Cathy’s Whim Cathy’s Whim

After a few months hiatus, the WHIM is back. Lots has happened between my last WHIM and today. As Daytonians, Americans, and a worldwide Jewish community we have faced many challenges over recent months. During this time, I have been trying to focus on the positive. One of the things I have been directing my energy towards is our Fall 2023 trip to Israel, which will focus on food, wine, culture, and Partnership2Gether – more information to come! Traveling to Israel always proves to be inspiring for me. And while I have witnessed far too many stirring moments to list...

Yom Ha’Atzmaut As I sit here writing this WHIM, I am looking at an amazing photo of David Ben-Gurion (the first Prime Minister of Israel) doing a headstand on the beach. Looking at the picture, it reminds me that despite the challenges Israel faced during that time, David Ben-Gurion still took time out of his busy schedule for some fun. Israel continues to face many challenges. However, with its 74th birthday quickly approaching, now is the time to celebrate Israel’s independence. This Sunday, May 1st, the Dayton Jewish community will come together from 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Indian...

The Impact of Art Art has always played an important part in my life. I love viewing, collecting, and creating art. This passion is the lens through which I view the world. Art has many important connections to significant historical events. During WWII, creating art through writings, drawings, paintings, music, and more helped sustain many Holocaust survivors. To this day, many of these pieces continue to tell the stories of those who endured this tragic time in our history. These works provide us with an intimate glimpse into their lives. For the last 25 + years, the Max May and...

The Significance of the Olive It is hard to believe that Passover is almost upon us. Because it is such a significant celebration of freedom, the traditional Passover Seder has many important elements that recognize different aspects of our people’s journey from slavery to freedom. Over the years, some people have added additional symbols to their seder plates. This year, many are planning to include an olive. You may ask, “Why?” The first mention of the olive in the Torah can be found in Genesis. After the Great Flood, Noah sent birds from the ark to check if the waters had receded....

Global Updates While we have been keeping a very close eye on what has been happening in Ukraine, significant tragedies have been happening in Israel. I am sure many of you have heard about the recent terrorist attacks. One of these attacks took the life of Yazan Falah, a Druze Border Police Officer. His aunt, Janan Falah, was the Academic Chair in Israel for our Partnership2Gether (P2G) region. Marcy Paul, former Senior Director of JCRC, worked closely with Janan in her previous role as the Academic Chair in the U.S. for our P2G region. I got to know Janan through...

The Power of the Collective I recently heard Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) CEO Eric Fingerhut say, “You don’t wait for a fire to build a firehouse.” When a community member asked me why they should donate to help aid those in Ukraine through JFNA, as opposed to through one of the many other organizations raising funds, this quote quickly surfaced in my mind. JFNA has long been a powerhouse in worldwide philanthropy. They have infrastructures already in place to help aid the Jewish community – anywhere in the world. When harrowing times arise, JFNA and their partner agencies...

Throughout the years, Jewish Federations of North America and its partner agencies have raised much needed funds to help global Jewry. Their work continues today. In times of crisis, the worldwide Jewish community comes together to raise money to address extraordinary needs. Sadly, our friends and family in Ukraine are facing a crisis.

Last summer, in our search for a Development Director, we received several outstanding resumes. However, one resume in particular stood out. Lidia Zambilovici, a native of Moldova, grew up in the former Soviet Union, where Jewish communities in that part of the world continue to benefit from the work of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

It’s Time to Act Now Against Israel Bias. It has been quite an interesting week for the worldwide Jewish community. I am sure many of you have seen news stories about Whoopi Goldberg’s comments pertaining to the Holocaust, and the subsequent backlash that has ensued - click here for more information. While her comments are concerning, what really has me alarmed this week is the recent report on Israel by Amnesty International.