This time of year always makes me reflective. I look back at the year behind us and ask what we’ve carried. And what we’ve built together.  

Last January, after a heavy 2024, I chose light as my guiding word. I didn’t know how much this year would ask of us, or how often we would have to choose it anyway. 

Time didn’t slow down. In every season, you showed up. 

Winter: Light in the rubble 
In winter, we traveled with Cincinnati leaders to Israel. At Kibbutz Nir Oz, where one in four residents was murdered or kidnapped, we saw tractors funded by Cincinnati replacing those burned and looted by Hamas. When Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old agronomist and former hostage, came home after more than a year in captivity, it was a reminder that growth is still possible. Winter’s light was knowing that, from Cincinnati, we were helping things grow again where so much had been torn away. 

Spring: Light in relationship 
By spring, many of us felt unsteady. At our JCRC Annual Meeting, UC student leader Jake Powers shared how someone broke into his apartment, tore down his mezuzah, and defiled his home because he was visibly Jewish. He didn’t step back. He kept speaking up. Our answer was Israel in Your Living Room, small gatherings where we could sit together, ask hard questions, and feel less alone. Spring’s light was the choice to stay in relationship when it would have been easier to retreat. 

Summer: Light as responsibility 
Summer carried a different kind of weight. As the war in the region continued, uncertainty about what comes next pressed in on Jewish communities around the world. We joined hundreds of Jewish leaders in Washington to press for stronger security and a clearer response to a rise in antisemitic threats. And we kept showing up here at home, too. Through Jewish Family Service, we helped families keep food on the table. Summer’s light was turning fear into responsibility. 

Fall: Light as belonging and trust
By fall, the question shifted from “How do we respond to crisis?” to “What kind of Jewish life are we rebuilding?” We widened the circle through IsraelLENS and programs like Through Others’ Eyes, where Jewish and Arab teens stood side by side sharing photos and stories. We gathered on the steps of City Hall to celebrate Hanukkah publicly, standing with Cincinnatians and civic leaders to say clearly that Jews continue to belong in Cincinnati’s story.  

As Hanukkah began, Jews celebrating in Sydney were targeted in a horrific act of antisemitic violence. It was a painful reminder that public joy can feel vulnerable, and also why we refuse to hide. And in the days that followed, friends and allies across Cincinnati checked in and showed up, reminding us we are not alone. Fall’s light was belonging that could be seen. 

Choosing light, together
This year, we lost several Federation leaders, including two past presidents, Stan Chesley and Harry Davidow. I knew them for decades, and their leadership helped shape what we carry forward. 

As this year comes to a close, I keep thinking about time. How quickly it moved, and how intentionally we chose to use it. You helped plant seeds for the future of Jewish Cincinnati that we may never fully see, but will greatly matter.

Time didn’t slow down for us this year. And still, in every season, you chose to bring light. 

Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year, 

Danielle V. Minson
CEO 
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati 
Your Support Matters: jewishcincinnati.org/give

P.S. If you are able, the most concrete way to help keep this light strong and wide enough for everyone is with an Annual Campaign gift. Every gift matters. You can give give at jewishcincinnati.org/give.