Last week, our Annual Meeting challenged us to ask—What have we accomplished over the past year and what are our priorities for the coming year? This is the “Why” that we wrestle with at every Annual Meeting. But our board’s leaders affect how we answer them: “how” will we be bol…
I remember that when my Rabbi handed me a copy of the Torah portion from Leviticus that I would chant at my bar mitzvah ceremony, I was appalled. The portion went into detail about when people with certain symptoms must be quarantined. I had two thoughts. First: “What a strange, archaic, a…
Sixteen years ago, the month I moved my family to Cincinnati, Rabbi Sigma (Sissy) Coran did the same. We both came to lead organizations that needed some rebuilding at the time. Soon, we were collaborating to guide the brainstorming and negotiating that led to the community purchasing Rockda…
Some days, during this crisis, it’s felt like being in a boat at sea on a dark, stormy night. Many of us have felt disoriented or isolated. That’s only made it clearer to me how much we need a caring, responsive, well-functioning community.
The Jewish Federation’s “Why” is t…
A Necessary Move Online
Class started at 10 a.m., but students began arriving a few minutes early. There was the usual hubbub—chatting, laughter, smiles, and waves. But this wasn’t a typical classroom. This was a class conducted over video conference.
Seven students had gathered fo…
