In celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's 73rd Independence Day, our community enjoyed both a family-friendly in-"car"-nival drive-in experience and a virtual event!

As the state of Israel rang in its 73rd anniversary, hundreds of people across Cleveland showed their patriotism during the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Yom Ha’atzmaut festival April 15.

Efi Mazor, the people-to-people coordinator at Partnership 2Gether Beit Shean-Valley of Springs-Cleveland and a former solider of the Israel Defense Forces, recalled an IDF doctor’s bravery and selflessness during the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s annual Yom Hazikaron commemoration April 13.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will present its highest honor for exceptional civic contributions to the staffs of Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth System and University Hospitals during its 117th annual meeting April 21.

Philanthropy is in Ervin Pavlofsky’s DNA. Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, a close-knit Jewish community of less than 10,000 Jews at that time, he learned the importance of caring for one another. “Every Jewish person was involved, giving what they could to as many agencies and synagogues as they could,” he said. “We felt that it was up to each one of us to keep the Jewish community alive for our own families and everyone else’s too.”

Karen Tucker’s lifelong love of Israel has roots in her youth. At 13 years old, she vividly remembers watching the news coverage of Israel, then a fledgling nation, fight for its survival in the Six Day War. As a college student, she attended rallies, spoke out in support of Israel, and donated funds to help the country defend itself during the Yom Kippur War.

The wall showcasing past leadership in the Federation’s Conference Center is a sea of mostly black and white photos of men. Yet among the photos there is one that stands out – a woman whose plaque reads “Mrs. Siegmund Herzog 1927-1930.” While a dignified photograph, it does not begin to capture the force of nature that was Bertha “Birdie” Herzog.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland commemorated Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day in a very moving ceremony.

Howie Beigelman, director of the Ohio Jewish Communities (OJC), did not need to see the research to know there was a problem. “The lack of Holocaust knowledge today is shocking – especially in Ohio,” Beigelman said. “Something had to be done to make sure this history will never be forgotten.”

Time and time again we have seen that as anti-Semitism rises, so too does hatred towards all communities.