Despite a 120–103 loss to the Miami Heat on March 25 at Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland, more than 100 members of the local Jewish community still found plenty to celebrate during Jewish Community Night.

The constant sirens have been accompanying families in Kiryat Shmona almost every hour since the beginning of the month, affecting especially children who have returned from prolonged evacuation. Professionals report a rise in anxiety, sleep difficulties, and behavioral regression, alongside a heavy burden on parents.

Each year, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland recognizes extraordinary volunteers for the impact they make on our community.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced that Aaron Gross has been awarded the 2025 Bennett and Donna Yanowitz Leadership Award, which recognizes and honors an outstanding young individual who has demonstrated commitment, involvement, and leadership within Cleveland’s Jewish community. He received the award at the Federation’s Board of Trustees meeting on March 26.

On Passover, we retell the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt to find freedom. It is a foundational narrative of the Jewish people as it anchors our identity, clarifies our values, strengthens our resilience, and demands the responsibility that comes from this knowledge. This story also serves as an important reminder that we are interconnected as a people – that there are moments in our history that transcend time, where we are all present.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland, in partnership with the Kol Israel Foundation, will host its annual Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah commemoration from 6:30 to 8 p.m. April 13 at Congregation Mishkan Or at 26000 Shaker Blvd. in Beachwood.

According to the 2025 Annual DAF Report by the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative, the total number of DAF accounts in the U.S. reached a record 3.56 million, with collective grantmaking rising 19% from the prior year to $64.89 billion.

After joining 39 other Cleveland civic leaders on the first biennial Thomas and Joann Adler Civic Leaders Israel Mission in 2017, Jill Zimon, co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s civil rights mission and former AJC Cleveland president, came up with the idea to visit the South and learn more about Black Americans’ history.

Last week, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland shared an update with our community in response to the recent antisemitic attack on Temple Israel in Detroit. Today, we are following up with ways you can get involved in Jewish Cleveland through an upcoming briefing on the war with Iran, security trainings, and advocacy opportunities.

Members of the Ohio Jewish Caucus gathered at the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood on March 12 – hours after the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich. – for a community meeting, in which they encouraged constituents to remain vigilant and communicative about their needs in the state.