Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
Taking Security to the Next Level: The Scoop in August
This monthly report from CEO Shep Englander features topics of interest to the Cincinnati Jewish community and the work of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Taking our community security to the next level. SAFE Cincinnati is launching a new security strategy to protect our community. Over the last few years, with generous Foundation funding, SAFE has strengthened the physical security of all of our community’s buildings and has developed emergency action plans with all of our community agencies and congregations.
This month, SAFE Cincinnati Director Ken Wall, along with the Department of Homeland Security, is leading a table-top exercise to simulate in real time managing an emergency. Ken will convene several agencies, including the Amberley Village Police, Golf Manor Police, the FBI, and the four agencies with offices at the JCC, to role play a threat and test our response plans. This is the gold standard of emergency planning exercises.
Being prepared to respond to a threat, is essential. But it is even better if we can help to prevent threats before they occur. So SAFE in launching a new proactive strategy–building the capacity to monitor and assess developing threats. I am pleased to welcome back Mark Dowd, the founding Director of SAFE Cincinnati, who will conduct such ongoing threat monitoring for our community. Five years ago, Cincinnati was one of the first three cities to launch a SAFE program. More than thirty cities launched programs after we did. The security directors of these programs have organized into a national network and have created a framework to track and analyze potential threats. The Los Angeles Jewish Federation has led this effort and is sharing all of their knowledge and experience with us as we ramp up our program.
Engaging young adults in Jewish Cincinnati. I’m excited to give you a sneak peek of our new interactive hub connecting Jewish young adults to each other and to the community—called Cincinnati Vine. Through the website and app, young adults will be able to create meet-ups, post information about events, get engaged in social action, and meet other young adults. The goals are to create “rootedness” for Jewish Millennials and younger Gen Xers. It’s what our young adults have been asking for, and we’re proud to be able to unveil it this summer! Check out the site yourself, and if you have children in that age group, encourage them to sign up and to attend the launch party on August 23.
Attracting top talent. Two impressive new agency executives are arriving in Cincinnati this month, drawn to our community from larger cities. They came partly because of the reputation our community has built and the quality of Jewish life here. Rachel Kaplan, the new Executive Director for Cincinnati Hillel, is coming from the same position at Long Beach (CA) Hillel.
Rabbi Laura Baum, new Head of School at Rockwern, is returning to Cincinnati from Boston, where she served as the Associate Vice President of Learning and Engagement at Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston’s Jewish Federation. We’re fortunate to have such top talent join our community.
And of course I’d also like to welcome Oscar Jarnicki, President and CEO of Jewish Home of Cincinnati. Click here for more information about his new role.
Providing a seamless transition. I am so pleased to share the news the Jewish Family Service will be managing StarPoint Home Care, LLC (formerly Cedar Village Private Duty Home Care), which provides non-medical home care services to our older adults. This change required doubling the size of the JFS staff and it had to be completed within 30 days!
I am proud that our excellent Shared Business Services (SBS) professionals first consulted with JFS to ensure that the business model and financial projections were sustainable. Then SBS’ HR professionals seamlessly managed the transition from Cedar Village to JFS, including onboarding about 50 new employees. From enrolling in health care benefits to 401K, to explaining and adapted JFS employment policies, the SBS team has worked very hard to quickly get them all on board so they can focus on the important care they provide to seniors in our community.
Jewish Family Service CEO Liz Vogel passed along this nod to SBS:
“The professionalism and expertise that Val and her SBS team brought to this transaction was vital to its success. The insights and consulting provided by the SBS team helped shape the business structure and drove decisions about the business model going forward.”
In case you missed it. Our mid-sized Jewish community is on the international map this week. A reflection our departing Emissary Maia Morag wrote about her four years in Cincinnati has been published in the Times of Israel. Maia talks about being assigned to Cincinnati, polite emails, advanced planning, and changing people’s minds.
Stay connected to our news and stories: sign up for our newsletter here.
