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Make a Pledge HereWe help feed the hungry, comfort the sick, aid the elderly, shelter the homeless, and support those in need or with disabilities – wherever they are in the world. We advocate for the vulnerable and fight for social justice. We also invest significant resources in preventing, preparing for, and responding to potential security threats to our community.
We ensure the long-term health and vibrancy of our diverse community. We provide the critical strategic planning and oversight needed to make life better today and for generations to come. We provide a wide-range of educational programming for all ages that celebrates Jewish values and traditions. We also develop the next generation of leaders through mentoring, teaching, and hands-on experiences.
We bridge cultural divides, foster mutual respect, and build collaborative relationships. We provide the education and tools needed to stand up and speak out on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people. We deepen connections to Israel through personal experiences and programs that celebrate our Jewish homeland. We create mutually beneficial collaborations between business and civic leaders in Israel and Greater Cleveland.
We respond in times of emergency. Each year, we invest in programs and services that address systemic issues and provide a strong safety net during times of personal crises. We also invest significant resources to help people rebuild in the wake of a natural or man-made disasters.
The 2019 Campaign for Jewish Needs is more than just the dollars we raise – it’s an affirmation that Jewish Cleveland is one community, united to achieve the goal of changing and improving lives in Cleveland, Israel, and around the world. Similarly, our donor count is more than just a number – it’s an expression of our community’s strength when we work together.
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland cares for the elderly, ensuring they live with dignity and respect thanks to our community’s best programs and services.
Over the years, the Federation has become the hub for innovative solutions and collaborative services that address evolving community needs in ways no one person or organization could do alone.
Recently, members of the Federation’s Community Relations Committee (CRC) traveled to Columbus as part of an interfaith coalition of Cleveland-based community organizations to right a wrong that is caused by an antiquated bail system.
In response to the growing number of attacks that target large-group settings around the world, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, along with JFC Security, LLC, is launching a unique and new training program called the Community Security Alliance (CSA). Designed by security and law enforcement experts, the CSA training is one of the first of its kind in the country.
Whether in Cleveland, Israel, or around the world, when a crisis hits, we are ready to help. For example, the Myakotkins were a typical middle class Jewish family from Lugansk, Ukraine, when a local war turned their lives upside down.
One of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland’s (JECC) top priorities is for all Jewish children to have the opportunity to receive a positive and exciting Jewish education, regardless of their needs. Through the creation of the Segula program, they are able to do just that by providing personalized, one-on-one support for students with special needs in and out of the classroom – from preschool through high school.
Each year, more than 5,000 at-risk children in Israel are helped by Youth Futures, a mentoring program launched by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and its beneficiary agency, the Jewish Agency for Israel. Youth Futures directly impacts 14,000 children and their families across 36 cities in Israel's geographic and socio-economic periphery.
In Israel, there is a tradition of young people volunteering to travel to another Jewish community on the other side of the world to be ambassadors or emissaries. They are called shlichim, and they bring Israeli culture and traditions to Jews around the world. In Cleveland through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Overseas Connections Committee (OCC) and with the help of our beneficiary agency, @akiva High School, we brought six shlichim to Cleveland this year to educate school-aged children, teens, and young adults throughout Jewish Cleveland on Israeli life and culture.
With help from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and other key stakeholders, the Cleveland Chesed Center opened in March 2016 to supply community members in need with kosher food and other basic necessities (Chesed is the Hebrew word for kindness). Throughout its two years in operation, the Chesed Center has provided nearly 1,800 individuals (more than half of whom are children) in 24 zip codes around Greater Cleveland with food, personal care items, cleaning supplies, clothing, and furniture.
Two years ago, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, with additional support from the Begun Foundation, began a partnership with Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood and our sister community, Beit Shean and the Valley of Springs, to share successful community development models. Professionals from each city participated in two exchanges – one, bringing Israelis to Cleveland; and the second, bringing Clevelanders to Beit Shean.
One of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland Community Relations Committee’s (CRC) main missions is to work with people of all faiths and ethnicities to build a more just and civil society through advocacy, volunteering, and community building initiatives. On June 24, CRC was proud to host one of the many events taking place that day across the city as part of the Cleveland Foundation’s 2nd Annual Common Ground initiative.