Nicole Beckmann Tessel lives in her hometown of Downers Grove with her husband and two daughters. She treasures the beautiful and varied traditions of the Jewish communities she has encountered in Chicago and its suburbs, in New York City, in London, in Istanbul, and in Israel. As a native of the Western Suburbs, Nicole seeks to enhance the opportunities for the diverse families in her community — and especially new Moms — to experience their Jewishness in attractive and supportive environments, and to amplify their voices within and contributions to the broader Chicagoland Jewish community. Nicole is a multilingual historian of the Middle East turned teacher who would love to learn about your family history, exchange favorite shabbat dinner recipes, and even talk world politics. Together with her eldest daughter and her father, she tends to the family vegetable garden. Nicole and her husband’s favorite pastime is cooking.