The First 7 Minutes is a seminar offered by Israel's most experienced paramedics and instructors to provide communities with the tools they need to stay safe and save lives in the chaotic period between an armed attack and the seven minutes it typically takes for EMTs and other first responders to arrive to the scene.

On Oct. 9, two days after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, I stood on a stage in front of more than 2,000 grieving members of our Cleveland community who came together to demonstrate our steadfast support for Israel and the Israeli people – and our deep commitment to each other as one people. The faces looking back at me were filled with sorrow, fear, anger and resolve. Business and civic leaders were standing resolutely shoulder to shoulder with Jewish leaders, and Jewish community members alongside others from all backgrounds and beliefs.

There are times when everything changes.

Everything changed on October 7, 2023. Nothing will be the same. Ever. The grief, devastation, hurt, and anger we feel is palpable and visible. While our Israeli family – still reeling from the most atrocious of terror attacks – is now embroiled in a war against terror, we in Cleveland have our own fight.

Combating the hatred confronting the Jewish people has long been a top priority of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Whether it be helping to enhance local security to ensure Jewish Cleveland remains open and welcoming, providing educational programs that empower community members to stand up to anti-Jewish / anti-Israel rhetoric, or forging strong, supportive relationships across Greater Cleveland, Federation has been a driving force in the ongoing fight against antisemitism.

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters Association (JBBBSA) is a program through Federation beneficiary agency, Bellefaire JCB. JBBBSA was started a little over 100 years ago here in Cleveland that pairs a mentor and mentee - one older and one younger - who can benefit from an extra special person in their lives.

The Cleveland Jewish community has been instrumental in bringing Ethiopian Jews to Israel, and our support does not end there. Cleveland's sister communities of Beit Shean and the Valley of Springs are home to Beit Alfa absorption center.

KNOW ABUSETM was established in 2001, when employees at Federation beneficiary agency Jewish Family Service Association (JFSA) were approached by adult domestic violence survivors. They told their JFSA social workers if they had learned about signs to look out for as teens, they may not have stayed in - or even gotten into these abusive relationships.

The Ukraine crisis isn’t going away — but neither are we. The Jewish Federation of Cleveland's international partner JDC is here for the long haul to support and sustain Jewish communities around the country and across the region.

We were there when research showed a definitive increase in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.