Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar

Let’s all jump. Soon.

Let me explain.

To jump seems simple—think of kids jumping rope or a basketball layup. But there is no word, surprisingly, for the gathering of yourself you do—the bending of the knees, the coiling—before you spring up. Yet this nameless pre-jump move is crucial. Even Lebron James and Sue Bird can’t jump if already fully stretched out. They need to gather themselves first.

That’s where I believe we are now, as a community. Gathering ourselves before we jump into the new.

Rosh Hashanah, the High Holy Days—right now—is the time for contemplation before we move into the new year.

The rituals of the Days of Awe carry extra weight for me this year because it feels like all of us are gathering ourselves right now, because of COVID. We are all gathering strength, wisdom, the lay of the land—before we leap into our new lives. If any good has come after a year and a half of COVID, it may be this chance to reassess, to think in broader terms about what our future can be. It’s a chance for a new start.

I believe the Jewish community here in Cincinnati is ready for that jump.

For our community, led by the Federation, this planning to jump is very concrete. It is called Cincinnati 2030 and it is happening right now. Similar to the Cincinnati 2020 plan that preceded it, Cincinnati 2030 is:

• planning for our future based on the latest survey of Jewish Cincinnati
• a committee of lay and professional leaders who have come together in the last year to lay the groundwork
• a survey of the community about our future priorities that over 600 people responded to
• a well-attended virtual community meeting, held on August 16, to gather more input

So far, the committee has established a direction: “Creating our home, together.” The 2030 Community Planning Process is focused on three areas: 

1. Building deeper and broader connections and engagement with Jewish life;
2. Building on our caring community; and 
3. Strengthening our relationship with our wider world.

As you know, our community accomplished amazing things with the last plan, Cincinnati 2020, such as building the Jewish Family Service Barbash Family Vital Support Center and the Jewish Family Service Heldman Family Food Pantry.

I have no doubt that we will accomplish much, as we gather ourselves before we jump into our new plans.

As Hillel the Elder wrote, “If not now, when?” I can’t wait.

Soon our whole community will be in the starting blocks, ready to go. 

Together, we can do almost anything. Shana Tova.

P.S. As I write, Hurricane Ida has torn through much of the Gulf Coast, leaving survivors devastated by its damage. Our Federation system is there, delivering emergency relief support to those who have suffered most. You can donate directly to the efforts through the Jewish Federations of North America: jfeds.org/hurricaneida. 

Thanks for caring about our community and what we do.

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