Molly Kazan has always treasured her Jewishness. Born in Cincinnati, Molly moved to Cleveland during middle school and attended Agnon (now Mandel JDS), a Federation beneficiary agency. That time in her life is something she’ll never forget. “My time in Cleveland was very formative,” Molly said. “Agnon instilled in me such a passion and such a drive to understand my Jewish identity and serve within the Jewish community and really helped me be excited about who I am.”

Where once lay the battered husk of an abandoned army base in the heart of Beit Shean, Israel, now grows a beautiful community garden for all to enjoy. This physical transformation is a perfect representation of the Jewish Federation’s lasting impact on its sister community in Israel. It had become an eye-sore for the beautiful neighborhood across the street, ignored by the residents of the community.

Birthright is a free 10-day trip for Jewish Clevelanders ages 22-26 to explore Israel’s most remarkable tourist destinations. Check out a few trip highlights below.

Israel at 70 is a community-wide celebration to mark Israel’s 70th birthday. The Jewish Federation of Cleveland, together with local synagogues, agencies, and organizations, are bringing Israel to Cleveland through a variety of arts, cultural, and educational events for all ages.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup took the soccer world by storm this summer. Itamar Nurko of Beachwood used his love of soccer in a very special way in Israel through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Onward Israel internship program. Onward is a two-month summer internship, which allows college students and recent college grads to immerse themselves in Israeli culture – living and working in Tel Aviv, Israel.

In Israel, like in the United States, Independence Day is often celebrated with family and friends around the grill. But it’s also a time for tension in a new play from Israel that received its North American debut at Dobama Theatre last night.

Moshe Halbertal, an Israeli philosopher, professor and co-author of the Israeli Army Code of Ethics, told a local audience that he believes the Israel Defense Forces has fought a war on terror without brutalizing its forces, however, there are challenges and missteps regarding Israeli politicians’ messaging and dealing with the situation at the Gaza border.

A group of Cleveland women were in Israel with other women from Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee on the Women Partners for Peace mission.

At age 21, Albert Ratner experienced the birth of Israel in 1948. 70 years later, he continues to support and love what Israel is and what it stands for. We had the honor to spend time with the Federation Life Trustee to hear his thoughts on Israel today and the beginning of the Jewish state.

We wish all of our Onward Israel Cleveland participants a safe, exciting, and meaningful summer, as they immerse themselves in Israeli culture and make Cleveland friendships for a lifetime.