Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
August 16 CEO Update: Desire for More Engagement
Dear friend, Like many of you, I start each day with a heightened awareness of the situation in Israel, immediately checking the news for updates. The tension is real: this week it’s been the threat of an Iranian attack and the barrage of rockets targeting Nahariyah, a city that some of you may remember from our Federation’s partnership there in the 1990s. These headlines remind us of the uncertainty that our brothers and sisters in Israel live with every day. Our colleagues Jan Evans and Christine Katzman returned from Israel last week. Jan told me: “I just don’t know how they live like this. Every morning, I check in on everyone, praying for them via WhatsApp. I can’t imagine carrying on with life under such turmoil and fear for their families and their state, but they do.” Jan’s words reflect a mix of inability to comprehend, and profound engagement. The sheer intensity of what our Israeli friends are going through is hard to understand. Yet we are, as a community, deeply engaged. Our recent Community Pulse survey verifies Cincinnati’s strong engagement in Israel. This new survey was conducted by a specialized firm to help us plan for our community’s future. The survey found that 7 out of 10 members of our community closely follow the news from Israel. The survey also found that 83 percent of our community feels emotionally attached to Israel, and 40 percent regularly contribute to Israel-related causes. Our community’s engagement with Israel has always guided how the Federation allocates your gifts. Learn more in my last blog post, here. Desire for More Engagement at Home While our community is deeply engaged with Israel, the survey uncovered an opportunity to deepen engagement here at home. In good news, we are proud that the survey found that three in four Jews, 75 percent, are engaged in the Cincinnati Jewish community to some degree. However, that still leaves one in four disengaged. This engagement gap serves as a call to action. There is more we can do. The engagement findings I found most compelling: more than 5 out of 10 unengaged community members want to be more engaged. And more than 7 out of 10 parents (engaged or not) want to be more involved. We believe it is our responsibility, guided by our Jewish values, to ensure that every member of our community has meaningful opportunities to engage. As we work towards the vision of Cincinnati 2030, this effort is crucial. The survey’s results reassure us and push us to continue moving this work forward. The alignment between our community’s needs and the vision of Cincinnati 2030 presents a unique opportunity. As we move our strategic plan forward, we’re keeping this focus at the forefront, exploring how we can innovate and expand our engagement efforts. While we may be limited in our ability to change the headlines in Israel, we can make a profound difference in ensuring that our community members are engaged in Jewish life in a way that meets their needs. We need your partnership in this effort. Stand with us as we work, with our partners, to build a future with more Jewish engagement. In separate but timely news, we are looking ahead and excited to begin our 2025 Annual Campaign. I am happy to announce our 2025 Annual Campaign chairs, Bob Brant, Ed Kuresman, and Sue Price. Thank you—your leadership will be instrumental in driving these efforts forward. Thank you for your support. If you would like to engage with me directly, please reply to this email or phone me at 513-985-1530. Shabbat Shalom, Danielle V. Minson Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Your Support Matters: jewishcincinnati.org/give PS: The insights from our Community Pulse survey are more than just numbers; they’re a roadmap guiding our work. This data helps us align our initiatives with the real needs of our community. Whether it’s enhancing our educational programs, increasing safety, or fostering a deeper sense of belonging, we are committed to making an impact across all eight areas that are crucial to our community’s vitality: Engagement, Education, Belonging, Safety, Activism, Health, Caring, and Connection. Please see the survey results here.
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