Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Currently, we (both Sarah and Shep) are traveling on a historic mission in Israel with 508 Cincinnatians, many of whom are visiting Israel for the first time. One of the highlights so far was the afternoon we spent in our sister city, Netanya. Since 2000, dozens of volunteers on the joint steering committee in Cincinnati and Netanya have worked tirelessly to create opportunities to connect people from Israel and Cincinnati through projects that include exchanges, education, and summer camp experiences. These initiatives have included students, teachers, social workers, doctors, nurses, Holocaust educators, and scouts. These exchanges do something precious—provide real, personal, lasting relationships between American Jews and Israelis. 

Those volunteers never expected that 16 years of partnership would bring 800 Netanyans and Cincinnatians together for an amazing night. The years of work spent building this relationship was multiplied by the strength of the nine participating rabbis and their diverse congregations, which made this a truly historic night. It revealed the strength of our connection with one another and created a new, lasting foundation for our continued future relationship. Today we will welcome in Shabbat in Jerusalem; it will be one of family, peace, and meaning. We wish all of you a peaceful Shabbat. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Sarah Weiss, Director, JCRC

Shep Englander, CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati