05/22/2025
Leadership from Generation to Generation
Jono and Alix with their daughter, Quinn.
As he grew up in the Cleveland area and attended the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School (formerly known as Agnon), the concept of tzedakah was instilled in Jonathon (Jono) Nisenboum’s day-to-day life by his family and broader Jewish community. Jono recalls how his parents emphasized the gift of giving and the importance of giving back to the community. At the time, he did not realize how blessed he was to be surrounded by such a strong and welcoming Jewish community.
In college, Jono started volunteering and joined a business fraternity and an accounting fraternity, which further fueled his commitment to helping others and giving back. When he was 22, Jono had not yet visited Israel and was eager to make the trip. Jono reflects that “traveling to Israel in 2019 was one of the most meaningful and impactful experiences of my life.” After the trip, he reached out to his friends who connected him to the director of the Federation’s Young Leadership Division (YLD). From that meeting, he became more involved in YLD and joined LEADS (a program that introduces young professionals to the work of the Jewish Federation and the greater community). This inspired him to become further engaged, and he joined the YLD board.
Being Jewish is important to both Jono and his wife, Alix, especially since becoming parents. They want their two young children to grow up with pride in their Jewish heritage and to understand what being Jewish means. It is vital to them that their children have a close connection with Cleveland’s Jewish community, and they feel lucky that Cleveland offers so many options to engage in Jewish life and learning, including many Jewish day schools.
As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Jono grew up with pride in being Jewish and a deep understanding of the profound responsibility to build a resilient and vibrant Jewish community. His grandmother was only 13 years old when the Holocaust began. She and five of her siblings survived, finding each other in Germany after the war. She also met her husband in Germany, and their first son was born there before the family moved to Lorain, Ohio.
Jono and his grandmother, Goldie.
For Jono and Alix, the October 7 attacks on Israel played a big role in their decision to leave a legacy gift to the Federation. Seeing how the community rallied together in the past year reinforced how lucky they feel to be in Jewish Cleveland.
Big sister Quinn with little brother, Spencer.
“We love Cleveland, and we love that Cleveland is a place Jews can feel safe and comfortable with their kids being Jewish,” Jono said. “We want Cleveland to be strong forever, especially after we are gone.”
They hope their gift will inspire other young leaders to leave their own legacy gift to ensure a vibrant Jewish future in Cleveland for generations to come.
Jewish Federation of Cleveland's Young Leadership Division
YLD is the home for Cleveland’s vibrant, diverse, and welcoming Jewish community. It provides a place for young adults ages 22-45 to meet and network through social, volunteer, leadership, and philanthropic activities. YLD’s flagship annual events include YLD Big Event: an unforgettable night of community and philanthropy, Summer Soirée: summer kick-off celebration where YLDers reunite with old friends and make new ones, and Newish and Jewish: a celebration to bring together people who are new to the Cleveland Jewish community in a variety of ways. YLD also offers leadership opportunities including: the LEADS Program, joining a YLD committee, joining the YLD Board and the National Young Leadership Cabinet.
Opportunities for Engagement Include:
- The Big Event
- Summer Soirée
- Hands-on Volunteering
- Mission Trips to Israel
