Our first snow day of the season didn't stop over 300 little ones and their families from giving thanks, giving back, and giving tzedakah at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland's Tzedakah Party!

CLEVELAND – Madeline (Maddie) McCann, 10, of Beachwood has been selected to join the national PJ Our Way Design Team, a prestigious position through the PJ Our Way program that gives young people the opportunity to develop leadership skills, while connecting with other pre-teens across the country.

Jewish Volunteer Network volunteers turned the Federation's Multi-Purpose room into a Chanukah Store, filled with a variety of games, toys, books, puzzles, and more for Chanukah in a Basket!

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Cleveland! “We have many finish lines to cross, many victories to celebrate, and many marathons to run,” said Steven Litt, who joined fellow panelists Joseph D. Roman and Karen Gahl-Mills, along with moderator Ira C. Kaplan to discuss our city's accomplishments and challenges ahead at the third annual "Cleveland: A 20/20 Vision" event, hosted by KeyBank.

CLEVELAND – November is a time to give thanks. At the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and PJ Library’s Tzedakah Party, families with children 4 years and younger will celebrate giving, enjoy gratitude-themed arts and crafts, participate in interactive PJ Library® story times, and have an action-packed opportunity to give tzedakah. This free event takes place on Sunday, November 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Federation’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Building, 25701 Science Park Drive in Beachwood.

I had the perfect costume this Halloween. It looked great, was easy, and didn’t cost a fortune. Is it something you would wear? Probably not. Was it sewn perfectly and did it have all the best accessories? No. But, it was perfect for me.

One of my first memorable Federation experiences was when I went on a young adult mission to Israel 11 years ago. I’d never been to Israel. I was hesitant to leave my children but something in me said “just go, it will be worth it.” And, it was! Israel was simply beautiful. It moved me.

To me, the last of anything has always meant turning the page to something new. So ending my role as chair of Women’s Philanthropy is not really an end. My Federation journey and our community needs will remain as relevant a passion tomorrow as they are today.