On the last Friday before Spring Break, the 8th grade class of Mandel JDS (along with their parents, and the entire school) stood proudly in front of the Israeli flag, singing Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. This tradition, commemorating the eighth grade’s upcoming voyage to Israel, has been around for nearly as long as the annual pilgrimage itself.

PJ Library has a new partner: Yehuda Matzos, an Israeli company touting the Jewish literacy program this Passover season.

Our recent Population Study showed that 19% of Cleveland Jewish households live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Based on this research, the Federation founded a Task Force on Financial Distress, chaired by Bruce Goodman. Their recommendation: Establish a Chesed Center. Chesed, for kindness.

Ariella Payne of Lakewood found jHUB’s Seder in a Box so helpful last year, she requested More Seder in a Box for Passover this year.

I had the pleasure of spending my junior year of college at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. One of the perks of that year was meeting and growing close with my cousin Ziva, who happened to work at Hadassah Hospital across the street from my dorm. We spent a lot of time together and she invited me to spend many Shabbatot and holidays with her family. In addition to being hilariously funny, warm and nurturing, Ziva had another talent, as well: She was, and remains, an amazing cook. I am excited to share one of her recipes with you below, which I hope will make your preparations for Passover a bit easier.

For many of the children attending a recent PJ Library gathering, the Chagrin Falls Fire Station was the most exciting destination they could imagine. Some came dressed in their red firefighter' s costumes, complete with helmets, coats and boots, while others were happy to put on firefighter helmets given to them by the fire station. They watched carefully as firefighter Tim Alder demonstrated how to put on gear to fight fires. They also loved the fire trucks tour.

When Emma and Brandon met and fell in love, their different faiths didn’t stop them from getting married and starting a family.

According to our population study, 38% of Jewish Cleveland married households are interfaith and the majority of those who consider themselves interfaith want to feel connected to their Jewish roots. That’s why we partnered with the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (JECC) to launch jHub, an innovative new program made possible with a grant from the Federation’s Endowment Fund.

Many Jewish Cleveland families are seeking ways to engage in multi-generational philanthropy. We asked Ann Garson, Managing Director of Funds and Foundations at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to explain the recent surge of interest.

Did you know? Three #JewishCleveland moms are making it easy for new moms and all kinds of Jewish families in Twinsburg, Aurora, and Chagrin Falls to connect to each other and kid-friendly Cleveland. They are the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s PJ Library Engagement Ambassadors, and they can’t wait to get to know you. Meet them here.