By Drew Coel, Marketing and Program Associate, Ann Arbor JCC The Jewish Community Center (JCC) is proud to announce that renowned Ann Arbor street artist David Zinn will be in attendance at this year’s Apples & Honey Fall Festival, right here at the JCC on Sunday, August 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. In addition…
By Esther Terry On Sunday, May 31, local Jewish creatives — artists, zine creators, poets, bakers, jewelers, and crafters — filled the lobby of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) with an array of sights, sounds, and flavors. The first-ever Jewish Culture and Arts Fair, held to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, drew 200–250…
By Mike Shriberg, Director of University of Michigan Water Center As a steering committee member of the Ann Arbor Jewish Climate Circle and an environmental professional, I believe that we in the Jewish community have a responsibility to be good stewards of our planet. And I’m proud of the leadership our community has shown to…
By Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador In March, the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation offered a Yiddish kaboles shabes (Kabbalat Shabbat/welcome Shabbat Friday evening service). The service was created in collaboration with Elena Luchina from the UM Frankel Center for Jewish Studies Yiddish Language Program, Mischa Shwardon from the Yiddische Gas (Yiddish language study group), and musicians and…
An interview with Miriam Alexander When Neil Alexander sent in his harrowing story of visiting his daughter Miriam as the US-Israel-Iran began, I wanted to hear more of Miriam’s story. I interviewed her via email March 10–12. Miriam Alexander, a graduate of the Ann Arbor Hebrew Day School, holds an MA in Jewish Studies from…
By Chuck Newman “If it wasn’t for the milkman we would have starved to death.” That’s what my mother and her siblings would tell me whenever I asked about their childhood. Ever since I heard this story I wanted to know more about this compassionate man and wished I could somehow thank him. This is…
The Eastern Michigan University Center for Jewish Studies is excited to announce that it is bringing Professor Samira Mehta to Southeastern Michigan. Professor Mehta is author of Beyond Chrismukkah: The Christian-Jewish Interfaith Family in the United States, which was published in 2018 with the University of North Carolina Press, and The Racism of People Who…
By Deborah Meyers Greene The Ann Arbor Jewish community has a special opportunity to welcome Shahanna McKinney Baldon, a recognized leader and cultural producer in the movement for visibility for Jews of Color, for a weekend residency on January 24 and 25. McKinney Baldon will participate in Shabbat services and deliver a public lecture, inviting…
By Esther J. Terry A version of this article was delivered as a d’var Torah at the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan on November 8, 2025/17 Cheshvan 5786. Seven years ago, the 18th of Cheshvan fell on October 27 in the Gregorian calendar. The parashah that morning was Vayeira, which includes both the birth of Yitzchak…
By Steve Merritt Nicaragua is a poor place with problematic politics where it is hard enough to survive, let alone be a Jew. Life is a balancing act. And yet, the people I met there on my visit in July were determined to hold onto their Jewish identity and build community. I connected with the…