Hello, my name is Robin Hanasab. My relationship with the Wise Community began in the 7th grade, roughly three decades ago. At the time, for me, it was the natural next step in my Jewish education. Growing up in a traditional Persian Jewish household, who escaped from Iran to pursue religious freedom, there was no … Continued
For four years, I traveled around the globe visiting 70 countries as a cabin crew member with Emirates. Based in Dubai, every flight I embarked on was with a different crew so my day at work was always going to be a mystery since my colleagues were often strangers. Going to work was always unfamiliar … Continued
I was looking forward to many new and exciting experiences when we embarked on our long-delayed tour of Israel and Jordan. One of them was a float in the Dead Sea. At 1,380 feet below sea level, this body of water is the lowest elevation on earth, and is one of the planet’s saltiest bodies … Continued
by Drew Steinberg Jewish values and the importance of family are engrained in me because of my mom. Because of her, we celebrated Shabbat every Friday night as our family of four, at a minimum, while I was growing up. High Holiday meals and Passover seders had full tables of extended family (blood relatives and friends … Continued
Jeff Blumenfeld shares an excerpt from his book, Travel With Purpose: Inspiring Stories of Everyday People Who Travel the World to Make a Difference … And How You Can Too, how you can stay safe while traveling: Stay Safe Out There Excerpted from “Travel With Purpose: A Field Guide to Voluntourism” (Rowman & Littlefield 2019), … Continued
This is Not Your Parents’ Hebrew School: Wise CYE and Leo Baeck Are Reinventing Jewish Education On Sunday May 1, 2022, families at Stephen Wise Temple’s Center for Youth Engagement (CYE) celebrated an academic year unlike any other in the temple’s 58-year history, one which marked a re-imagining of Jewish education for children attending secular … Continued
Congratulations to my University of Pennsylvania classmate, Melissa Rivers, on her new book, Lies My Mother Told Me: Tall Tales from a Short Woman! Enjoy the excerpt below about celebrating the holidays with the Rivers. Hag Sameach! Happy Passover! Excerpt from Lies My Mother Told Me by Melissa Rivers. Courtesy of Post Hill Press. Happy Holidays! My … Continued
THE LETTERS PROJECT: A DAUGHTER’S JOURNEY By Eleanor Reissa The Letters Project is about big history, the Holocaust, but it is also an extraordinarily intimate personal narrative—a rare blend of informative, poignant, excruciating, startling, humorous, and ultimately inspiring storytelling. In 1986, when her mother died at the age of sixty-four, Eleanor Reissa went through all of … Continued
Installation of Senior Cantor, Emma LutzFriday, March 25 at 6:15 p.m. | In-person and Online Since joining Stephen Wise Temple & Schools in 2016, Cantor Emma Lutz has made a significant mark on the Wise community. She has guided our Wise School students, mentored our youth, shared moments of joy and sorrow with our families, and brought beautiful, … Continued
Several weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me about the Olympics, being held in Beijing, China. As someone who lived in Beijing for 4 years, I was both intrigued and confused at the fact that I was barely aware the Olympics were even taking place. I’d like to explore why I, and some of … Continued