Martin Davidson knows loss. When he was 8, his 11-year-old brother died, and when he was 12, he lost his father too.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this summer was not like others for thousands of kids who were planning to go to Camp Wise – the ‘Home of Happiness’ – and other Jewish summer overnight camps.

To prevent social distancing from becoming social isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – especially among the elderly in Jewish Cleveland – the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Jewish Volunteer Network (JVN) quickly mobilized to create a multi-pronged program designed to touch base with these vulnerable community members to make sure they knew they were not alone or forgotten in this unsettled time.

Across America, 37.2 million people (including 11 million children) live in food-insecure households. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northeast Ohio, those who were already facing food insecurity found themselves even more challenged to care for themselves and their families. And, as the realities of the economic impact of the pandemic have taken hold, the number of people confronting food insecurity has increased significantly and continues to grow.

Last January, Jewish Clevelanders came out in big numbers to participate in the "No Hate. No Fear. Solidarity March" in New York City to stand up against hatred and anti-Semitism.

Jewish Cleveland families talk about why they love PJ Library.

Thanks to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Jewish Education Center, our five day schools were able to reopen for in-person learning in fall 2020. Watch the video above to learn more.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached northeast Ohio, like most businesses, local agencies and institutions in Jewish Cleveland worried about how they could continue to serve the community’s needs in a safe manner and under a new economic reality.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will host its annual Campaign Closing celebration on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 pm. The entire community is invited to attend this event, which will be held virtually.

Toby Bresky has been involved in Cleveland’s Jewish community for more than 40 years. She credits the Federation, JFSA and the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood for making her dream a reality.