Posts by Danielle V. Minson

COVID-19 community update; Helping an isolated student celebrate Passover

This Passover Seder was certainly different from all other Passovers, especially as we live through the closest thing to a plague most of us have experienced.

But along with the bitterness represented by maror, we have the sweetness of the haroset. And for me, starting week five of leading …

As in Other Times in History, This Passover is One of Perseverance

Much of our strength as a people depends on gathering to share traditions, celebrations and support. For most of us, this is the first Passover when we cannot gather. During this disruptive, alarming time, we need to prioritize community health over community gathering. But we can draw stren…

Federation, Jewish Organizations Step Up During COVID-19

This crisis has disrupted our lives. I’ve been standing at my makeshift desk in our basement, running Zoom meetings and trying to stay grounded amid all the turbulence. But through all the chaos you have reason to be proud—because every day during this coronavirus fight, you are doing so…

Our Community Responds — Launching New COVID-19 Hotline

During these difficult times, we hope you and your family are healthy and managing well. We are writing to update you on what the Jewish Federation is doing right now to help our community manage through this crisis. 

I am proud of our Jewish Federation professionals, who have had to cance…

How the Jewish Federation is Here For You

We are thinking of you during these unprecedented and frightening times. As you know, since 1896, the Jewish Federation has been here to meet critical needs and keep our community safe and secure.

In these early days, here’s how we are helping so far: 

  • We are accelerating our next …

Helping Our Community Maintain Continuity During Coronavirus Times

It pains us to see the coronavirus pandemic eroding our control over our individual and community lives—from whether we can embrace a friend to whether we can gather at our congregation or the JCC. Risk updates drone on, each worse than the last. And as this information piles on stress, th…

Preparing for Coronavirus Part of SAFE Cincinnati’s Emergency Planning Role

Like you, we have been following the concerning news about the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. So, we want you to know what SAFE Cincinnati is doing to prevent the virus and its effects from disrupting our active community life. 

As you may know, SAFE Cincinnati is a community-wide…

Honeymoons, Israel, and Punching Above Our Weight: The Scoop in February

I recently returned from Israel, where I was helping finalize a new strategic plan for Israel's largest and most historic national nonprofit, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Since we allocate funds every year from our annual campaign, I’m motivated to help JAFI get as much focus as po…

A Fresh Portrait of Jewish Cincinnati: The Scoop in January

A Fresh Portrait of Jewish Cincinnati. Last week, more than 300 members of our community gathered to hear the results of the 2019 Cincinnati Jewish Community Study—our first in more than a decade. You could have heard a pin drop. Except when people asked great questions. I am so encouraged…

Barb Miller Retires from Jewish Federation, Leaves Legacy of Achievement

One of Barb Miller’s most notable projects included the first-ever Congregation and Community Mission to Israel in 2016, which resulted in more than 500 community members visiting Israel together.
 

Barb Miller, Director of Community Building, retired in December from the Jewish Fed…

2019 Jewish Community Study Rollout Will Launch Year of Learning

Erin Pilder, Shari Hiudt, Rotem Greniman (back), and Maddy Kaehler (front) participate in the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati event.
 

“Our hope is to build one of the most welcoming, innovative, and vibrant Jewish communities in America,” said Bret Caller, President of The Jewish F…

Who is Jewish Cincinnati? The Scoop in November

Who is Jewish Cincinnati? In January, we will roll out the results of our 2019 Jewish Community Study. For the first time in more than a decade, this study will give us a fresh portrait of our community, including where we live, how we engage Jewishly, and much more. Our hope is to build one…

SAFE Cincinnati Helps Jewish Orgs Improve Security before High Holidays

Brad Orsini, Director of Community Security in Pittsburgh, discusses security protocols and trainings leading up to the synagogue shooting and what they have done since. Also pictured: (left) Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Wickerham, FBI; (right) Mark Dowd, SAFE Cincinnati Director
 

I…

'Do Something': The Scoop in August

“Do Something.” In a year that has seen more mass shootings than days, we can sometimes feel numb to news of another. However, the violence in Dayton last weekend reached us. We heard that as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine spoke at a vigil in Dayton, the crowd chanted, “Do something.”

I …

Hate Will Not be Tolerated: The Scoop in July

Like most in my generation, I grew up believing that antisemitism persisted in some parts of the world but that we had left it behind in America. So it was disorienting when I testified this week in the sentencing hearing for a man convicted of a violent antisemitic attack in the heart of ou…