Combating the hatred faced by the Jewish people has always been a top priority for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. In the months following the October 7th attacks on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas, antisemitic incidents surged by 388%, making Federation’s mission even more critical. From advocating against discriminatory resolution proposals at council meetings across Northeast Ohio to ensuring Jewish college students are getting the support they need from school administrators to empowering our community to combat online hate and more, Federation has been a driving force in the ongoing fight against antisemitism.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas' attacks on Israel that resulted in the killing of more Jews in a single day since the Holocaust.

Teenagers from Kibbutz Kissufim in Israel were able to take a break this summer and spend four weeks at Camp Wise, the Home of Happiness! The teens were able to be there thanks to the support of our community through the Israel Emergency Fund and the Campaign for Jewish Needs.

This summer, Camp Wise campers and staff members attended a two-week session at Camp Szarvas, a Federation-supported program in Hungary. The teens had an opportunity to interact with Jewish peers from around the world. Watch this video to learn about their experience.

The 2025 Campaign for Jewish Needs is underway! Hear from Campaign Chair, Amir Jaffa on what made Super Sunday a perfect way to kick off the Campaign.

We can do anything when we do it together! Our community's support of the 2025 Campaign ensures that everyone's basic needs are met, we can combat the rise in antisemitism, spark a lifelong passion for Jewish traditions, and so much more.

On October 7, 2023, more than 250 innocent civilians were taken hostage by the terrorist group Hamas. These individuals are as old as 85 and as young as 9-months; they are men, women, and children; they are Israeli, American, Russian, Argentinian, and Thai. They have missed birthdays, anniversaries, and so many more milestones while being subjected to unimaginable horrors.

After the devastation that occurred on October 7, Cleveland immediately stepped up to help the communities impacted by the attacks. Cleveland has since established a partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim, a community in the Gaza envelope that suffered a great deal of damage on October 7. In April, several volunteers from Cleveland traveled to Israel and spent two days helping rebuild Kibbutz Kissufim. Cleveland and Israeli volunteers from our sister community of Beit Shean/Valley of Springs were able to exchange stories, laugh together, and build hope while gardening and cleaning the Kissufim community.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland is committed to supporting the elderly in our community. Collaborating with our beneficiary agency, the Jewish Family Service Association, we created the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Caregiver Support Program.

Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Rabbi Emeritus of Sinai Temple, recently spoke to our Cleveland community at Federation’s 120th Annual Meeting. During our one-on-one interview with him, he answered questions about being a proud Jew during these difficult times and gave advice about standing up to hate, while providing a message of hope and optimism.