There’s a lot to do as a child prepares for a bar or bat mitzvah — from learning the ritual itself to finalizing details of the party that follows. One important element, however, sometimes gets overlooked: the mitzvah project.

With calendar year 2025 coming to the end, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is nearly halfway through its challenge to raise $90 million in matching funds for the Jewish Day School Initiative driven by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, which announced the grant challenge on Jan. 21, 2025.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland today announced that Kari Blumenthal has been named its chief financial officer, effective December 1, 2025. Blumenthal brings more than two decades of strategic financial leadership experience across nonprofit and corporate sectors, with expertise in investment oversight, financial operations, and strategic planning. This appointment follows a nationwide search conducted with assistance from the executive search firm Ratliff & Taylor.

The atmosphere at this year’s Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly was “passionate, energized and exciting,” according to Lynne Cohen, a board of trustees member for both the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and JFNA.

In response to the ongoing disruption of federal SNAP benefits and the resulting surge in community food insecurity, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland today announced an emergency grant of $85,000 to support frontline food providers serving vulnerable households across Greater Cleveland. The grant was approved at the Federation Board of Trustees Meeting on Monday, November 24.

A 15-foot-tall and 10-foot-wide ribbon at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in Beachwood displaying the faces of the 240 hostages has been updated with a new design to reflect Israel’s ceasefire deal with Hamas. The ribbon has been visible outside the Federation facing Richmond Road since December 2023.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland is currently seeking recommendations for the 2026 Board of Trustees, who will lead the work of the Federation.

For nearly two decades, the Youth Futures mentoring program has been transforming the lives of children and families across Israel – providing emotional, social and academic support to those facing hardship. This vital program, supported by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, has become even more critical since the war began, as thousands of children struggle to cope with the ongoing trauma and instability in their daily lives.

Celebrate Shabbat for Good with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and synagogues across our community! Together, we’re striving to reach 613 pledges—one for each of the 613 mitzvot—during this special weekend of connection and purpose.

With less than a month remaining until the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s 2026 Campaign for Jewish Needs concludes on Dec. 8, campaign vice chair Jason Wuliger is enthusiastic about the potential impact of “Shabbat for Good,” a three-day initiative that invites the community to attend services and then help raise funds for the campaign.