By the banks of the Asi Stream in northern Israel last Friday, a very special and one-of-a kind event took place in the warm spring sunlight. If you didn’t know better, you might have thought that this was a joyous school reunion or even a friendly block party. Men greeted one another with hearty backslaps and long embraces. Women clutched one another, kissed cheeks, and knelt to hug each other’s children. There were tears, yes, but more than that, there was laughter. But this was no ordinary get-together.

More than 80 volunteers of all ages raked, pruned and beautified Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery on Ridge Road in Cleveland on May 18.

The Ohio Department of Aging estimates that between the years of 2020 and 2040, people who are 65 and older will outnumber everyone else by four times. That's why caring for older adults has been and always will be a priority for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

Jewish Cleveland has a strong tradition of supporting education through providing scholarships to those in need. In fact, one of the oldest known legacy gifts to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland was a bequest from the estate of Mrs. H. Black, who left an endowment gift to “aid deserving students in their higher education.” This bequest, among many others, provided core support for lower- and middle-income Jews to enroll in higher education. Starting in 1905, the Jewish Educational Loan Committee began distributing these grants to eligible students.

The Mt. Sinai Health Foundation in Cleveland was honored with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s highest civic honor, the Charles Eisenman Award for Exceptional Civic Contributions.

Haviv Rettig Gur, senior analyst of The Times of Israel and the host of the “Ask Haviv Anything” podcast, stressed to Jewish Clevelanders that it is important to ask “the hard questions.”

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced at the 121st Annual Meeting on May 13 that the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation has been named the recipient of the Charles Eisenman Award, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s highest civic honor for outstanding contributions to our community.

Thank you Daniel N. Zelman for guiding and leading our community as Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland during the past three years (2022-2025)!

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will host its 121st Annual Meeting from 7:30 to 9 p.m. May 13 at Park Synagogue at 27500 Shaker Blvd. in Pepper Pike.

Every day since October 7, 2023, our Jewish Cleveland community has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of Israel by delivering immediate help and hope for the future.