Early on in my rabbinate, I decided I would officiate at weddings for interfaith couples if they agreed to have a Jewish family and raise Jewish children. I honestly hadn’t given the issue much thought and believed this was a typical position of many of my fellow Reform rabbinical colleagues. I remember one conversation in which the couple did not agree to these parameters and I refused to officiate at their wedding.

A Cleveland Festival to Celebrate Art, Music, and Israel’s 71st Independence Day!

When Nina and Scott decided to get married, they were determined to respect each other’s religious background – she is Jewish, he was raised Catholic. They planned their interfaith wedding, with the help of Rabbi Enid Lader of Beth Israel – The West Temple, who encouraged Nina and Scott to participate in The Taste of Judaism courses, sponsored by jHUB, a joint initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, and is an InterfaithFamily affiliate.

Looking for something new and different with your family this summer? Fellow Jewish Cleveland parents share some of their favorite summer activities – from visiting the zoo, to farmers markets, to getting messy with paint. There’s something for everyone!

Zach and Shelby Siegal of Chagrin Falls love being a part of Jewish Cleveland. After pursuing careers in other cities, they returned home to Cleveland to raise their son. They love all the opportunities for Jewish life here – the unparalleled schools, communities, and programs like PJ Library. Meet them now:

Each year, 8th graders from Gross Schechter Day School and Mandel Jewish Day School – two of Federation’s beneficiary agencies, travel to Israel to experience in-person everything they’ve learned in the classroom about Israeli culture and history. They also have a chance to spend time with their peers in Beit Shean, Cleveland’s sister city.

Securing our community is one of the top priorities of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Thanks to a generous donation from Barb and Abe Miller, the Federation will be distributing 550 Project Safe Classroom Backpacks to Jewish Cleveland classrooms, including all Jewish Cleveland day schools, religious schools, and early childhood centers. Over the course of two days, students from Yavne School for Girls and Fuchs Mizrachi School – Federation beneficiary agencies – as well as members of our Young Leadership Division (YLD) volunteered their time to fill the backpacks with medical and emergency supplies and safety equipment.

The Israel at 70 celebration continued yesterday as nearly 2,000 people from across our diverse community came together at IsraelFest!, a first-of-its-kind festival here in Jewish Cleveland!

Whether you love it or dread it, each family has their own unique bedtime routine for their children. Check out some of these ideas and tips from local Jewish Cleveland parents that are sure to make you smile.

Believe it or not, children from across the country and around the globe are experiencing similar types of stress. Factors like living below the poverty line, having dysfunctional families, or experiencing trauma know no geographic boundaries. Left unattended, this stress can negatively affect a child’s school performance, social well-being, and ultimately, their future success as an adult.