Dear friend, From Cincinnati to Paris to Tel Aviv, as the sun sets this Monday, Jews around the world will gather for Passover seders, the annual ritual during which we recount our ancestors’ journey from bondage to freedom.   As you know, this holiday holds a special place in the hearts of many Jews as one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays. It brings families and loved ones together to reflect and discuss concepts of freedom and what freedom means to each one of us.  As we have intergenerational conversations around our seder table, we learn anew how the concept of freedom ev ..read more

In a world filled mostly with gray, there are a few things that we can objectively identify as black and white. The answers to questions of Euclidean mathematics are either true or they’re false. When you drive your car past a traffic light, it’s either red or it isn’t. And, as I learned earlier this week, the sun is either eclipsed… or it’s not. (Don’t let the “partial eclipse” terminology mislead you, as it did me!) In discussions Monday afternoon and evening, I found no meaningful comparison between the experiences of us poor souls who were 1-99% eclipsed and those of folks in the path of ..read more

Dear Friends, This Wednesday, over 200 people from our Jewish community and alliescame together at our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Annual Meeting. We shared our collaborative work in education, security, and advocacy over the past year, demonstrating how partnerships amplify our efforts. A highlight of the meeting was Dara Horn, the acclaimed author of People Love Dead Jews. Horn’s book explores the dynamics within non-Jewish societies that often only honor or celebrate Jews when they appear powerless or are in fact dead, rather than active, contributing members of society.&nbs ..read more

Dear friends, In navigating my role, the lines between my professional and personal life often blur—a testament to my belief in and passion for our mission, for which I feel fortunate. During a site visit to Miami University, I managed to catch up with my nephew over lunch which I loved! I got to hear about his classes, fraternity pledging, and how he is thriving at Miami—which I am grateful for. Yet this is not the experience of all our teens and young adults.   Our recent study, conducted with the Jewish Foundation, sheds light on the mental health challenges our youth face, from soci ..read more

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, along with our public affairs arm, the Jewish Community Relations Council, wholeheartedly endorses the ceasefire resolution authored by Cincinnati City Councilmember Anna Albi. This resolution’s wording unites rather than divides us. It reflects the Jewish community’s aspiration—shared by numerous Cincinnati residents—that considerate and steadfast negotiation will lead to peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. When we approached the Cincinnati City Council last month, over 175 members from our community, covering a wide spectrum from college student ..read more

More and more, I find myself sharing the following memory: In high school, I was the president of my school’s Model UN. At one convention, our group was representing Israel, and we succeeded at brokering peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution. And it wasn’t even that hard. I find new relevance in this story—which I had forgotten until recently—in recalling how easy it was to create “peace.” Specifically, I have been reflecting on how the less skin you have in the game, the easier it is to pretend that everything can be solved simply. Much local and national discourse relating to ..read more

Dear friends,  As we grapple with the war’s complexities, each day unfolds with an ache for the release of the hostages and a deep yearning for peace. The desire for peace could not be more palpable than when we heard firsthand testimonials about October 7 and its aftermath from brothers Eilon and Asaf Munk.  Eilon Munk, an IDF soldier and former Camp Livingston camp counselor and his brother Asaf Munk, a former Chaver (from 2018), spoke on Tuesday to our Federation and Mayerson JCC professionals about October 7 and their desire for the safe return of the hostages. Eilon had first ..read more

What a week it has been. Since last Wednesday (2/7), our community has been abuzz over whether we might join the many other American cities that have adopted polarizing and anti-Israel-biased ceasefire resolutions. After close to 200 members of our community came to Cincinnati City Hall this Wednesday—with nearly 100 of them speaking publicly—we were able to resolve our concerns. The Mayor spoke out, announcing he would not support City Council taking a position on the contentious issue. Many moments of Wednesday stick out in my mind: The fact that council chambers were fuller than essential ..read more

This message is to update you on Wednesday’s Cincinnati City Council session, during which over 300 diverse community members advocated for or against a potential Cincinnati City Council ceasefire resolution for Israel and Gaza. See here for WCPO’s coverage. In Ohio, as of today; Akron, Dayton, and Toledo have passed ceasefire resolutions, and Athens, Cleveland, and Columbus have not. Dear friends, This Wednesday was an incredibly challenging day, one of the most difficult in my memory for local Jewish advocacy. Along with more than 175 members of our Jewish community, I spent hour ..read more

Dear friends, For those of you who attended our Federation Impact Breakfast two days ago—I want to start by saying thank you for your participation. It was such a wonderful and moving way to be together. If you weren’t able to make your 2024 Annual Campaign gift at the breakfast, you can still do so. Donate here.   On Sunday and Monday, I was in New York for the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) board meeting. We discussed how 2024 is shaping up to be a challenging year. Alongside the CEOs of the Toronto and Chicago Federations, I participated in a ..read more