Rather than attending his final day of classes for the semester, Ethan Dobres, a third-year student at The Ohio State University in Columbus from Solon, spoke before the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill to codify a working definition of antisemitism into state law.

Nearly 3,000 Jewish leaders across the country gathered for the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly from Nov. 10 to Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C., where all 146 Jewish federations around the country, other organizations and smaller communities that don’t have a Jewish federation address pressing issues facing the Jewish community in the wake of heightened antisemitism and the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel.

In response to the increasingly aggressive threats to the Jewish community and most recently, the Neo-Nazis marching in Columbus, Ohio, Jewish Federation of Cleveland is asking for your help.

Combating the hatred faced by the Jewish people has always been a top priority for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. In the months following the October 7th attacks on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas, antisemitic incidents surged by 388%, making Federation’s mission even more critical. From advocating against discriminatory resolution proposals at council meetings across Northeast Ohio to ensuring Jewish college students are getting the support they need from school administrators to empowering our community to combat online hate and more, Federation has been a driving force in the ongoing fight against antisemitism.

We hope to see you at our October events, including a community-wide gathering on the one-year anniversary of 10-7-23, a special in-person-only episode of the hit podcast Call Me Back featuring host Dan Senor with Alana Newhouse, and more.

October 7, 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. As Jewish groups on college campuses across Ohio plan activities that day to remember those who were killed and pray for those still being held in Gaza, there are plans being made by others who want to use this occasion to glorify the crimes of Hamas, intimidate the Jewish community on campus, and further fan the flames of hatred.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland created an ad campaign during the Cleveland Guardians season, the recently-completed Cleveland Cavaliers playoff season and on billboards in the Greater Cleveland area to help combat hate and spread awareness for the hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, that are still in captivity.

About 100 community members showed their support for the hostages taken by Hamas during a gathering held by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland on Sept. 6 on its front lawn near the hostage ribbon display at 25701 Science Park Drive in Beachwood.

Just 48 hours after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland gathered more than 2,000 Jewish and non-Jewish individuals to pray and support Israel outside of its Beachwood offices.

On October 7, 2023, more than 250 innocent civilians were taken hostage by the terrorist group Hamas. These individuals are as old as 85 and as young as 9-months; they are men, women, and children; they are Israeli, American, Russian, Argentinian, and Thai. They have missed birthdays, anniversaries, and so many more milestones while being subjected to unimaginable horrors.