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.

After the devastation that occurred on October 7, Cleveland immediately stepped up to help the communities impacted by the attacks. Cleveland has since established a partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim, a community in the Gaza envelope that suffered a great deal of damage on October 7. In April, several volunteers from Cleveland traveled to Israel and spent two days helping rebuild Kibbutz Kissufim. Cleveland and Israeli volunteers from our sister community of Beit Shean/Valley of Springs were able to exchange stories, laugh together, and build hope while gardening and cleaning the Kissufim community.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland is committed to supporting the elderly in our community. Collaborating with our beneficiary agency, the Jewish Family Service Association, we created the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Caregiver Support Program.

Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Rabbi Emeritus of Sinai Temple, recently spoke to our Cleveland community at Federation’s 120th Annual Meeting. During our one-on-one interview with him, he answered questions about being a proud Jew during these difficult times and gave advice about standing up to hate, while providing a message of hope and optimism.

The Lois Marcus Leadership Award recognizes a Lion of Judah Society member that has shown commitment to the Cleveland Jewish community through emerging leadership and volunteerism and who proudly promotes the values of women’s leadership and philanthropy, cares for our community and its future, and leads with integrity, compassion, and kindness.

Mazel tov, Jennifer Cohen for receiving the 2024 Ruby Bass Challenge Award for her exemplary dedication and leadership to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Women IN Philanthropy Campaign.

Since October 7, 2023, the lives of all Israelis were changed. But along the sorrow and grief, the nation's strengths have also been revealed. Residents in Beit Shean, Cleveland's sister city, told their own stories of how they're dealing with everything - and how Jewish Cleveland has been with them every step of the way.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced at the 120th Annual Meeting on May 23 that Gary L. Gross has been named the 100th recipient of the Charles Eisenman Award, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s highest civic honor for outstanding contributions to our community.

In celebrating Federation's 120 years since its founding, we asked our local day school students what Cleveland will look like in 120 years.

Jewish Cleveland hosted a special webinar on the current climate on campuses across the country, and how we can help fight the antisemitism students and faculty are facing today.