Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

While we plan for our community’s future year-round, this time of year always feels like we’re in high gear. Our planning has been especially intensive this year for two important reasons.

First, 2024 has been one of the most challenging years in decades. The war in Israel, rising antisemitism, encampments on college campuses, pressure on community members to resign from the Cincinnati Pride Board, and the vandalism of nearly 200 gravestones at our Covedale cemeteries have deeply affected all of us.

Second, we are now at several crucial inflection points, where the landscape of Jewish life is shifting dramatically. The four key trends we’re navigating include:

• A surge in Jewish engagement nationwide. As eJewishPhilanthropydescribed it, “an explosion in Jewish belonging and communal participation that is nothing short of historic.”
• Heightened security needs for the American Jewish community since October 7.
• Changing philanthropic expectations, with donors seeking more transparency and engagement.
• The ongoing transformation in how people connect, as technology, AI, and social media reshape communication.
  
  

Our response to these shifts has been proactive, strategic, and open to new ideas. We are rising to meet these challenges in ways that reflect our community’s needs. For example:

• We are enhancing security measures across the community, deepening partnerships with law enforcement, and collaborating with other Ohio Federations to ensure safety.
• We’re identifying giving opportunities that connect with donor values and critical community needs.
• Our long-term planning is addressing infrastructure and resource needs to ensure our community’s strength and sustainability for future generations.

Here in Cincinnati, 55 percent of you have expressed a desire to engage more deeply in Jewish life. That’s a tremendous opportunity, and we are already acting. Some examples include:

• We are broadening our Jewish Community Relations Council’s (JCRC) programming to reach more local schools and churches, offering programs like Antisemitism 101 and How to Be an Ally.
• We are expanding the reach of our Israeli emissaries to engage more people across Greater Cincinnati.
• We successfully advocated for the passage of the CAMPUS Act, securing resources for Ohio universities to improve student safety and create inclusive environments. 

These efforts are the result of the careful planning we’ve done with your support, and they’re just the beginning.

I’d like to close with the story of Eliana Goldner, a remarkable young Jewish leader. As you know, college students are facing unprecedented challenges. Nationally, more than 80 percent of Jewish young adults stand with Israel, while only about 20 percent of their non-Jewish peers share that view. This stark divide places Jewish students in difficult conversations and, sometimes, hostile situations.

Eliana knows this reality well. One of the few Jewish students at her high school, she found her community when she reached college. Now a junior at The Ohio State University, Eliana interned with us this summer and joined our JCRC at the Ohio Statehouse to advocate for the CAMPUS Act. With grace and courage, she testified about facing antisemitism on campus, the pressure to downplay her Jewish identity, and her determination to proudly embrace who she is. Thanks to her and others’ efforts, the CAMPUS Act passed into law. [Learn more about the CAMPUS Act here].

I stand on your shoulders—the shoulders of this incredible community—every day. From this vantage point, I see a bright future, fueled by young leaders like Eliana and many others. We are ready for the challenges ahead, and our vision is clear: to build a thriving Jewish community.

Thank you for your continued partnership. As one, we will make this vision a reality.

Shabbat Shalom,

Danielle V. Minson

CEO

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati