“If Federation wasn’t there helping my family, I wouldn’t be who I am and where I am today.”

Hi, my name is Sammie Jacobs. I was born and raised in Beachwood, and will be a Senior at Case Western Reserve University this fall. I participated on Onward Israel this past summer, and was one of 42 Clevelanders who went on Onward this year.

Hi, my name is Sammie Jacobs. I was born and raised in Beachwood, and will be a Senior at Case Western Reserve University this fall. I participated on Onward Israel this past summer, and was one of 42 Clevelanders who went on Onward this year.

Leader. Ambitious. Hard worker. 29-year-old Doug Breitenbach is all this and more. A Cleveland native, Doug recently moved back home after living and building a successful wealth management career in Washington, D.C. for seven years.

In January, Women’s Philanthropy launched Coaching Circles, a leadership development program aimed to offer women a supportive and motivating environment to connect through meaningful conversations and peer coaching. Coaching Circles was created to give participants an opportunity to work with seasoned lay leaders to help enhance leadership skills and talents. This program has enabled women to establish new relationships, learn skills related to leadership, develop in an area that is a current challenge related to a career or community volunteerism, and learn about the Federation.

In July, I had the pleasure of traveling on the Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission (CCD) with our international partner, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The purpose of the CCD Mission is to give local Federation lay leaders an opportunity to see the work JFNA does overseas and bring back stories to share with donors of where campaign dollars are being utilized and how they are assisting Jews in need around the globe. This year's trip began in Paris and ended in Israel.

Being part of Jewish Cleveland is special. It’s like nowhere else. No matter what stage of life you’re in, the Federation is here to support you. And I’m not just saying that, I speak from personal experience.