Friday Reflections: The Long Way Around

Sometimes you don’t know where life will take you.

For those who don’t know my story, here’s a short(ish) version. I graduated from UW with a degree in Retail Management and, like many grads, headed into the corporate world—working at two investment firms right after college. But once my oldest daughter was born, I became a stay-at-home mom, something I had always wanted. I threw myself into domestic life—not just running errands or maintaining a home, but truly diving into cooking and finding ways to challenge myself creatively in the kitchen.

I’ve always felt a deep need to be active in the community. That pull led me to work with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, become part of the first Weinstein Fellowship, support Shalom Baby, and more. Eventually, I began working at my synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, and joined the Sisterhood board. It started with helping to plan family programs and meals. Watching everyone come together around food and tradition lit something inside me.

I trained a group of volunteers to bake challah as a fundraiser, and it took off. Organization has always been one of my strengths, and the kitchen gave me a place to use it—but it also gave me a place to be creative. Before long, I was running Sisterhood kiddush lunches, and it just grew from there.

But it was never just about the food—it was about the people. There’s a saying in Judaism: some people go to synagogue to talk to God, and others go to talk to their friends. The kitchen gave people a reason to show up, to feel needed, to find connection. At one point we had 100 volunteers rotating through the kitchen each month. It was a joyful time. My daughters all grew up there, knowing so many faces and being a part of something bigger.

That journey evolved into Kehillah Catering, which started getting asked to handle events beyond synagogue lunches. And then, nearly ten years ago—when my youngest was just over one, I was newly divorced, and trying to figure out my next chapter—I made the wild decision to start my own business. Hannah’s Kitchen was born.

I thought it might grow slowly, just something to keep me busy… but life rarely follows the script. It got busy fast. Word spread. We catered everything that came our way. Just as things were smoothing out, the pandemic hit. We pivoted hard—using the Shul’s East Side kitchen as a home base, doing themed curbside pickup meals, then weekly Shabbat menus. We adapted. But we outgrew that space quickly.

Then came the JCC.

When the JCC kitchen opened, we moved in—and things grew fast and furiously. Suddenly, I was running a full-time kitchen with daily staff, overseeing the Snack Shack at the JCC Water Park, and eventually taking on the café. It’s been a whirlwind. Growth came so quickly it was hard to keep up at times.

But now—for the first time in a while—I feel like I can breathe. I have space to plan, to organize, to lead intentionally. I’m genuinely excited for the year ahead. I see so much potential in what our team can do to serve this community, to reach people through food and connection, and to keep building something meaningful.

And yes, there are hard days. There are overwhelming moments. But every time I get a kind email, a happy customer, or hear that someone felt at home because of something we made or did—it reminds me: I’m on the right path. The feedback we’ve received recently—about our food, our service, and the heart we bring—has been incredible. And it means everything.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

– Hannah