Isaac M. Wise Temple provides an opportunity for congregants of all ages to live out their Jewish values by working together to influence systemic change through Civic Engagement@Wise (CE@Wise). The group focuses on societal concerns such as increasing voter participation, reducing gun violence, criminal justice reform, and securing reproductive rights for women. Through its affiliation with the Religious Action Center (RAC), Isaac M. Wise Temple is a “Brit Olam” congregation and has signed a covenant to confront injustice at its root.
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The Faces of the Future.
Eliana Goldner is not waiting to make the world a better place.
Sophomore Eliana Goldner plays soccer, both elite and on Turpin’s JV team. She’s also in Student Council, Key Club, and Innovation Club. And she’s WOOTY’s Vice President of Programming, so she’s all in on participating and being involved.
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Aliyah in Israel provides new insights for Lexi Czulewicz. Judaism has always been a big part of my life – religious school, Jewish summer camp, family traditions. But more important is how my parents instilled faith in me – explaining things, encouraging me to ask questions, to disagree, to think for myself. This gave me a sense of individuality and purpose, and a place in the world. I feel a sense of unity with other Jews, and a connection to Israel. We’ve overcome so much hate and destruction, and still face it today. This is why Israel is so important. I want to help protect our homeland,
so every Jew knows they have a safe place.
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Eight-year-old Michael Schmerler stood in the produce section of an Ohio grocery store and marveled at the seemingly endless supply of fruits and vegetables. His childhood experience reminds us all to be appreciative of all we have. “People here complain about silly things, but they have no idea how bad it can be. In Poland, we had to be at the grocer at 5:00 a.m. to grab maybe one apple. I never even saw a banana in Poland, but here there were racks of them! The pleasures of America are so bountiful.”
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How It Began.
My parents were German Jews who didn’t know each other in Germany. Coincidentally, they both left Germany on the same day in 1933. As fierce Libertarians, they left for freedom of expression, after seeing overt signs of Nazism. My father, a renowned journalist who had openly criticized Hitler, was even on a watch list. They each went to Paris, where many intellectuals went, and met at a literary cafe. Everything changed when Germany invaded France in 1940.
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