Jeremy Spiegel, Assistant Director
Last week, I had the incredible privilege to join the Ohio Jewish Communities’ House Israel Trade Mission. Together with state legislators (7 Democrats, 5 Republicans), staff, and Jewish professionals and lay leaders from across the state, we had an in…
Last Monday, most Jews across the US—including Ohio—decried that a bare majority in the Knesset voted to change the rules for Israel’s Supreme Court. Simultaneously, most Jews across Ohio are now fighting Issue 1, vigorously arguing that 50%+1 of Ohioans should be able to change Ohio�…
All through my recent encounter with Lakota Board of Education member Darbi Boddy, I’ve repeated one thing: I would like to meet with Mrs. Boddy, one on one, so we can build trust and better communicate our values/concerns to one another. You might wonder why I think that’s worthwhile or…
To: Lakota School Board Member Darbi Boddy
From: Rabbi Ari Jun | Director, Cincinnati Jewish Community Relations Council
Attention: Lakota Board of Education
Date: Thursday, July 13, 2023
Thank you for corresponding these past few days regarding your 7/9 Facebook post referencing “blood l…
June was a busy month, both professionally and personally. On the personal front, I finally finished all my wedding-related festivities. (That’s two wedding ceremonies and two honeymoons on two continents—an embarrassment of simchas!) Professionally, we hosted our JCRC annual meeting and…
Today's entry is authored by Jeremy Spiegel, JCRC Assistant Director
Fifty years ago this spring, a group of 40 individuals gathered at Fountain Square to protest publicly for gay rights awareness. Planning and executing a march through downtown Cincinnati, considered at the time to be a co…
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth taking a look at a brief video which Representative Greg Landsman posted on his social media accounts earlier this week. In it, he supports a house resolution (HR 382) which calls for elected officials and faith leaders to condemn antisemitism and g…
The JCRC annual meeting is coming up on June 13th, and it is set to be an incredible event. More than just about any other program this year, I really urge you to attend—and to bring a guest or two. There are three things about this annual meeting that are particularly special, and any one…
Wednesday evening, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a resolution essentially guaranteeing that there will be a special election on August 8th, 2023. This referendum has one purpose: to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments in Ohio. This is a last-ditch effort to stop abort…
If you're like me, you were rocked by some political bombshells this week. In the space of mere hours, both Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon were fired from their respective roles at Fox News and CNN. Reflecting—actually, more like venting—about his removal, Carlson observed of the political…
Passover is over, and I, for one, am happy to be reunited with chametz. Still, I have a twinge of sadness that the seder is behind us for another year. The seder contains one of my favorite ritual items, the seder plate.
Yes, the humble seder plate. I’m fascinated by it. Effectively, it�…
There’s a good chance you’ve already seen this–🟦–symbol on TV, social media, or elsewhere in the past few days. Maybe you saw an ad like this. I even got a sponsored post about it on TikTok yesterday morning.
If you haven’t seen the 🟦 yet, here’s the short explanation: it …
On Wednesday, Cincinnati’s City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. This is a big win and only came about due to efforts by JCRC, AJC, and council member Mark Jeffreys who introduced …
The past months in Israel have been chaotic.
There have been tensions within the Israeli mainstream about the current coalition's plan to transfer power from the judiciary to the legislature. There have been concerns amongst those who identify or ally with non-Orthodox Jews, as certain fact…
We knew it was bad, and we knew it was getting worse—and still, the AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2022 survey was generally unsettling. Yes, there were a few reassuring notes: Over the past 12 months, “only” 3% of American Jews personally have been the target of a physical a…
