Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

When Cheryl Carne and Jane Hochstein each came to me several months ago to tell me they were retiring, I think I was initially in denial. Cheryl and Jane are both fixtures in the Dayton Jewish community. They had been working for the Federation for 19 years and 14 years, respectively. It was difficult to imagine not having them in the building.

On Tuesday, Senior Director of JCRC Marcy Paul and I traveled to Columbus for an Ohio Jewish Communities (OJC) meeting at the Governor’s residence. Over 35 people – including Federation, JCRC, and OJC professionals and lay leaders – came together with Governor Mike DeWine, Director of Faith Based and Community Initiatives Michele Reynolds, and Ohio Department of Public Safety Assistant Director Karen Huey to discuss the surge in antisemitism.

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.

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.