As a former chair of the board of trustees of United Jewish Communities, renamed in 2009 the Jewish Federations of North America, Joe Kanfer of Richfield has seen his share of General Assemblies – and has been impressed with them.

Cleveland and Columbus-area Jewish leaders will attend the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly conference, which this year will feature Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s first major talk outside of Israel, Nov. 12-14 in Los Angeles.

Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Young Leadership Division’s “Big Event,” the annual signature event for the 2018 Campaign for Jewish Needs, will feature local comedy celebrity Mike Polk Jr. at 8 p.m. Nov. 18 at The Westin Cleveland Downtown in Cleveland.

Something BIG is happening on Saturday, November 18! The Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Young Leadership Division (YLD) will host its fifth annual YLD Big Event, the signature fundraiser for young adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s in support of the 2018 Campaign for Jewish Needs. The event takes place on November 18 at 8:00 pm at The Westin Cleveland Downtown (777 Saint Clair Avenue NE, Cleveland, OH 44114). A private reception for Ben-Gurion Society donors who commit a minimum gift of $1,000 to the Campaign will precede the event.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland invites the community to a moving and powerful discussion on “Life After Hate” featuring Tony McAleer, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Life After Hate, an organization founded by former members of the American violent far-right extremist movement. All are welcome to attend this free event on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm at The Temple-Tifereth Israel (26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, Ohio 44122).

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland raised $1,119,103 during its Super Sunday fundraiser Oct. 29, where almost 1,000 people turned out to make donation phone calls at the Federation’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel building in Beachwood.

Although Ben Miller, 13, has studied Israel while attending the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood, and anticipated visiting, he likely didn’t imagine his first trip would include his family playing a basketball game with about 10 soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces.

Calling all Middle and High School Students: Enter your essays and artwork for the 2018 Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah Creative Arts Contest, Cleveland’s Commemoration of the Holocaust & Heroism.

Super Sunday is the largest single-day giveathon for the Federation’s 2018 Campaign for Jewish Needs – an annual fundraising campaign from September to December that raises money for local, national and international Jewish needs. Last year, the Federation raised $31.7 million in total for the campaign. For the last five years, it’s raised more than $1 million on Super Sunday.