Today - in Israel

Israel is a sovereign nation on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. But for the Jewish people – it has always been more than geography. Israel is a promise, an ideal, a homeland, and a future.

For thousands of years, through changing boundaries and climates – Israel has been at the forefront of the Jewish experience. Today, for all its complexity and challenges and beauty and opportunity, Israel remains a touchstone for modern Judaism – and the JCC is committed to deepening that connection, exploring the past and present, and ensuring that the entire community has access to Israel’s future.

The JCC fulfills its commitment to Israel through ongoing classes, special events, and guest speakers and partners. Every year, JCC classrooms and camps are staffed by visiting Israeli emissaries – slichim and shinshinim – in partnership with the Israel Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Guest speakers and experts from around the world visit the JCC for lectures and learning experiences. Hebrew learning classes are regularly offered, and from large moments to small – the JCC seeks to bring the Milwaukee community closer to the State of Israel.

As you visit the JCC, pay attention to all the ways in which Israel comes alive at the J. The national flag, the clocks showing the time in Sovev Kinneret, the Hebrew classrooms and shuk-like feel of Main Street in the hours before Shabbat. If you can’t make the trans-Atlantic flight to Tel Aviv, the JCC can be your local Israel, and all its diversities.