The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will host its annual Yom Ha’atzmaut event – a free community celebration of Israel’s Independence Day – on Tuesday, May 14 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation (27501 Fairmount Blvd in Pepper Pike).

Like you, we have watched in disbelief as pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses across our country have rapidly become violent, anti-Jewish rallies – complete with direct threats and physical attacks on Jewish students, as well as destruction of property.

More than 1,000 community members came together for Ratzim Bishvilam (“Running For Them”) to honor the innocent people killed or kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. This marked six months since the attack on Israel.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and area congregations will host programming in May to commemorate Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah, Holocaust Remembrance Day; Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day; and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.

Each year, as we retell the story of the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, we think about seders of the past. Everyone has a role: who reads what part in the Haggadah, who sits quietly hoping they won’t be called on, who asks the four questions, who kicks their sister or brother under the table, who brings the soup or the special family dessert ... who just won’t stop talking ... we all have our roles and our questions.

When our world changed on October 7, 2023, we opened the doors of our day schools to Israeli families temporarily relocating to Cleveland.

As Israel came under attack from Iran early on April 14, many Clevelanders were visiting the Jewish state on missions through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in Beachwood.

I am writing this from Tel Aviv where I am with several members of the Greater Cleveland and Jewish Cleveland communities on Federation’s Humanitarian Mission for Business and Civic Leaders. We came to Israel together to see, hear, and begin to comprehend what happened on October 7, 2023, and what that means for Israel and the Jewish people.

On the six-month anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, over 1,000 people turned out to walk and run in memory of those killed in Israel or still held hostage in Gaza.

Participants on the Jewish Federation of Cleveland Volunteer Mission to Israel are participating in hands-on volunteer projects that meet pressing needs, and experiencing how Cleveland supports Israel in times of peace and war.