Cathy’s Whim Cathy’s Whim

It’s been about a month since my last WHIM. While my intentions are to do a weekly WHIM, this summer has gotten away from me a bit. It’s been very busy here at the Federation. All staff are now back at the office, getting reacquainted with each other and meshing their respective work environments from pre-COVID with some tools utilized while working from home (like Zoom meetings). During all of this, we’ve also faced some significant changes.

Prior to March of 2021, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) put a call out for community members to participate on an Antisemitism Committee. We were fortunate to hear from 12 passionate individuals who were eager to give their time toward this critical issue. The committee would spend the first six months dedicating themselves to examining how antisemitism could be contextualized into the JCRC pillars of EDUCATE-ADVOCATE-ACT.

How do we speak with one Jewish voice? We have varying perspectives on Israel’s path to peace. Our Jewish community is comprised of a wide range of religiosity and practice. We have different ways in which we engage in our Jewish culture. Certainly, our politics vary.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton has always been a fervent supporter of Israel. We believe in Israel’s right to exist as a safe and sovereign state. At this perilous time, it is incumbent on us to stay informed of the current situation in Israel and take action when necessary.

On occasion, a parent will call us asking, “How do I get my child involved in young adult programming?” It is always exciting to get these calls because more often than not, parents take the initiative in deciding what is best for their adult children.

WHIM Special Edition: Important Announcement Good Afternoon, It is with a great deal of admiration and respect, as well as a bit of sadness, that today I announce the impending retirement of two of our wonderful employees ~ Cheryl Carne and Jane Hochstein. As we plan for the future, a more definitive date will be announced, but as of right now we are looking at sometime late summer. Cheryl Carne, Director of External Relations has been with the agency since 2002. Cheryl has served in a variety of positions, including JCC Director, Campaign Director, and her current role of Director...

Let Us Continue to Help, and Let Us Not Forget Today is Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton will commemorate this day with a Holocaust Remembrance Program on Sunday, April 11th at 4pm. Due to COVID-19, the program will be livestreamed. The program will feature poignant stories from survivors and honor the memory of those who perished. I encourage you to join us for this very special program. You can register by clicking here. Each year, the number of Holocaust survivors gets smaller and smaller. Sadly, about one-third of survivors in the United States...

Over the past two weeks, we have seen hate once again come to the surface with two mass shootings – one of which greatly affected our friends in the Asian community.

Often times, anniversaries call for a celebration. This past week marked a very important anniversary in our world, but this certainly is no time for celebration. It was exactly one year ago today that our staff would all be together working under one roof.