Jewish Federation of Cleveland's Blog

To Russia With Love…

When Neil Waxman, Chairperson of the Jewish Community Federation St. Petersburg Committee, and Oren Baratz, International Operations Department Director, arrived in Russia earlier last week, they brought with them the love and concern of Cleveland’s Jewish community for the aging, impoverished Jews in small towns on the periphery of St. Petersburg. What follows is the story of one Russian community, two individuals, and two international Jewish organizations working together with Jews from Cleveland and West Palm Beach, Florida against an endemic situation of poverty and despair.

Four hours drive southwest of the very cosmopolitan St. Petersburg lies a small city called Pskov – with a population of ¼ million people, including 1,500 Jews. One of the eight “communities on the periphery,” the Jewish identity of its residents is being supported by the Jewish communities of Cleveland and West Palm Beach in conjunction with our overseas partners the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).

Continue Reading To Russia With Love……

Community Generously Pledges to Support Needs in Cleveland and Around the World

The Super Sunday phone-a-thon, in support of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland’s 2010 Campaign for Jewish Needs, raised $1,240,817 from a total of 2,851 donors on November 8, 2009.

Almost 500 volunteers called community members during the daylong event at The Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland in Beachwood.  An extra motivation this year was the KeyBank Challenge: KeyBank matched increases and new pledges made on Sunday.  Super Sunday is a kickoff to the Campaign that will conclude on May 13, 2010.

The annual Campaign meets social service and educational needs in the Jewish and general communities in Cleveland, and Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.  Locally, the Campaign helps more than 40,000 people served by a network of 16 social service agencies and schools.  Three overseas partner agencies also receive Campaign funding to extend help from Cleveland to the global Jewish community.

Super Sunday attracts volunteers of all ages.  There were families represented by three generations, and young adults who said they grew up going to Super Sunday.  Co-chairs of Super Sunday were Amy and Simon Feiglin, Lara and Ronnen Isakov, and Eliana LeVine and Josh Polster.  Community Campaign co-chairs are Karen and Ira Levinsky, Steve Monto, and Joyce and Eric Wald.  Event sponsors were KeyBank (Gold), Time Warner Cable (Silver) and Patrons – Cleveland Jewish News and Contempo Cuisine.

For more information about the Campaign, or to make a pledge, visit www.jewishcleveland.org or call 216.566-9200 ext. 273.

Check out our Super Sunday photos!

Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland Receives United Jewish Communities 2008 Sapir Award for Outstanding Annual Campaign

Joe Kanfer and Harley Gross

The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland was amongst the recipients of the 2008 Sapir Award for Campaign Excellence. The award was presented last week by UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America at the 2009 General Assembly in Washington, D.C.

The Sapir Award is UJC/Federation’s highest honor for Federations, recognizing communities that have demonstrated significant achievement in their Annual Campaigns. The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland was one of 15 federations to receive the award for its fundraising efforts in the 2008 Campaign.