Rabbi Michel Twerski, Community Leader, Spiritual Guide, Rabbi, and Jewish Legal Decisor of his community in Milwaukee for approximately 47 years, has made a strong impression on the American Jewish scene.  A pioneer in the Jewish outreach movement, Rabbi Twerski has brought hundreds back to their roots, and has helped numerous outreach organizations establish their methods and techniques.

In addition to Rabbi Twerski’s original approach in interpreting Jewish thought, he is also a composer of music whose melodies are enjoyed and sung throughout the Torah world.  Arrangements of his songs have been performed and/or recorded by the likes of the Israel Philharmonic and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

The Rabbi and his wife, the Rebbetzin, travel the world, lecturing and counseling on a myriad of topics. They have impacted upon thousands of lives from totally secular non-religious Jews to the most observant Torah scholars, and left an indelible taste of wisdom and warmth in their hearts.

Unmatched legal, business, civic and diversity leadership John Daniels Jr. is not only a nationally respected real estate attorney with an enviable client list of national corporate household names, but also a strategic business advisor to many of the firm’s largest clients, a much sought-after thought leader on a wide range of topics and a frequently honored champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. He is a widely recognized pillar of the community who is an active agent for organizational and civic change and a crusader for access to high quality education, especially among underserved communities. In short, people know they can depend on him to get things done.

A former national president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, John has represented national, regional, local and governmental owners and investors, playing a significant role in some of the most complex real estate development projects in the United
States throughout his remarkable career. For his legal accomplishments, John has been recognized by the National Bar Association as one of the 50 most influential diverse attorneys in America and by Law dragon as one of “100 Managing Partners You Need to Know.”

In addition to myriad honors for his legal leadership, he has been recognized for his entrepreneurialism, his commitment to the pursuit of racial justice and his devotion to education. John is driven by a powerful sense of fairness and a belief that most problems can be solved through objective, reasoned persistence, pursued in good faith.

John grew the firm impressively during his tenure as chair, a period that included the worst economy since the Great Depression. He expanded its attorney numbers and added new locations and national practice specialties, fundamentally transforming Quarles from its traditional legal industry structure to a model of a 21st century professional services business. His personal motto, “Everybody counts every day,” has become one of the firm’s core values.

Harriet McKinney Mandelman is a longtime Milwaukee community leader, known for her work to build lasting relationships across differences. A very proud mother of four and grandmother of four, she is known for her commitments to the values of justice and equity.

Harriet has served in organizational leadership roles including Executive Director of the Milwaukee chapter of the American Jewish Committee, Cultural Arts Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Director of the Hillside Arts Center, and founding Director of SHREW women’s liberation free daycare center, which became the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee daycare center.

A former art and Head Start teacher, Harriet spent a week each summer over twenty years with Wisconsin teens, helping them unlearn racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression through the Anytown/Everytown program, where she also served as an advisory committee member. Harriet’s other community activities have included service on the boards of Hmong American Women’s Association, Project Equality, The Jewish Community Relations Council, Hillel Academy, Milwaukee Board of Jewish Education (a precursor to the Coalition for Jewish Learning), and RUACH, where she served as board chair from 2013-2015.

In these roles and as an individual, Harriet has spearheaded multiple initiatives and groups, including AWARE (A Women’s Approach to Race and Ethnicity), The Milwaukee Ethnic Council, Freedom School, Milwaukee’s Freedom Seder, and The Bubbie Brigade.

Harriet lives in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park Neighborhood with her husband, Rabbi Betzalel Mandelman.