Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar

This guest post series is in anticipation of the upcoming Leaders Forum for Cincinnati 2020, which will bring together all the leaders of the Jewish community in October to assess our progress and plan for the future. Each installment features a different perspective on Cincinnati 2020, the Jewish community’s visionary plan for building an exceptional future, excerpted from a discussion with Barb Miller, our Director of Community Building at the Federation. This week, we hear from Marc Randoph, Wexner Heritage Program alumnus and past president of The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education. — Shep

How did you first hear about Cincinnati 2020?

I was first exposed to Cincinnati 2020 when my wife, Dr. Haviva Randolph, was serving on the Jewish Federation board. She participated in the development process of Cincinnati 2020, and she shared her excitement and enthusiasm for the possibilities that Cincinnati 2020 could help the Jewish community achieve.

Why is Cincinnati 2020 important to the community?

As the needs of the Jewish community in America change, Cincinnati 2020 is a timely opportunity for Cincinnati to build on our strengths to become one of the best Jewish communities in the country—with truly innovative institutions, programs, and opportunities.

As a Wexner Fellow, you have leadership development expertise. What will Cincinnati 2020 do for leadership development?

If you view the history of the Jewish world, it seems that we often are our own worst enemy. We let our differences drive us apart and often fear to challenge the status quo. Through the community-wide effort of Cincinnati 2020, there seems to be a growing level of respect for differences that exist within the Jewish community and an acknowledgement that, perhaps, if we can learn from our differences, this can be a source of strength for the Cincinnati Jewish community, rather than a weakness—as has too often been the case in the past.

Has Cincinnati 2020 been successful so far? How do you measure its successes?

You can sense the success. There is a new energy that seems to be developing. We’ve laid the groundwork for some transformative changes in our community and I hope that we can all take advantage of this groundwork to move our community to a place of excitement about Judaism and the Jewish community and excellence in operation.

What do you hope the community accomplishes through Cincinnati 2020 in the next 5 years?

It is my hope that, through Cincinnati 2020, the community places a special emphasis on Jewish education in the upcoming 5 years. Judaism is exciting! I have consistently seen that the more people learn about Judaism and their heritage, the richer their lives are. And it helps people gain a sense of purpose—both children and adults!