Since 2011, the Cleveland Jewish community has welcomed a group of Israeli teens, known as shin shinim, to not only bring Israel, but mainly to increase the engagement of other teens in the community.

A program of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Cleveland Israel Arts Connection is an initiative that brings Israeli arts and culture to Cleveland, working with local arts organizations and institutions to build cultural bridges between the Middle East and Northeast Ohio through a shared love of all things art.

An all-expense paid adventure of a lifetime and a chance to explore the landscape, culture and people of Israel can be within reach for 18- to 26-year-olds who apply and are accepted into the Birthright Israel program, Elle Henig, manager of international experiences at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland told the Cleveland Jewish News.

Nearly 250 people filled the sanctuary of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood to remember Israel’s fallen soldiers and terror victims on Yom Hazikaron.

As Israel celebrates its 75th Independence Day, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is celebrating with yearlong programming, including two Yom Ha’atzmaut events in May.

Gil Geva Keinan, one of Cleveland's ShinShin, shared her family's emotional story during Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day commemoration. Read the story and watch the video below.

In northern Israel about 40 miles southeast of Haifa and 70 miles northeast of Tel Aviv sits the town of Beit Shean/Valley of Springs. As Cleveland’s sister city, it faces similar geographic and cultural challenges – among them public perception and weather.

As the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Kol Israel Foundation’s Yom Hashoah commemoration shined a light on the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, featured speaker Irving Berkowitz drew parallels to the continued fight against antisemitism today.

To honor our local survivors and remember those who perished during the Holocaust, local schools entered the Yom Hashoah Creative Arts Contest. Students created original poems and visual arts pieces to incorporate this year’s theme, “80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.”

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Kol Israel Foundation’s Yom Hashoah commemoration will reflect on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to mark the 80th anniversary of the 1943 act of Jewish resistance in German-occupied Poland.