Volunteer for a Jewish Federation of Cleveland program and you never know what you’re going to get. Three years ago, I signed up for the Federation’s “Conversation Partners” program, or Medabrim in Hebrew. Developed by Mark Holz, volunteer chair of the Beit Shean subcommittee, the program aimed to support select Beit Shean residents in improving their English by practicing speaking the language.

Despite the distance and the time difference, the Cleveland and Israeli communities have been able to have lasting impact on one another through partnerships between the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and its overseas partners like The Jewish Agency for Israel.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced today the first round Israel at 75 Microgrant recipients. Through this program, the Federation is funding a wide range of projects throughout the Cleveland Jewish community that are geared toward Israel programming as part of the organization’s year-long Israel at 75 initiative.

As families celebrated their mothers on Mother’s Day, more than 2,200 people joined the Jewish community to also celebrate Israel’s 75th independence day at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s IsraelFest May 14 at the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland hosted a delegation of professionals from the Israel Defense Forces Education Corps and Youth Futures from May 7 through May 15 as they visited programs in Cleveland for at-risk populations.

Ahead of the Shalva Band’s community-wide performance to celebrate Israel at 75, four members of the band spoke to students from the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood and Gross Schechter Day School in Pepper Pike to share a message of believing in oneself and never giving up.

As the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Israel at 75 mission began its weeklong stay in Israel, the delegation had the opportunity to attend an April 19 induction ceremony at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Center’s Jerusalem campus.

Watch the video below, which commemorates the commitment and care Cleveland and Israel has for one another.

We hope to see you at one of our many May events! This month, we're celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) with two community events, sprucing up a local Jewish cemetery's grounds, and recognizing Jewish Cleveland's accomplishments at our annual meeting.

Join us for IsraelFest! for Yom Ha'atzmaut. Celebrate 75 years since the signing of the Israeli Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948. This celebration of Israel will include fun for all ages. Check out everything to see, do, shop, taste, and more.