A mother from Kfar Aza.
A pastor from Youngstown.
A divorced Jewish mom trying to keep the lights on.

Those stories are still in my head from last week’s General Assembly  of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in Washington, where lay and professional leaders from 141 Federation communities united to listen, learn, and plan together.

The Cincinnati delegation included our Board Chair Sherri Symson, JCRC past president and current board member Mark Barsman, Vice President for Israel and Overseas Karen Goodman, and two senior professional partners, David Harris and Felicia Zakem, who lead our fundraising and planning work.

We went to connect what we heard to the work already underway at home, including the refresh of our community’s strategic plan with the Jewish Foundation. In room after room, I heard our story echoed back.

From Emergency Response to Rebuild Israel
A mother from Kfar Aza.

In a small JDC session, Rebuild Israel had a face in Ayelet Shachar Epstein, whom Karen and I first met on our Israel leadership mission this past January. On October 7, hiding in their safe room, her son Neta was killed when he jumped on a grenade thrown into the room by terrorists, to save his fiancée. In addition to Neta, Ayelet lost her mother-in-law and many community members that day.

Now Ayelet is part of Shikma, a JDC program that helps grieving families start projects in memory of their loved ones. Her project, Team Neta, trains volunteers and service members to work with people with disabilities. It is one small part of the wider Rebuild Israel work we heard about: mental health support, educational recovery, and support for reservists and their families.

As I sat across from Ayelet, I could see the direct line between our community’s gifts in Cincinnati and her work with bereaved families in Israel.

When we talk about Rebuild Israel, I picture her.

From Security 1.0 to Security 2.0
A pastor from Youngstown.

LiveSecure was celebrated as a real win. Because of that campaign, all 141 Federation communities now have professional security programs and strong relationships with law enforcement. LiveSecure has shifted our collective to expand safety, not only measured by cameras and guard posts, but to awareness and preparedness.

On one panel, Pastor Juan Rivera, who leads a Hispanic evangelical church in Youngstown, Ohio, sat with journalist Olivia Reingold and podcaster Zibby Owens. They discussed how social media is pushing younger people toward a negative, one-sided view of Israel and Jews and organized campaigns flooding school boards and cultural spaces with anti-Israel rhetoric. These threats will need coordinated messaging and courageous allies who are willing to share the risk, not just stand on the sidelines.

A Surge in Jewish Life, Against Real Challenges
A divorced Jewish mom trying to keep the lights on.

Across sessions, we heard about a surge in Jewish life. Those who were deeply connected before are even more committed now and more parents are seeking Jewish spaces for their children.

Alongside that hopeful picture, we also saw who is struggling to stay in the frame.

There is sobering data about those most at risk in our community. About one in four Jewish households is financially vulnerable, many of them divorced women or single adults. For them, Jewish life is often the first thing cut. A recent study found that even when help exists, many people don’t know where to turn. Most often they mentioned Federation and their rabbis as the places they would call. That tells us we have a role, together with our synagogues and partners, in connecting people to services.

We also heard from young adults and college students, who said that when Israel education feels one-sided, it pushes them away; when it feels fair and complex, it brings them closer. And what we heard reinforced what we know; strong Jewish identity builds over a lifetime. Day school, Jewish camp, immersive Israel trips, and close relationships with other Jews all help lay that foundation.

Looking ahead

For me, the GA did not send us in a new direction. It confirmed the direction we are headed. In the months ahead, these themes will be the lenses we use as we continue refreshing our community plan with the Foundation and our community partners.

As Dan Senor, author of Start-Up Nation and a longtime Israel analyst, put it, this is our chance to “invest in the upside of Judaism” so that the shattering years we have just lived through become the launchpad for a renaissance in Jewish life.

Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving,

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

P.S. If these three shifts resonate with you, the most practical way to help is through the Annual Campaign. Your gift fuels Rebuild Israel, security 2.0, and this surge in Jewish life here in Cincinnati. You can make or renew your gift at jewishcincinnati.org/give.