Lizzie Kander Heart of Community Scholarship
Honoring the memory and legacy of Lizzie Kander, a community leader and philanthropist who dedicated her life to serving Milwaukee, this scholarship awards $1000 to support a post-secondary educational experience for a current high school senior who has been impacted by a program of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
Qualified applicants live in the Milwaukee Metro area and are:
- Current and former clients of the Jewish Community Pantry
- Gan Ami Early Childhood Education & Kids Center alumni
- Albert & Ann Deshur JCC Rainbow Day Camp campers, staff, and alumni (including Road to Rainbow)
- Steve & Shari Sadek Family Camp Interlaken JCC campers and alumni
- Current and former JCC Members
- Current and former participants, and staff, of JCC fitness, recreation, aquatics, and inclusion programs (including JCC Maccabi Games)
- PJ Library Milwaukee alumni
Qualified post-secondary educational experiences:
- 2-4 year college or university
- Technical/vocational school program
Submit a 150-500 word essay describing how the JCC’s programs and/or services have impacted you, your family, or your community.
Applications must be received by noon on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Winners will be notified by Monday, May 6, 2024, and will be celebrated at the JCC’s Annual Celebration & Awards event on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Questions? Contact Julie Lookatch, 414-967-8280
Learn more about Lizzie below the application form.
This application closed on April 26, 2024. Questions? Contact Julie Lookatch at jlookatch@jccmilwaukee.org
About Lizzie
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Black Kander z’l (1858-1940) founded the Settlement House in Milwaukee which evolved to become today’s Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. Lizzie saw a need in her community to provide support and education for the large number of Eastern European Jewish immigrants that were arriving in Milwaukee in the late 1800s. While struggling to fund these resettlement efforts, she decided to create a cookbook based on the popularity of the cooking classes she taught for both children and adults at the Settlement. The Settlement House Cookbook, first published in 1901, became a national classic loved by generations of cooks. By the third edition, funds raised through sales of the book were used to not only fund activities of the Settlement House but also to provide scholarship funds for students and open a nursery school. Through 23 editions, profits from the cookbook funded increasingly newer and larger facilities, the Abraham Lincoln House in 1911, and the Jewish Community Center in 1931. Lizzie’s impact on our city extended beyond both the Settlement House and her lifetime. A strong advocate of vocational education for women, she served on the Milwaukee Public School Board from 1907 to 1919, helping to establish the Girls Technical High School and the nursery school at Milwaukee Teachers College. In 1939, Wisconsin honored her as one of the state’s outstanding women. Almost 100 years after Lizzie’s mission of service began, the Settlement Foundation turned the cookbook and its assets over to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation which continues to make in an impact in our city today. The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center continues Lizzie’s legacy of community service through our mission: Creating spaces. Building opportunities. Inspiring Jewish moments for diverse communities.
