05/30/2019

My Jewish Learning: The Conversation I Regret

Tags: Family, Education, Interfaith, Partners

My Jewish Learning: The Conversation I Regret

Early on in my rabbinate, I decided I would officiate at weddings for interfaith couples if they agreed to have a Jewish family and raise Jewish children. I honestly hadn’t given the issue much thought and believed this was a typical position of many of my fellow Reform rabbinical colleagues. I remember one conversation in which the couple did not agree to these parameters and I refused to officiate at their wedding.

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05/28/2019

Five Questions with Youth Futures

Tags: Federation, Israel, Israel & Overseas

Five Questions with Youth Futures

Youth Futures, Ruthi Shenfeld and regional director, Shlomit Abergel discuss how they're mentoring at-risk youth in Israel

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05/17/2019

Five Questions with Tamara Cofman Wittes

Tags: Federation, Advocacy, Israel, Overseas

Five Questions with Tamara Cofman Wittes

Even though she grew up in East Lansing, Michigan – “enemy territory” as she calls it – Tamara Cofman Wittes headed south to Northeast Ohio to get her undergrad at Oberlin College. Her senior year, she wrote her thesis on the history of Jewish Cleveland, which sparked a successful career researching Jewish and Middle Eastern culture. Today, she serves as a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, D.C.

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05/16/2019

Judith Wolkoff to Receive Prestigious Irene Zehman Award

Tags: Federation, PR, Awards, Women, Volunteer

Judith Wolkoff to Receive Prestigious Irene Zehman Award

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced today that Judith Wolkoff, an active volunteer with the Transplant House of Cleveland, is the 2019 recipient of the Irene Zehman Award. Each year, the Federation recognizes an unsung Jewish woman or group of women who demonstrate the highest ideals and practices of volunteer service on behalf of the Jewish and/or general community. Wolkoff, a Pepper Pike resident, will be honored at the Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Spring Brunch on June 2 at 11:45 am at Landerhaven (6111 Landerhaven Drive, Mayfield Heights).

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05/10/2019

Happy Mother's Day, Jewish Cleveland!

Tags: Federation, Women, Young Adults, Families

Happy Mother's Day, Jewish Cleveland!

Happy Mother's Day, Cleveland! We asked Federation professionals to share their favorite part about being a mom, and why they love their own mom!

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05/09/2019

Israel's Independence Day Celebration

Tags: Israel, Overseas, Events, Holidays, Federation, Women, Teens, Family, Advocacy, Young Adults

Israel's Independence Day Celebration

A Cleveland Festival to Celebrate Art, Music, and Israel’s 71st Independence Day!

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05/09/2019

Cleveland’s Inaugural BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival to Feature Israeli Artists

Tags: Federation, PR, Israel, Arts

Cleveland’s Inaugural BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival to Feature Israeli Artists

The 4-day inaugural BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival, featuring top-flight performers from abroad and world premiere collaborations between Cleveland-based and international theater artists, launches on July 24.

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05/08/2019

‘Sister City Celebration’ Takes Place at Cleveland Public Library Louis Stokes Wing

Tags: Federation, PR, Advocacy, Israel, Overseas

‘Sister City Celebration’ Takes Place at Cleveland Public Library Louis Stokes Wing

The city of Cleveland and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland celebrated the announcement that Cleveland and Beit Shean and Valley of Springs in Israel will become official Cleveland sister cities during a short ceremony at the Cleveland Public Library Louis Stokes Wing in Cleveland on May 2.

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05/03/2019

My Federation Story: Celebrating One Another through Coaching Circles

Tags: Women, Federation

My Federation Story: Celebrating One Another through Coaching Circles

I moved to Cleveland – my husband’s hometown – in 1994 when I was pregnant with my first child. I was primarily a stay-at-home mom for many years while I raised my three children, and gradually added other jobs as my children entered grade school. At first, I started teaching religious school at Park Synagogue in 1996 just to get out of the house a little bit. I immediately fell in love with teaching the students and I continue to teach there to this day. From there, I added another role to my career as an educator, working as an after-school reading tutor. Today, the bulk of my work week is spent writing articles and managing social media for an Apple-focused tech and lifestyle website, iMore.

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05/03/2019

Message from Danielle Wild, Women's Philanthropy Chair

Tags: Women, Blog

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and meaningful Passover, replete with beautiful seders spent with family and friends. I know that I did and I really enjoyed the time spent together. As we are now getting a true taste of spring, it is time to look forward to our Spring Brunch, which is a new take on our Annual Spring Luncheon.

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