By Emily Eisbruch When Rav Gavrielle Pescador, the spiritual leader of the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (AARC), announced the congregation’s “Year of Water” in early 2025, congregants were intrigued. “It sounds promising,” was the common sentiment. “Water, a symbol of life, renewal, and transformation, flows through the heart of Jewish tradition,” said Rav Gavrielle. “From…
By Orit Aviran Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor is seeking support for a dedicated Music & Art Studio designed to provide a permanent home for the artistic and musical expression of students from its Gan (kindergarten) through fifth grade. The initiative comes on the heels of the school’s successful 50th anniversary celebrations and the…
By Eliana Adler, Etta Heisler, and Mira Sussman In an era when many summer camps are run by career administrators, Camp Tavor stands apart. At this Jewish summer camp in Michigan, the head counselor might be just 23 years old, and campers as young as eight participate in community-wide decisions. This distinctive approach to youth…
By Marie Pattipati, Director of Adult Programming, Ann Arbor JCC Join us for an immersive journey into Jewish culture through cinema. The Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival is back, bringing a diverse and compelling lineup of films to the big screen from April 21 to May 9. This year’s festival promises to be a rich…
Recent federal policy changes have abruptly suspended key refugee resettlement programs, cutting off nearly $4.7 million in federal funding designated to Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County for initial resettlement. A significant portion of this funding was intended for direct assistance and payments on behalf of refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders — individuals…
By Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Ann Arbor Jewish Federation Director of Community Relations In a political climate that feels polarized, divided, and like a challenge to the liberal democracy of America, Jewish organizations in greater Ann Arbor are working together to learn about and act on a legacy of Jewish participation in civic life. September 20–22…
By Robert Erlewine, Director EMU Center for Jewish Studies As November 2024 rapidly approaches, we find ourselves — yet again — confronting what is likely the most important election of our lives. In addition to the stark differences between the agendas of the two parties, the buildup to this election has been nothing if not…
By Rabbi Bruce Warshal If you are reading this, you may know that Clare Kinberg is the publisher and editor of the Washtenaw Jewish News. Clare reached out to me to reflect on the origin of Genesis of Ann Arbor on this 50th anniversary of its founding. As I was the first rabbi of Temple…
Editor’s note: When I read Ann Arbor native and University of Michigan alum Jonah Shifrin’s widely shared and engaging Facebook post about his experience with the encampment, I wrote to him to ask if I could publish it in the WJN. I think he speaks for a lot of people. I also wanted to hear…
By Eileen Freed, CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor According to just-released data, the Washtenaw County area Jewish community is much larger than previously thought. Estimates from the past 20+ years had suggested the local Jewish population was approximately 8,000 Jews, in 3,000 households. But with a population of 11,000 households, and 20,000 Jewish…