LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: Jewish Community Relations Council

  • Ceasefire and hostage deal brings hope for Israel

    Ceasefire and hostage deal brings hope for Israel

    Map by Ecrusized, influenced by user Rr016. – Own work, Israeli military presence in Gaza Strip citing Institute for the Study of War & Critical Threats Project (wikipedia.org)

    Below is a statement issued this evening by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and the Jewish Community Relations Council:

    Today’s announcement of a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas marks a pivotal step forward in addressing one of the most prolonged and devastating conflicts of our time.

    This agreement underscores the importance of leadership, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to human dignity and security. But there is more work to be done. We must ensure that all hostages, both living and deceased, are brought home to Israel, allowing families to begin healing, while we continue to advocate for a future of peace, safety, and dignity for all.

    Jewish Federations welcome news of a deal to release dozens of hostages, create a framework for releasing all the hostages, and allow Israel a path forward to protect the safety and security of its citizens.

    Every day for over 15 months, our community has held the hostages in our hearts, wept for their plight, prayed for their safe return, and mourned for those who we lost.

    We’ve held close our Israeli brothers and sisters who have suffered, been displaced, fought in reserves, struggled to keep their businesses afloat, and worked to keep their families and communities alive.

    We thank President Biden and President-elect Trump, for their unprecedented coordination to bring both sides together to get a deal done.

    There is much work to be done and significant uncertainty ahead, but we are hopeful that the first phase of this agreement will pave the way for the remaining hostages to be reunited with their family, for hostilities to end, and for an era of security and rebuilding for both Israel and her neighbors.

    About the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

    The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati envisions an exceptional Cincinnati Jewish community and, through the community-wide strategic plan Cincinnati 2030, brings diverse groups together to build it. We raise money and use a volunteer-driven, transparent process to distribute it to the local, national, and global programs that need it most. We connect our community agencies with the leaders and expertise they need to thrive. And we work to protect Jewish security by educating the community and advocating for Israel. We do all of this to help people in need, create an engaged community, assure our Jewish future, and support the Jewish people in Cincinnati, in Israel, and throughout the world. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org

    About the Jewish Community Relations Council

    The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the non-partisan public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Its mission is to protect Jewish security, recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. To achieve this mission, it advocates for the local Jewish community through Israel education; fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and racism; and building understanding with other ethnic, religious, and civic organizations. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc

    Learn more at jewishcincinnati.org.

  • Jewish Community Hosts OH-1 Congressional Debate to Feature Congressman Greg Landsman and Challenger Orlando Sonza

    Jewish Community Hosts OH-1 Congressional Debate to Feature Congressman Greg Landsman and Challenger Orlando Sonza

    The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and AJC Cincinnati, in partnership with WKRC Local 12 and Star 64, will host the OH-1 Congressional Debate featuring Congressman Greg Landsman (D) and challenger Orlando Sonza (R).

    The debate will be broadcast live on Star 64 and streamed on WKRC Local 12’s Facebook page. Prior to the debate, local and
    regional candidates will engage with the community in a meet-and-greet.

    Who:
    • Congressman Greg Landsman (D)
    • Orlando Sonza (R)
    • Local and regional candidates for office
    • Where: Mayerson JCC, 8485 Ridge Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236
    • When: Monday, September 16
    • Meet-and-greet: 7:00 PM
    • Debate: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

    Contact: Jeremy Spiegel at jspiegel@jfedcin.org or 513-543-4524

  • Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati Condemns Vandalism at Covedale Cemetery Complex

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati Condemns Vandalism at Covedale Cemetery Complex

    Cincinnati Ohio – A statement released this afternoon by the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati:

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati (JCGC) is deeply saddened and outraged to report that 176 gravestones were vandalized at the Tifereth Israel Cemetery and the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Cemetery, both at the Covedale Cemetery complex. This act of antisemitic vandalism was uncovered early this morning and has left our community heartbroken. 
    The damage spans two sections of the Covedale Cemetery complex, located near the intersection of Anderson Ferry Road and Sidney Road. The destruction includes tombstones dating back to the late 1800s, many of which have been knocked over, with some cracked in half. Most of the gravestones have been pushed face down, making it challenging to identify the affected families at this time.  
    The incident is believed to have occurred between Tuesday, June 25th, and today, as the groundskeeper, who mowed the lawn on June 25th, reported no signs of vandalism then. As soon as Sue Susskind, Executive Director of JCGC, became aware of the incident, she reached out to SAFE Cincinnati. SAFE Cincinnati, the security arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, is working with law enforcement authorities including the Cincinnati Police Department, FBI, and Green Township in an active investigation. Currently, we know of no suspects. We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. We urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward and assist in the investigation. 
    The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati is assisting JCGC in managing this difficult situation. We unequivocally condemn this act of hatred and desecration. Our hearts go out to the families affected by this senseless vandalism. The Jewish community in Cincinnati is resilient, and we are committed to repairing the damage and restoring the sanctity of these sacred spaces. 
    Due to the extensive damage and the historical nature of many of the gravestones, we have not yet been able to identify all the families affected by this act. Law enforcement has advised us not to touch the gravestones to preserve the integrity of their investigation. Once we receive clearance, we will carefully turn over the gravestones to identify the names and contact any living relatives. We will inform the families as soon as we have more information. 
    In these challenging times, it is crucial for us to stand united against hate. We call on the entire community to remain vigilant and to continue to support one another. Together, we will overcome this act of hatred and reaffirm our commitment to fostering a community of tolerance and respect. 
    The best way to help is to give direct donations to JCGC’s monument repair fund. Please visit https://jcemcin.org/donate/ to contribute. 
    For further updates and information, please contact Brant Schulz, Assistant Marketing Director, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati (in care of Sue Susskind, Executive Director, JCGC). 

    About Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati      

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati (JCGC) serves the burial needs of the Greater Cincinnati Jewish community with care and dignity and honors the resting places of our people. JCGC aims to serve and engage our entire Jewish community and preserve the history and memory of our people, while maintaining financial stability. JCGC’s everyday operations include pre-arrangements, purchasing cemetery lots, purchasing memorials, visitation services, cleaning services, and genealogy searches. Future plans involve continuing to make repairs, increasing community involvement, and establishing JCGC as a historical resource.   

    About the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati    

    The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati envisions an exceptional Cincinnati Jewish community and, through the community-wide strategic plan Cincinnati 2030, brings diverse groups together to build it. We raise money and use a volunteer-driven, transparent process to distribute it to the local, national, and global programs that need it most. We connect our community agencies with the leaders and expertise they need to thrive. And we work to protect Jewish security by educating the community and advocating for Israel. We do all of this to help people in need, create an engaged community, assure our Jewish future, and support the Jewish people in Cincinnati, in Israel, and throughout the world. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org     

    About the Jewish Community Relations Council  

    The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the non-partisan public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Its mission is to protect Jewish security, recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. To achieve this mission, it advocates for the local Jewish community through Israel education; fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and racism; and building understanding with other ethnic, religious, and civic organizations. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc      

  • JCRC Condemns West Chester Tea Party’s Antisemitic Rhetoric

    JCRC Condemns West Chester Tea Party’s Antisemitic Rhetoric

    Recently, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Jewish Community Relations Council learned that on September 5 the West Chester Tea Party hosted a speaker who disseminated numerous extreme antisemitic conspiracy theories. The West Chester Tea Party subsequently repeated many of these ideas in an email sent to their membership on September 9.

    Since this came to our attention, we have discovered that the West Chester Tea Party has a long history of sharing vitriolic antisemitic rhetoric through its Facebook page and Gab account. A non-exhaustive list of conspiracy theories propagated by the group include that Jews: control the media, finance, and politicians; manipulate African Americans; are imposters who have replaced the “real Jews”; engage in child sacrifice; and are disloyal to the United States.

    We are keenly aware of how antisemitism is on the rise in our country. The normalization of antisemitism by an active, local political organization makes this worse and is absolutely unacceptable.

    We are grateful for the Republican elected officials who have voiced their support to the Jewish community, making clear that they do not condone this group’s behavior. Likewise, given that this speaker was hosted at St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church, we thank the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for helping us confirm that the church that hosted this event is not formally affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. The Archdiocese has affirmed that they would not allow such behavior within one of their facilities. The Cincinnati Jewish community is lucky to have leaders in the Republican and Catholic communities who will stand up to hate such as this, which is purportedly committed in their names.

    Until such a time as the West Chester Tea Party has not just deleted this material, but demonstrates a commitment to opposing antisemitism, we call on those who consider themselves allies to the Jewish community not to seek their endorsement, appear at their programs, or work with them. Doing anything less normalizes this behavior and makes our community less safe.

    About the Jewish Community Relations Council

    The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the non-partisan public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Its mission is to protect Jewish security, recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. To achieve this mission, it advocates for the local Jewish community through Israel education; fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and racism; and building understanding with other ethnic, religious, and civic organizations. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc

  • This 5-year Jewish Holiday Calendar can assist schools as they schedule exams, field trips, sporting events, and graduations

    This 5-year Jewish Holiday Calendar can assist schools as they schedule exams, field trips, sporting events, and graduations

     

  • Freedom Seder: Struggle for Freedom Crosses Cultures, Communities

    Freedom Seder: Struggle for Freedom Crosses Cultures, Communities

    WHAT: People of many faiths from all over Cincinnati are invited to join in song, prayer, and honest conversation at a Freedom Seder. Attendees will taste the Passover foods, sing songs of liberation, and learn and grow with pastors, rabbis, musicians, and the director of the I AM Campaign on human trafficking.

    On April 4, 1969, on the one-year anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in the basement of a church in Washington, DC, 800 people, half Jews, the rest black and white Christians, took part in the first Freedom Seder. Together they told the stories of their ancestors’ release from bondage, traversing the wilderness, and pursuing a life of freedom.

    WHEN: Wednesday, March 28, 6:30 p.m.

    WHERE: Kenney Heights Arts Center Annex

    6620 Montgomery Rd., Unit 2 – Cincinnati, OH 45213

    WHO: The event is sponsored by JustLOVE, the Amos Project, the Monastery Studio, and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), the public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. It is free and open to the public.  

    WHY:  The story of Exodus, the story of the first Freedom Seder, and the story that is happening right now – all of it is part of a journey towards peace. With each retelling, we bring to life the reality of the struggle for a just and free world. We are reminded that all lives matter and that our sacred traditions hold wisdom for our current plight.

    Take Home Tano Consumer Meal Market

      Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family.