10/28/2025
Women Hear About Importance of Judaism at Federation's MaIN Event
Julie Platt, immediate past chair of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America and current chair of the JFNA’s LiveSecure initiative, and Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speech writer and author of “As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Shame, Blame and Try To Erase Us,” discuss Judaism in a fireside chat at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Women IN Philanthropy MaIN Event on Oct. 22 at Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood. CJN Photo / Ellie Evans
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News.
by Ellie Evans
The MaIN Event is Women IN Philanthropy’s annual Campaign for Jewish Needs event, which brings the area’s philanthropic Jewish women together to support the organization’s causes aimed at strengthening Jewish communities across the world. Platt and Hurwitz discussed the difficulties of being a Jew today, and the subsequent responsibility Jewish people have to double down on their cultural identity during the program at Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood.
Hurwitz, former White House speech writer and author of “As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Shame, Blame and Try To Erase Us,” shared with attendees the journey she experienced in getting connected to her Judaism after growing up in a loosely faith-based household.
“I had grown up, maybe like some of you, where Judaism, for me, was three boring holidays and one fun one – Chanukah,” Hurwitz said. “It was two texts, the book we held in our hands at the boring service and the thing on the scrolls that was old and in Hebrew, and it was a few values, like, ‘Help the poor,’ and, ‘Don’t kill.’”
But during a particularly difficult time she experienced in her 30s, Hurwitz said she decided to take an introduction to Judaism class at her local Jewish Community Center in Washington, D.C.
“I figured I’d just learn about my culture in this class, but what I found blew me away,” she said. “There is 4,000 years of wisdom about what it means to be human, about how to be a good person and lead a worthy life and find a profound spiritual connection, and I thought, ‘Where has this been all my life?’
If your Jewish identity is a big, open void, it will get filled by whatever is around you. We need to fill that void with Jewish joy, passion, knowledge, community, ritual and tradition, so when the hate comes up, we can fight back.”
Platt, immediate past chair of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America, leads the JFNA’s LiveSecure initiative which helps ensure the safety and security of North America’s Jewish communities. She said her roots in Judaism taught her the importance of using her voice to inspire others to action in times of trouble.
“My parents were wholly dedicated to giving me and my three siblings a Jewish education, and ensuring we felt a responsibility to l’dor v’dor, to being unbreakable links in the chain of Jewish heritage,” Platt said. “Now, we are facing a historic challenge. Jewish communities across North America are experiencing an unprecedented surge of antisemitism that threatens the safety and security of Jewish life. Our strength is in our local communities, the central building blocks of our system. It’s not always easy to be a Jew, but it is extraordinary to be a part of the Jewish people.”
At the event, Susan Reis was honored with the 2025 Irene Zehman Volunteer Award for her volunteer work with several organizations like NCJW/CLE, Greater Cleveland Congregations and Rekindle, spanning around four decades and attesting to the strength of Cleveland’s Jewish community. She said it was an honor to be associated with Irene Zehman’s legacy of never hesitating to jump into action to meet a community need.
“One of the most valuable things I’ve learned through my volunteer work is how important it is to turn awareness into action,” Reis said. “It’s not enough to simply recognize a problem. We have to figure out how to make a change happen. That process can be challenging – even frustrating at times – but it’s deeply rewarding and it reminds me again and again of the power of community, persistence and compassion.”
Ilana Isakov Katz, Women IN Philanthropy chair, said the 2026 Campaign for Jewish Needs will support the safety of the Jewish community, recognizing the work of JFC Security LLC, Federation’s Security provider. Other speakers at the event were Women IN Philanthropy vice chairs Adena Klineman, Rebecca Bar-Shain, Dorothea M. Polster, Tamar Poupko Smith, Shelley Gimbel, Rachel Weinberg and Allison Wuliger.
A book signing and meet-and-greet with Hurwitz was held after she shared her closing message.
“To be a Jew is to be different, and to be different is uncomfortable, and we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable because the world needs our difference,” Hurwitz said.
