Making Connections in Cleveland and Israel
The Jewish Federation Cleveland recently traveled to Israel with a delegation of nearly 80 business leaders across Greater Cleveland. The mission is designed to show Cleveland leaders the beauty, history, religious and cultural significance, and complexities of Israel. By doing so, these leaders were able to create meaningful connections between one another and with Israel.
This was the first time many of these leaders had been to Israel, which created a bond between them. That helped to launch many conversations about working together to strengthen the Cleveland community. “We were able to have open, honest conversations which has given us a new set of talking points that has continued since we’ve been back home in Cleveland,” said Eddie Taylor, president of Taylor Oswald. “As I meet with some of those individuals now, so much good information is being shared and different points of views are being expressed – we will become a better overall community because of this trip.”
Throughout the mission, some of the participants were able to meet with their Israeli counterparts in order to help further discussions and create collaborations here in Cleveland. “We visited a number of museums on our trip, including The Israel Museum,” said William Griswold, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “I was able to spend an entire day there where I not only made an emotional connection, but a professional connection as well. I had time to speak with their director about his museum’s approaches to installations and other processes, which will help inform the work we do here [in Cleveland], and possibly working together in the future.”
The MetroHealth System and Federation picked up right where the trip left off, partnering on Narcan training workshops throughout the summer. MetroHealth CEO, Dr. Akram Boutros also noted how closely related both organizations have been throughout Cleveland’s history. “MetroHealth has always made it a priority to help the vulnerable populations here in Cleveland. Federation’s mission is very aligned with that – making life better for people.”
For more information, contact Amy Kaplan at akaplan@jcfcleve.org or 216-593-2832.
