10/19/2023
Federation YLD Rebrands Big Event to Night of Unity Oct. 26
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COURTNEY BYRNES | CJN
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Young Leadership Division mobilized to rebrand its Big Event as a Night of Unity to become a night of support.
Nisenboum
While YLD Big Event typically benefits the annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, the YLD Night of Unity will extend that support to the Israel Emergency Campaign. Following the same structure as the YLD Big Event, the Night of Unity Oct. 26 at Young Israel of Greater Cleveland will open at 6:30 p.m. with the Ben-Gurion Society Reception for individuals and couples who commit to a minimum gift of $1,000 to the annual campaign, followed by the program at 7:30.
“Whether someone has been to a YLD event before or you’ve been to several events or you’ve never been to an event, we hope that people will join us for this night,” Jono Nisenboum, YLD board chair, told the Cleveland Jewish News Oct. 16. “Again, it’s a night for us to come together and support our brothers and sisters in Israel. And it’s really just a special opportunity for people in Cleveland, Jewish Clevelanders, in their 20s, 30s and 40s to come together, be a part of something special, and really share a connection with other people and know that you’re not alone.”
Nisenboum emphasized that “in times of crisis, human connection is very important,” and as the community previously gathered together during a pro-Israel rally on Oct. 9, this will be a chance for the younger generations to do the same.
Some noticeable changes to the event will be offering tickets at a reduced cost for preregistration until Oct. 20, more casual attire, and of course, the spirit of the event.
“Instead of the party to end the YLD year, it’s really more of this gathering,” Nisenboum, a resident of Highland Heights, said. “The name says it perfectly – a night of unity – to support our brothers and sisters in Israel.”
Guests will also hear from Adam Teitelbaum, executive director of the Israel Action Network and the associate vice president for public affairs at Jewish Federations of North America. He will focus on the war in Israel and the importance of supporting Israel in this critical time, Nisenboum said.
There will be other speakers from various YLD leadership, he said, but “the message is going to be pretty consistent. It’s going to be the importance of supporting the Israel Emergency Campaign and the 2024 Campaign for Jewish Needs, and I think the other part will be supporting each other.”
