Back to school is always a stressful time. Our community was joined by expert panelists who offered proactive strategies, responses, and tips on how to help families manage stress.

Irina Parkman emigrated Russia and came to Cleveland in order to escape persecution. She is able to still be connected to her Russian heritage through a partnership with the Cleveland Public Library.

Teaching English in Beit Shean, Israel proved to be an amazing and overwhelming experience for Sarah Marek - something that will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Dr. Maya Lugassi is the senior director of Pedagogy and Professional Development at Beit Yatziv, one of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) educational partners in Israel. She recently traveled to Cleveland as part of a delegation of Israeli educators, administrators, and municipal leadership to learn from Cleveland STEM education experts on ways to further implement STEM curriculum in Israel’s geographic and socio-economic periphery, including Cleveland’s sister community of Beit Shean and the Valley of Springs.

Early on in my rabbinate, I decided I would officiate at weddings for interfaith couples if they agreed to have a Jewish family and raise Jewish children. I honestly hadn’t given the issue much thought and believed this was a typical position of many of my fellow Reform rabbinical colleagues. I remember one conversation in which the couple did not agree to these parameters and I refused to officiate at their wedding.

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.

Looking for something new and different with your family this summer? Fellow Jewish Cleveland parents share some of their favorite summer activities – from visiting the zoo, to farmers markets, to getting messy with paint. There’s something for everyone!

Zach and Shelby Siegal of Chagrin Falls love being a part of Jewish Cleveland. After pursuing careers in other cities, they returned home to Cleveland to raise their son. They love all the opportunities for Jewish life here – the unparalleled schools, communities, and programs like PJ Library. Meet them now:

Uplifting, inspiring, engaging: community leaders, elected officials, and special guests from across our diverse city joined an esteemed panel to look at the role of women in STEM at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Community Relations Committee.