On November 9, 1938, Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and killed close to 100 Jews. That horrific night has been forever known as Kristallnacht – “the night of broken glass.”

Last night, a packed house of more than 250 people joined us at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Community Relations Committee & Sidney Z. Vincent Memorial Lecture to discuss a critical issue: the relationship between the Israeli and Palestinian people.

We are saddened to report the death of Morton J. Gross (z”l), former Federation Board member.

When Nina and Scott decided to get married, they were determined to respect each other’s religious background – she is Jewish, he was raised Catholic. They planned their interfaith wedding, with the help of Rabbi Enid Lader of Beth Israel – The West Temple, who encouraged Nina and Scott to participate in The Taste of Judaism courses, sponsored by jHUB, a joint initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, and is an InterfaithFamily affiliate.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Young Leadership Division (YLD) announced the appointment of Dayna Orlean as Board Chair and Cameron Orlean as Vice Board Chair, effective January 2019. They succeed Natan Milgrom and Dayna Orlean, respectively, who served in these capacities last year. YLD connects Jewish young adults, ages 22 – 45, to each other and the community through social, volunteer, leadership, and philanthropic activities.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will host two professionals from Roots-Shorashim-Judur, a network of Israelis and Palestinians working together to make changes in an effort to end the ongoing struggle between the two sides. Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, Roots Co-Founder, and Shadi Abu Awwad, Roots Palestinian Youth Director, will discuss “Sharing Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Relationship” at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Community Relations Committee (CRC) and Sidney Z. Vincent Memorial Lecture.

To learn more about our Israel and overseas programs and services, contact Ilanit Gerblich Kalir at ikalir@jcfcleve.org or 216-593-2815.

Author and speaker, Yossi Klein Halevi’s latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is a unique approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a way forward for the entire people in the Middle East.

Join us in celebrating 25 years of the Lion of Judah Endowment, as we work together to secure 25 new LOJEs by January 2020.