When you support the Campaign for Jewish Needs, you help us support Israel and combat antisemitism
• Advocate for Jewish college students’ mental health and wellness, collaborating with Hillels to understand the evolving needs, and coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure Jewish students can live vibrant Jewish lives.
• Expand resources for community members to help combat rising antisemitism online, on campus, and in schools.
• Organized more than 1,700 members of Jewish Cleveland to travel to Washington D.C. to show their support for Israel, demand for the release of the hostages, and to make a clear statement that Jew hatred has no home in this country.
• Establish a new partnership with and address the ongoing needs of Kibbutz Kissufim, a community near the Gaza border that was among the 22 locations targeted by the terrorist group Hamas on 10/7.
Together, we do all of this and so much more.
None of this would be possible without you – our generous donors from across our Cleveland Jewish community. Every dollar makes a huge difference. Thank you for making an impact!
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Women-owned businesses thriving in the area
Lisa Matkowsky
Small, women-owned businesses are flourishing both across the country and in the Jewish community. There are sometimes distinct motivations for creating such businesses, as well as a di erent vibe customers get from their service. Cleveland Kesher takes a closer look at a few local Jewish businesses run by women, who share how they got their start and the keys to their success.
Mahus Gifts was founded in 2022 by Beachwood native Deborah Pollack, who lives with husband, Meir, a gastroenterologist, and is a congregant at both Green Road Synagogue and Young Israel of Greater Cleveland, both in Beachwood.
“I was a stay-at-home mom for more than two decades before I started Mahus,” she told Kesher. “As my children grew older, I started looking for something to do. When my youngest child was starting seventh grade, I coordinated a group bar mitzvah gift for his class, buying each boy a personalized luggage set. I had someone in New York to order the gifts from. The challenge was shipping. It would cost more than we collected to ship all of the gifts. I realized that this was something we were missing in our community. I have always bought personalized gifts, ordering them from businesses outside of Cleveland. Our community has grown significantly since my family settled here 23 years ago. I realized this was exactly what I should be doing.”
Pollack hit the ground running.
“I don’t like wasting time,” she said. “In November of 2022, I formed an LLC, secured a vendor’s license and bought a (website) domain. I learned how to use the Cricut that had been sitting unopened in a closet for
months. I then started finding wholesalers to buy my inventory from. By January, I started making the gifts for my son’s classmates myself. I started advertising on Facebook, Instagram and local email list. I made swag, and hostess and hospitality gifts. By the time summer 2023 came around, I realized that I needed to add embroidery to my customization services and set out to learn a whole new skill. Now, Mahus o ers a full inventory of all types of gifts including baby gifts, bar and bat mitzvah gifts, birthday gifts, Chanukah gifts, and hostess gifts of all kinds. Pollack personalizes with either vinyl or embroidery. The entire business is conducted out of her house.
“This allows me to be super flexible and work with customer’s schedules,” she said. “I don’t have business hours. I find a time for each customer who wants to come see products in person. I also have a website. I love being able to help people with their last-minute gifts, and love even more when people think ahead. Being a member of the community, I understand customers’ needs and help them choose the gifts that work best for them. I hope to be considered a valuable service to my community and work to be just that. My customers appreciate the convenience of having a local place to buy their gifts. They also like my quick turnaround time for their orders. I hope to be everyone’s first call or text when they need a gift or swag for their parties.”
The personal touch is also found at Shop Shalom in the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland in Beachwood. Owned by Sarah Shalom, the store is a Judaic gift shop specifically dedicated to items that are handmade by Israeli artists and other crafters.
“My goal is to facilitate the needs that people might have for a specific item for giftware as well as holiday items,” Shalom told Kesher. “I was inspired to begin this business about two years ago due to the huge need that our community has for finding unique giftware items for life events. I feel like I’m beginning to meet the needs of my community. That has made me so happy.”
Being a business owner and being female has impacted Shalom as well.
“I love being the one to make the decisions, it is very empowering,” she said. “Even though
Pollack
Shalom
Wilks
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WOMEN | 4
I am open to suggestions and advice, in the end, the choice is mine. And since I am Jewish, it helps me to know more of what the community members are looking for specifically for Jewish life events. Overall, I want people to know that I am there for them through the ups and downs that happen to us in our lives. I will do my best to find what they’re looking for and make sure that my customers feel valued.”
Certified life coach Yehudis Wilks, who came to Cleveland from Canada when she remarried 26 years ago, runs her business out of her home in Cleveland Heights via telephone or by Zoom.
“I prefer to coach women, and my specialty areas are marriage, divorce, blended families, family members struggling with keeping mitzvos, weight issues and self-esteem,” Wilks told Kesher. “These are all challenges that I have personally dealt with in my own life.”
Wilks previously owned Curves Women’s Fitness Center, along with her husband, Dovid Zev, a computer programmer, until March 2020. She said she had always wanted to become a life coach in order to “empower women with self-confidence and self-esteem.” Her dream was realized when she completed a certified professional coaching course at the Refuah Institute in Jerusalem that gave her membership with the American Association of Professional Coaches.
Biancheria Linen Shoppe is a luxury home textiles shopping and personalized home stylist store. It is run by Cleveland Heights resident Shevy Jacobs, who lives with her husband, Yitzi, and children and is a congregant of Congregation Torah UTefillah in Cleveland Heights.
“When we moved from Eretz Yisrael to Cleveland, I was looking to sell something from home,” Jacobs told Kesher. “In Israel, I sold American ties, which is also the fabric business. I researched and spoke with all business owners in Cleveland at that time to ensure that I would not be carrying something that was already being sold here so as not to infringe on someone else’s parnasah. Once I was done with speaking with all those business owners, I opened a linen shop. From there, we expanded to include a large variety of tablecloths, bathrobes and gifts.”
Jacobs formerly was a teacher, but found that running a business was more conducive to
family life.
“As a mother, I have to be super-organized, especially on erev Shabbos and Yom Tov to do this, but I love what I do,” she said. “I appreciate good fabrics and good quality ... I’m happy for the metzia of giving a customer the best her $100 will buy, or her $500 will buy. It gives me pleasure to help the customer get the maximum she can for her budget and her needs, the biggest bang for her buck.”
Jacobs said she prides herself on standing behind her products, and having the knowledge and experience to know what actually works.
“People sometimes will try Costco or Amazon or buying stu online, but many times, I get the bounce back after a couple of years and the product has worn out due to inferior quality or the family has given up trying to make a product choice and measurements work remotely,” she said. “I’m so happy to be able to service so many di erent kinds of people. ... I have the connections to get items no one else can, no other stores like Macy’s are selling, and I pay for the shipping, which is quite expensive. ... I know I have something for everyone but sometimes there’s something specific that a customer visualizes that I may not have. I want my friends to feel comfortable knowing that there is no pressure here. Parnassa comes from Hashem alone and all we have to do is our hishtadlus.
All of these women embody the passion of personalized service to their community, empowering themselves and others.
HOW TO REACH THE BUSINESSES:
Mahus Gifts mahusgifts.com. On Instagram @mahusgifts
Yehudis Wilks, Certified Life Coach whatsapp 216-315-0666 or by email at empowerwomennow18@gmail.com
Shop Shalom (Inside the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland in Beachwood) www.shop-shalom.com
Biancheria Linen Shoppe biancheriashoppe.com
Lisa Matkowsky is a freelance journalist from Beachwood.
Mekimi aims to raise the spirits through music
Lisa Matkowksy
University Heights-based band Mekimi, which plays modern Hebrew and classic rock music, is a treat for local residents seeking live Jewish music.
Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Steve Baker, bass player Joey Steiner, Zaki Setnik on drums and vocals, and Andrew Byer on lead guitar, the band formed five years ago when the members got together motivated by their shared love of music.
“Steve and Zaki had been in a local band called 6 Days Before Shabbos,” Steiner told Cleveland Kesher. “When that band broke up, Steve accosted me in the Young Israel (of Greater Cleveland) coat room after services and asked me to join his new band knowing the skill I had on bass guitar. I had been in several local classic rock bands previously. I had always been interested in secular rock and had never thought I could enjoy Hebrew music. My preference is for progressive rock, it’s more complex and interesting than most radio rock, artists such as YES, ELO and King Crimson. I first picked up the guitar when I saw The Beatles on the “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. I wanted to just get out and play anything, so I agreed to try them out.”
Baker, who grew up in Toledo, had come from the music scene there playing with local musicians at clubs, and had been involved with community theater in feature roles in musicals.
“I am strongly influenced musically by blues and country artists, as well as Big Band and swing musicians and singers, and as for Jewish music, I’m influenced by Shlomo Carlebach, Soulfarm, The Moshav Band, Ishay Ribo, the Solomon Brothers and Aryeh Kunstler,” he told Kesher. “I had the idea to give the community a form of acceptable entertainment and wanted to have an outdoor concert for Sunday after Shabbos Nachamu. I approached Andrew and Joey with the idea. They agreed and we started learning songs and practicing. We did do a live Facebook feed the Sunday after Shabbos Nachamu, and it went well. We have been playing together since.”
Byer, who grew up in Columbus, was new to Cleveland at the time, having recently moved from Passaic, N.J.
“A member of Young Israel told me about a party at the home of a community member where people brought instruments and played,”
Front, Andrew Byer on lead guitar. Back from left, Joey Steiner on bass, Zaki Setnik on drums and lead singer Steve Baker on guitar. | Submitted photo
he said. “It was there that I met Steve. I met him again when I joined Young Israel. Steve got the idea to form a band and he asked if I’d be interested in playing guitar.”
Byer began playing guitar at 8 years old, taking lessons and learning to read music.
“I listened to popular music and was able to learn a lot of songs by ear,” he told Kesher. “I had played in two bands, one that played Jewish community events and one that played at a few di erent establishments. Before joining Mekimi, I didn’t know much Jewish music, but I have picked up many songs from Steve.”
The name Mekimi comes from the word in the Hallel prayer meaning raise up, as we hope to lift the spirits of those who hear us play,” Steiner said.
Baker added, “The name was Joey’s idea. It means He raises up. We all thought it was a
good choice.”
According to Setnik, “We have become very close, as our families were previously friends and the music has made our friendship stronger. All of us in this group have really become good friends through the music, using each other’s cues and note exchanges throughout songs. Communication is really a key factor in producing and performing music.”
The band-mates said they are happy for the opportunity to share their love of music with the community. Steiner is a semi-retired clinical psychologist with Naaleh. He and his wife are congregants of both Young Israel of Greater Cleveland in Beachwood, where he serves as the daily gabbai, and Green Road Synagogue, also in Beachwood. Baker, a field technician for Toshiba O ce Systems, is a congregant of Heights Jewish Center Synagogue in University Heights, Young Israel and the Jewish Family Experience in University Heights. Byer is a compliance manager with Premier Bank. He, his wife and son are congregants of Young Israel.
“We have played programs at Green Road Synagogue, Young Israel of Greater Cleveland, a Purim street party, Milky Way restaurant multiple times and even a livestream from my basement during COVID(-19),” Steiner said. “We packed in large crowds each time. So far, we have never charged a fee. We even did a benefit for Magen David Adom, raising $700.”
Baker said the band really enjoys playing Motzei Shabbos and any opportunity they have.
“There was a block party on my street last Purim and we played then as well,” Steiner said. “We hope to return to Milky Way for a few shows this year and look forward to finding new venues to play. Our goal is to celebrate achdus through inspirational modern Jewish music.”
Lisa Matkowsky is a freelance journalist from Beachwood.
Issi’s Place celebrates 25 years of kosher eats
Cleveland Kesher
Issi’s Place at 14431 Cedar Road in South Euclid has served the community since opening on Sept. 21, 1999.
The restaurant, owned by husband-andwife duo Issi and Cindy Ashwal, originally opened in the Waterstone Medical Building at 14100 Cedar Road in University Heights, Cindy Ashwal told Cleveland Kesher. However, the couple, who are congregants of Young Israel of Greater Cleveland in Beachwood and residents of Beachwood, had to move their pizza restaurant, which is under supervision of Cleveland Kosher, to a larger location to accommodate the high volume of customers they were serving about 2½ years after opening its doors, she said.
“When I decided to take (the new space), it was really bad,” Issi Ashwal said. “We gutted the place and cleaned it up.”
The space, which was a home to another pizza restaurant for over 30 years before Issi’s Place took over, had to go through a complete
remodel before it could open to customers, Issi Ashwal said. The remodel included removing and cleaning everything from the inside of the space and redesigning it.
During the remodeling process, Issi Ashwal designed the layout of the restaurant to accommodate everything the restaurant would need to operate, he said. He also helped to complete the construction of the interior space.
Issi Ashwal, who also serves as the chef, studied his trade at Tadmor Culinary School in Herzliya, Israel, he said. Also in Israel, he owned and operated Hummus Ashkara, a restaurant that served Middle Eastern food.
Using the skills he picked up in Israel, Issi Ashwal uses his own recipes at the restaurant, making everything, including the dough, sauce and pita bread, from scratch, Cindy Ashwal said. The restaurant serves pizzas, which is a favorite among customers, salads, wraps and
Issi Ashwal, co-owner of Issi’s Place at 14431 Cedar Road in South Euclid, prepares pizza sauce for the day in the kitchen his restaurant. | Photos / Cleveland Kesher
Community News
sandwiches, soups, pasta and fries, another popular menu item, she said.
While the restaurant had a booming business prior to COVID-19, once Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced restaurants needed to close, an announcement the Ashwals waited for, business immediately slowed down, Cindy Ashwal said. However, the couple wanted to continue making food for and helping the people in their community, so they began delivering free soups to the homes of customers, leaving the orders on the porch, she said.
“Older people couldn’t leave their homes, so we came up with the idea to give free soup (and) we used to deliver the soup,” Issi Ashwal said.
Over the past few years, the couple has been working to grow their customer base, Cindy Ashwal said. While the restaurant’s customer volume isn’t back to what it was prior to COVID-19, the restaurant “obviously survived,” Issi Ashwal said.
About Issi’s Kitchen
Location: 14431 Cedar Road, South Euclid
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. through seasonal times. Most popular dish according to the owner: Pizzas
Following COVID-19, the restaurant, like many others in the U.S., are struggling to keep prices down as inflation rises, Cindy Ashwal said.
In order to keep their prices reasonable, the Ashwals do everything they can, including doing all of the shopping for the restaurant themselves, Issi Ashwal said. The couple picks up the ingredients they need to keep the shop running from Restaurant Depot, a wholesale supplier in Valley View, instead of ordering and receiving deliveries.
“We try to save as much as we can ... so we don’t have to raise the price,” Issi Ashwal said.
Issi and Cindy Ashwal, co-owners of Issi’s Place, stand in front of their South Euclid restaurant.
Jewish Fertility Foundation launches in Cleveland
Cleveland Kesher
The
Jewish Fertility Foundation made a move to Cleveland and hit the ground running. The new location is made possible through funding from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s endowment and Life & Legacy Program.
“A lot of work went into it with an amazing group of people,” CEO and Founder Elana Frank told Cleveland Kesher. “Ultimately, we were able to work together to raise initial capital from the Federation in Cleveland’s endowment funds as well as the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation.”
The Cleveland location is the ninth Jewish Fertility Foundation of its kind and will continue to “broaden its reach” and its mission to provide financial assistance, emotional support and educational resources to Jewish families struggling with infertility, according to a news release.
“Having a Cleveland o ce of the Jewish Fertility Foundation will further strengthen our vibrant Jewish community through its unique ability to address the emotional and financial needs of people navigating fertility challenges,” Federation President Erika B. Rudin-Luria said in the release. “We are happy to support the launch of their Cleveland operations and are looking forward to working with them as they support Jewish Clevelanders grow their families.”
Frank said the Jewish Fertility Foundation built a relationship with Dr. Rachel Weinerman, an endocrinologist at University
Hospitals in Beachwood and Westlake, and “quickly understood” Cleveland had what it was looking for in a location.
“There are no services similar to ours in Cleveland ... there is a need (for) infertility support in Cleveland,” Frank said.
However, the Cleveland location is not at a physical address, it’s one woman – Tamar Poupko Smith, who served on the exploratory committee for the Cleveland location. Before joining the Jewish Fertility Foundation, Poupko Smith was the director of marketing and communications at Gross Schechter Day School in Pepper Pike.
“We opened o cially June 3,” Poupko Smith told Cleveland Kesher “I am the point person for all of our Cleveland clients and our partners. My role is to connect families, couples and individuals who are experiencing infertility with all the services that we provide.”
Frank said the Jewish Fertility Foundation partners with local fertility clinics to o er up to a 20% discount, as well as on obtaining other discounts on genetic testing, medications and laboratory services.
To be eligible for a fertility grant, Frank said it adopts the Reform movement’s definition of, “who is a Jew,” which presumes the child of one Jewish parent, mother or father, is Jewish.
She also said Jewish Fertility Foundation is understanding of all financial situations. It provides up to three grants – one intrauterine insemination grant, and up to two in vitro fertilization grants of $10,000.
“Over 16% of Jewish women at some point in their lives will need fertility services,” Poupko Smith said. “Given the size of our community, it is so important that an organization like this exists on the ground where we can interface with clients, give them the support they need (and) continue to help people build Jewish families, which will only serve to make the entire community stronger and more vibrant in the future.”
Frank
Poupko Smith
Rudin-Luria
JFF-CLEVELAND
Providing financial assistance, emotional support, and educational programming to families and individuals with medical fertility challenges.
Grants up to $10,000 for fertility treatments
Up to $10,000 of Interest Free Loans
Free & open to anyone struggling with infertility Monthly virtual support groups facilitated by licensed infertility therapists
Fertility Buddies matches veterans with those going through infertility for peer-to-peer support
Shifting the understanding of infertility and how the Jewish community views and supports those with fertility challenges
Panels, discussions, lectures, and one-on-one trainings for clergy, fertility clinic medical staff, and families affected by infertility
Retreat a ‘D. Light’ for Friendship Circle mothers
Lisa Matkowsky
Friendship Circle of Cleveland, an organization in Pepper Pike which has been connecting teenage volunteers and children with developmental disabilities for almost 20 years, held a special retreat program for mothers earlier this year called “D. Light.”
The event was designed to allow the women to “take a moment for yourself to learn about mindfulness, manage stress and embrace life’s challenges with wisdom from the peaceful message of Shabbat,” Estie Marozov, codirector, family and community relations at the Friendship Circle, told Cleveland Kesher.
Featuring several workshops called “Lightshops,” including a special session to introduce Friendship Circle’s new family support coordinator Chava Schwartz, the retreat included a light dinner. The menu, catered by Miri Bialo of Munchables, included soup, salad, cheese boards, smoothies, iced co ees and other drinks.
“It was a genuinely lovely way to spend my Sunday afternoon,” Bialo told Kesher. “I had the help of volunteers, and it didn’t feel like work, rather that I was just ‘doing my thing’ while working with such cheerful and eager to help individuals in the joyful and lively environment that is Friendship Circle.”
Sherrie Fleeter and Lisa Zucker co-chaired the retreat.
Mothers who joined D. Light were instructed how to create their own resin necklace by Doria Art Studio to start the program.
The activity was led with the help of Jodi Goldman and Tamar Schiowitz, who both have children who were teens at Friendship Circle. The Lightshops were presented for an hour each.
Sixty women participated, and sessions included, “Parenting Coach: Believe in Your Child’s Special Light,” by Rivkah Cohen; “Shabbat: Text-based study,” by Avigayal Ishakis; “Flower Creation for Bright & Beautiful Shabbat,” by Adena Klineman; “Soul Nutrition,” by Dr. Sheerli Ratner; “Co ee Convos,” by Atara Reiss; “Hands-
on Charts to Lighten the Shabbat Load,” by Shira Schwarzmer; “Yoga: Serenity & Light,” by Karen Morocco as well as various candle lighting and candle making workshops.
“Women mentioned that this event was deeply motivating and helped them to realize their personal fountain of creativity,” Marozov said. “They especially enjoyed learning to create flower bouquet arrangements for a beautiful Shabbat table, and a true highlight was getting to meet our new Friendship Circle family coordinator Chava Schwartz. We are thrilled to introduce her in this position.
“Chava is a certified marriage educator who co-directed Jewish campus community centers for five years before spending the last seven years as a STEM educator. She brings a buzz of fun, passion and a true caring for others to her role.”
Attendees received door prizes, including a personal mirror and candle lighting kits. Karen Marocco closed the event with a mindfulness activity.
D. Light underscored the mission of Friendship Circle, which is to empower children, while enriching the lives of everyone else involved, Marozov said. Teenage volunteers learn the value of giving, the curative power of friendship and the vital importance of integrating children of all abilities into the community. The retreat was one of many opportunities for the Friendship Circle family to provide parents in general, and moms in particular, with much-needed respite and support.
“The speakers and the topics were wellchosen,” attendee Gail Cohen told Kesher. “They spoke on topics that taught me to incorporate Judaism in my everyday life. It helped me to have a more peaceful and calm, enjoyable day.”
Lisa Matkowsky is a freelance journalist from Beachwood.
Federation allocates over $33M to local, national, international causes
Cleveland Kesher
After another record-breaking Campaign for Jewish Needs, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland increased its allocable funds by over $1 million compared to last year.
The 2024 annual campaign raised $36,355,013, an increase of $1,484,192 from the 2023 campaign. After accounting for $1,363,313 in shrinkage, $3,417,371 for campaign and collection expenses, and adding $1,291,000 from United Way and $280,000 from prior year collections, there was $33,145,329 in funds left to allocate, an increase of $1,149,280 compared to last year.
“I think it’s a testament to the overall commitment of the Cleveland Jewish community to not only take care of our local Jewish community, but Jews throughout the world,” Michelle Hirsch, chair of the allocations committee, told Cleveland Kesher. “And at the level that our community stepped up, especially after everything that the world has been through this past year, it’s just incredibly inspiring to be part of this amazing community.”
With the 2024 campaign already underway when the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas surprise attacks on Israel took place, the Federation had launched a co-current Israel Emergency Campaign to address the immediate needs. Raising $33,349,261 for Israel by the time the annual campaign closed, the Federation raised
over $60 million across the two campaigns over two months.
To begin allocating the funds from the annual campaign, the allocation committee recommended a base allocation to each agency and program equal to what they received last year. The increase was then divided with an additional $275,000 toward community security; $412,640 for overseas to be divided further between the Jewish Federations of North America core allocations and the Cleveland Overseas Projects; $49,000 among national agencies; and $243,458 toward local human services and $169,182 toward local education agencies.
Due to the sale of Menorah Park to Outcome Healthcare, a for-profit company, in December 2023, the Jewish senior facility is no longer eligible to receive an allocation from the Federation, Hirsch said. Therefore, the funds previously allocated to Menorah Park, now known as King David Center, was divided into a $300,000 one-time fund set aside to support older adult services and the remaining $543,262 divided among local agencies for one-time project requests and included in their 2024-25 allocation.
“The Federation still takes on the responsibility of caring for older adults; it remains a top priority,” Hirsch said. “When
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Menorah was sold, Federation created a separate Older Adult Task Force that is chaired by Susan Hurwitz. They are in the process of assessing the current and future needs for older adults in the community.”
Of the $300,000, $200,000 is set aside for Holocaust survivor needs and $100,000 is for Jewish Family Service Association’s older adult programs.
The Ohio Jewish Communities was also included as a national agency for the first time during this year’s allocation process. Hirsch said OJC had previously received funds through charges to the local beneficiary agencies and prior year collections, but felt it aligned with other national agencies.
“Federation has always supported OJC,” she said. “The allocations committee felt that it should be a national agency due to the nature of the organization’s efforts, especially with all their current lobbying efforts that affect our agencies. By including OJC as a national agency, donors now have visibility to their extraordinary work via the campaign allocations process.”
Additionally, the Federation’s newest overseas partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim was included in the allocation process for the first time this year. The partnership came about earlier this year to help the Israeli community rebuild after the Oct. 7 attacks.
“While our overall allocation to overseas is the $12.8 million ($12,894,592), Federation’s decision to add this new partnership is important,” Hirsch said. “Partnering directly with Kibbutz Kissufim is a very specific and impactful way to make a difference within an Israeli community directly affected by the war.”
In total, $18,044,717 of this year’s allocable funds went to local agencies, including $9,445,890 for human services and $8,568,827 for education. National agencies received $706,020, while community security received $1,500,000. The $12,894,592 for overseas was divided with $8,144,002 for JFNA and $4,750,590 for Cleveland Overseas Projects.
Hirsch expressed gratitude for the community continuously stepping up year after year to address the growing needs of the community and looks forward to the 2025
Community organizations receiving 2024-25 Federation campaign funds
• Jewish Family Service Association: $2,844,337
• Jewish Family Service Association - Older Adult Programs: $100,000
• Fund for the Jewish Future (Family): $2,136,054
• Mandel Jewish Community Center: $2,015,865
• Jewish Federation of Cleveland: $1,572,182
• Jewish Federation of Cleveland - Holocaust Survivor Needs: $200,000
• Jewish Education Center of Cleveland: $1,527,875
• Hebrew Academy of Cleveland: $1,366,893
• Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau: $1,295,543
• Fund for the Jewish Future (Campaign): $1,131,265
• Cleveland Hillel Foundation: $730,722
• Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School: $635,799
• Fuchs Mizrachi School: $625,415
• Gross Schechter Day School: $545,008
• Yeshiva Derech Hatorah: $360,596
• Hillel at Kent State University: $308,226
• Maltz Museum: $295,304
• Jewish Education Center - Akiva High School: $239,924
• Hebrew Shelter Home: $83,711
Source: Jewish Federation of Cleveland
campaign, which launches with a Super Sunday Kickoff on Sept. 8.
“Hopefully for this year’s campaign, which starts in September, we can not only stay the course, but raise even more because the needs are just going to continue to grow,” Hirsch said. “And that’s what we do, it’s what Jewish Cleveland does.”
Campaign for Jewish Needs chair seeks to increase donors
Cleveland Kesher
As Amir (Alan) Ja a looks to his time as campaign chair for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Campaign for Jewish Needs, he is focused on increasing the number of donors to address ever growing needs.
Selected for a two-year term, Ja a succeeds Beth Wain Brandon as he looks to lead the 2025 and 2026 campaigns which support local, national and overseas needs of the Jewish community.
“There are so many segments that the Federation is involved in such a big part of the community today,” Ja a told Cleveland Kesher. “I think the message of all the things that they do has to get out even more so, so that more people get involved. There’s no question about it that we need more unity today than ever before and I think the Federation can help play a part in that role.”
A resident of Beachwood and member of Congregation Zichron Chaim in University Heights, Ja a moved to the Cleveland area about 27 years ago. He first became familiar with the role of the Federation through seeing its relationship with the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, where his children and grandchildren have attended.
Soon enough, he became more involved with the Federation, serving on the board of trustees, as an o cer and various committees, from the audit committee and retirement fund committee to the COVID-19 committee.
Chairing the Federation’s annual campaign will not be his first go-around being involved in a multi-million dollar campaign as Ja a previously chaired the building committee for the Hebrew Academy’s Oakwood Campus. Under his leadership, the school raised more than $30 million from the community, on par with the Federation’s campaign which raised a record $36,355,013 last year. However, the timeline for the two campaigns di er from
several years to just three months, respectively.
“I think the Cleveland community as a whole in coming together and supporting one another has been phenomenal, and it’s a big part of why I took on this role,” Ja a said.
“Because I believe as I’ve been a resident here for 27, 28 years, I think a big part of what we all need to be doing is giving back. So, to a certain degree, this is a big part of my wanting to give back to the community via what the Federation has done.”
Given his own experience of learning more about the Federation through the Hebrew Academy, he sees outreach to the local synagogues and day schools as an important factor in his goal to reach more people with this year’s campaign. After all, the community sees the impact of the campaign most directly at the beneficiary agencies they are involved with, through seeing community security around Jewish institutions or continued services and programs.
After the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, last year’s campaign turned a focus to coming together in support as a concurrent Israel Emergency Campaign was launched and raised about $35 million by the time the annual campaign wrapped up. While Ja a said that the events in Israel are still on everyone’s mind, the annual campaign will continue to be important to meet needs overseas and locally.
“A big part of why we need to not only increase our donors and increase the amount of dollars that we need to raise is because we know already without a doubt that the dollars that are needed to support so many of the overseas initiatives that we’ve been supporting for years are only going to increase,” Ja a said. “And it’s not as if anything local is decreasing, needs all around the board are increasing.”
The 2025 Campaign for Jewish Needs will begin with a Super Sunday Kicko from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Federation’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Building at 25701 Science Park Drive in Beachwood.
Ja a
Marketing Mastery: Expert Insights & Strategies
7 helpful steps to building a future-proof website
Content provided by: Nachum “Nooch” Langsner
Creating a website that stands the test of time is essential in today’s dynamic digital landscape. Here’s how you can ensure your site remains effective and relevant:
WHY A FUTURE-PROOF WEBSITE IS WORTH CONSIDERING.
• It impacts your brand’s familiarity and identity
First and foremost, understand that periodically making significant changes to your business site can damage your brand identity. Doing so suggests that your business is not sure about itself, and that can a ect your brand cohesion and identity.
If you want your customers to become familiar with your business, you should avoid changing your website layout and design, among other things, within a short period.
• Yields a return on investment
A complete website overhaul every time a new technology becomes available is expensive. On the other hand, frequent technology updates require you to adapt if you want your enterprise to thrive.
That is a dilemma right there.
Yet, you cannot a ord to ignore it because it has a direct impact on your operations.
When something changes, you do not need a complete website overhaul if your site has a future-proof, responsive design and foundation. Such a web design can evolve over time to meet the best standards for user-friendly site design. Eventually, that cuts unnecessary expenses and yields ROI.
• Improves user experience
You will deal user experience a big miss if you constantly change di erent aspects of your business website.
Note that your customers and visitors tend to grow comfortable with your website design. They get used to a particular layout of your online platform. Taking away the visuals that
they are familiar with can push them away and sever any connection they have with your brand.
A future-proof website will be useful in this case because it can enhance user experience in some way.
HOW TO MAKE A FUTURE-PROOF WEBSITE
You don’t want to re-imagine your website every time technology changes completely. Here are a few tips on how you can futureproof it.
1. Focus on evergreen content
Anyone visiting your website should draw value from the content therein. If your site fails to do that, visitors will check other sites that provide the information they need.
For that reason, you should ensure that your website has evergreen content to remain relevant and o er the value that your audience is seeking. That means that you should refresh the content on your site often.
2. Prioritize user experience and speed
It is a priority to capture your audience’s and clients’ attention and encourage them to take action whenever they visit your website. Unfortunately, that is not achievable if your business site is not user-friendly. You must also appreciate that Google’s algorithmic evolutions focus on giving users the best experience possible.
Responsive design
Most individuals today use their mobile devices to access various websites. So, if your site does not have a responsive design, it will a ect the user experience.
The solution here is to ensure that your website is compatible with mobile devices by adopting a responsive design.
To wit, Google announced that as of July 6, 2024, if your site’s content is not accessible
Marketing Mastery: Expert Insights & Strategies
5. Consider Investing in premium hosting
with a mobile device, it will no longer be indexable. So, a mobile version of your site is a must if you want visibility.
Site speed
On the other hand, if your site is slow, users will opt out after a short time. In that case, sacrificing bells and whistles for speed may be a wise idea because it will ultimately improve the user experience.
Intuitive hierarchy
Consider creating an intuitive hierarchal flow for easy navigation to your website. Think of your site as a filing cabinet and design the hierarchy accordingly. This allows for easy additions to your website without redesigning the entire site and URL structures – a tedious and expensive proposition. To that end, adding a site map to your website is required to promote easy navigation as part of your enhanced user experience initiatives.
3. Simplify design and coding
The ability to make quick updates is paramount if you want your business site to be future-proof. When you overcomplicate your codebase, responding to your client’s changing demands within the shortest time possible becomes a challenge. Cracking code that is hard to understand takes time, and if you cannot provide prompt solutions, you may lose clients to competitors. Additionally, having lean code and plugins will help with the site’s load speed – an obvious benefit to your site users.
4. Use WordPress as your CMS
As one of the most popular platforms worldwide, WordPress is an ideal content management system that is versatile enough to help you build a range of digital experiences. Additionally, WordPress allows users to work with their online content without needing extensive coding knowledge. Indeed, entrepreneurs need a system for creating, posting, and updating their online content, and WordPress provides that. Using WordPress as a CMS will not only reduce expenses but also allow you to manage your content from a single platform.
In today’s world, speed is of the essence for any business using an online platform. Unfortunately, if your site is slow, you can unintentionally lose your customers to competitors. No individuals will be willing to visit your website, let alone stay on the platform, if speed is an issue. The solution here is to opt for a premium hosting service. Increasing your website’s speed is an approach that can help you attract and retain traffic.
6. Invest in SEO
Any business worth its salt needs a steady flow of relevant traffic to its website.
Technical SEO
Foundationally, your site should be built optimized for SEO with the tips we mentioned above, such as lean coding, intuitive design, and site architecture, etc.
On-Page optimization
But it’s just as important to constantly be adding valuable content to your site that has been optimized for SEO as well. On-page optimization techniques will help this new content get found and rank well by the search engines.
Backlink building
As a business, you should always be trying to improve and build your website’s backlink profile. Links are the fuel that powers your website, therefore, link building should be a core of your business interactions.
7. Budget for changes and updates
Sometimes, you need to make prompt decisions as an entrepreneur, depending on the situation. However, when making critical decisions about your business operations, you need to consider various factors before deciding on the best course of action. For instance, if you intend to overhaul your website, ensure your budget allows room for future updates and changes.
Nachum ‘Nooch’ Langsner is co-founder and chief marketing guru at LocalBizGuru.
School SPOTLIGHTS
CHAVIVA HIGH SCHOOL
Chaviva High School graduates fourth class
Chaviva High School graduated its fourth class on June 9. The school began the year at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights before relocating to the former Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood.
Content provided by Chaviva High School
Front from left, Chana Duno , Yona Wren and Naama Ireland. Back, Elianna Goldish, Talia Smith, Taly Landis, Shev Chafetz, Shirah Toron and Dahlia Shtern. | Submitted photo
School SPOTLIGHTS
Fuchs Mizrachi School
As a culminating activity, fourth graders went aboard the Goodtime III for a real-life experience to listen to and view some of the history they learned about this past year.
Content provided by Fuchs Mizrachi School
The Fuchs Mizrachi School class of 2024.
School SPOTLIGHTS
HEBREW ACADEMY OF CLEVELAND
Beis Chinuch Horav Dessler/Hebrew Academy kindergartener Zevy Miller receives his first siddur from Rabbi Simcha Dessler.
Kindergarteners at Hebrew Academy of Cleveland Yaakov Meir Finegold, left, and Eitan Simcha Reiss receive their first siddur.
Beis Chinuch Horav Dessler/Hebrew Academy of Cleveland eighth-grade graduating class.
Content provided by Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
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We’re committed to providing convenient access to quality well-woman healthcare matter where you live in Cuyahoga County, there’s a MetroHealth provider close to home.
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We’re committed to providing convenient access to quality well-woman healthcare. That means no matter where you live in Cuyahoga County, there’s a MetroHealth provider close to home.
We’re committed to providing convenient access to quality well-woman healthcare. That means no matter where you live in Cuyahoga County, there’s a MetroHealth provider close to home.
