewish Museum Milwaukee
COST: $5 members | $8 non-members | $5 gallery access
Add Gallery Access to your ticket for an additional $5/nonmember to visit Jewish Museum Milwaukee galleries from 5:00–7:00 p.m. prior to the program. Members receive free gallery admission during this time.
About the Presenters
Sami Stein Avner is a nonprofit executive and community leader with more than a decade of experience in Jewish communal service, social justice, and organizational development. She is the outgoing Executive Director of Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee, where she has led strategy, fundraising, operations, and community engagement. During her 10-year tenure, she grew the organization’s budget four-fold, expanded grant funding, strengthened partnerships across Milwaukee, and launched innovative programs in food justice, volunteer engagement, civic participation, and Jewish learning.
Sami holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management and an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University. She lives in Fox Point with her husband and three children and enjoys dancing, exploring Milwaukee neighborhoods, and spending time outdoors with her family.
Risa Berg has been a school social worker for the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) since 1997, and this fall will start her 30th year with the district. In her current role, Risa provides direct support to MPS newcomer refugee and immigrant students and families and offers professional guidance to the MPS school social work department. She also works collaboratively with Milwaukee agencies that support immigrant and refugee communities.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Risa attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned a JBA in Journalism and Political Science and a Masters of Science in Social Work. She is currently the board chair of SEA Literacy, a local agency that provides academic and social support to refugee youth. Risa has also served on the boards of Coalition of Jewish Learning, Jewish Beginnings, Voces de la Frontera and Congregation Shir Hadash, where she and her family are longtime members. She has also taught a social policy class in the graduate program at the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In her free time, Risa enjoys running, reading, and traveling to visit her daughters, who work and go to school in the Boston area.
Kai Gardner Mishlove is a community leader, advocate, and bridge-builder whose work spans Jewish communal life, public health advocacy, and legal services. She serves as JCRC Director of Advocacy and Alliances where she builds bridges and strengthens dialogue and engagement between Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
Kai holds a BA in Political Science from Boston University with graduate studies in Public Health. A seasoned advocate for vulnerable communities, she has developed and secured significant philanthropic investment for initiatives advancing disability rights, cultural identity, refugee entrepreneurship, and intercultural collaboration. She is a graduate of Selah’s JOC Cohort, the Jewish Women of Color Resilience Circle, the Leading Edge Executive Leadership Program, and The Elluminate Collective, and has participated in Project Shema’s Black Jewish Cohort, Wisconsin 14 of the Builders Movement Project, and the Zioness Zahav Cohort. She also serves on the HOME Committee at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Her leadership has been recognized by the NCJW Building Bridges Award, Milwaukee Rep’s Shero Award, and the Woman of Faith Award.