Cathy’s Whim Cathy’s Whim

  • Home
  • Shining the Light on JCRC

Shining the Light on JCRC

Cathy Gardner | August 19, 2022
Shining the Light on JCRC

If you attended our Annual Meeting this past Wednesday, you may have seen a new face in the crowd. We are proud to announce our newest staff member, Chen Shterenbach, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Senior Director. Chen grew up in a moshav/village in Israel, surrounded by his family on their small chicken farm. Chen earned his B.A. and M.B.A. in business while in Israel, and an M.A. from Brandeis University, where he specialized in teaching languages and developing curriculum. If you see Chen, please stop and introduce yourself. We look forward to his work with JCRC, including programs combatting antisemitism.

In regard to antisemitism, there are two special TV programs coming up I wanted to highlight.  This Sunday, CNN will air a special report entitled “Rising Hate: Antisemitism in America,” which will air at 9 p.m. EST. For the report, CNN interviewed SCN (Secure Community Network – the JFNA security arm) and accompanied them as they conducted Be Aware: An Introduction to Situational Awareness Training and Countering Active Threat Training for more than 100 members of four congregations in Texas. As part of the report, SCN provided background information on the threat landscape and highlighted their work to create a security shield over North American Jewish communities.

Then, on September 18th, PBS will air a three-part, six-hour series entitled “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” This documentary series by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein will “examine America’s response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the twentieth century.”

I hope you are able to watch both of these important programs.

 

 

 

To receive Cathy’s WHIM in your inbox each week, click here.


Chief Executive Officer
Cathy Gardner

Latest Articles

View All Articles
Cabin Fever Relief
Cathy Gardner

It’s hard to believe that in just five weeks, Spring will officially be here. The weather over the past month has been, well, let’s just say, interesting. I’m a big fan of snow, but I know I’m probably an exception to the rule. Between the snow and bitter cold temperatures, I’m sure cabin fever has set in for some people. The good news is temperatures are finally in a much more acceptable range, and the snow is slowly melting. If you are ready to get out of the house, the JCC has two events coming up that may be of...

Read More

(Re)Building the Bridge
Cathy Gardner

Since 1970, February has also been known as Black History Month. It serves as a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history, while also recognizing their struggles for acceptance and equality. Sadly, the Black community still experiences prejudice to this very day. As Jewish people, we too have experienced our own struggles with acceptance and equality. It was not too long ago that Jewish people were banned from living in certain communities or belonging to certain clubs. The latter was even a part of the storyline of S3, EP15 of The Golden Girls. The episode,...

Read More

Looking Back
Cathy Gardner

As we stand on the edge of 2026, I can’t help but reflect on the last year. It has been filled with ups and downs for many of us on a personal level, and as a Jewish community. As an organization, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and its Agencies have had a very busy year. Here are just a few highlights of what we accomplished in 2025: Since October 7, 2023, we have seen a significant increase in antisemitism throughout the world – including here in Ohio. What became evident in the wake of 10/7 was the need for...

Read More

Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Stay Up to Date!