SPRING 2021 PESACH ISSUE
Connecting our community
Welcome to the inaugural issue of your new Cleveland Kesher!
The Cleveland Orthodox community has experienced tremendous growth, and as our neighborhoods, schools, businesses and shuls continue to expand and thrive, our kesher remains strong. Cleveland Kesher’s goal is to keep the community up to date on happenings and opportunities within and throughout our community.
Whether you recently moved here, or you’ve lived here your entire life, we hope Cleveland Kesher will be your resource for seeking a specific business to patronize, a place to grab some food, some ideas for chol hamoed activities, or if you just want to read about some of the many reasons why our community is so vibrant and special.
Each quarterly issue will spotlight di erent
HOW TO REACH US
For questions about advertising, contact Yocheved Wylen at ywylen@clevelandkesher.com For questions about editorial coverage, email submissions@clevelandkesher.com
To request additional copies, email circulation@clevelandkesher.com
aspects of our community. From interviews with day camps, interesting features on local establishments and organizations, and advice on parenting, fitness and more, shared from some of our local experts, and all written by members of our thriving community.
Inside this issue, you will find:
• Ruchi Koval’s Pesach perspective
• What does camp look like this summer
• Exciting things happening within our schools
We hope you will enjoy this inaugural issue of Cleveland Kesher. We welcome your feedback. Let us know how we’re doing at submissions@clevelandkesher.com.
To inquire about advertising opportunities in upcoming issues of Cleveland Kesher, please send an email to Yocheved Wylen at ywylen@clevelandkesher.com.
And watch for our next issue coming this June. Until then, we hope you enjoy your new Cleveland Kesher!
this QR code with your
Congratulations on your first issue
- Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan, Vice Mayor Michele Weiss, City Council, and your friends at City Hall
Up Close with Ruchi
Pesach – never the same
Ruchi Koval
Pesach is coming.
I know, that strikes fear in the hearts of all self-respecting Jewish people women, but bear with me for a sec. Think of Pesach two years ago: regular sedarim, regular travel, regular normalcy.
Now think of Pesach last year. Lonely. Quiet. Isolating. And: NO CLEANING HELP. Last year, starting from the beginning of lockdown, I had terrible sciatica. I thought I would never stand erect again. From the beginning of lockdown (as soon as I found out my kids were going to be home from school for “at least five weeks” hahahaha) my back pain was so severe, it took weeks till I was back to normal.
And it was erev Pesach. Which means that I was lying on the couch, feeling like I was in labor (I wasn’t) while my kids cleaned the house for Pesach. That was not a situation I’d like to replicate any time soon.
This year feels a little more hopeful.
We know what we’re dealing with. We’re no longer wiping down our (many) Amazon boxes with Windex (for the record, I never did that) or thinking we have to wear gloves to the grocery store.
We know who has to quarantine, for when, and for how long. Many of us have gotten vaccinated or have antibodies. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
But in some cases, there are family members who have been lost to us, who will never join a Pesach Seder again. There are relatives whom we haven’t seen for a year or more, missing huge chunks of each other’s lives, Zoom and FaceTime notwithstanding. There are those of us with lingering symptoms, some inconvenient, others unnerving and frightening.
There are things we’ve learned that I hope will never change. Simchas don’t have to be huge and unaffordable to be meaningful. We can join a Zoom bris in Israel, whereas previously we would have missed it entirely. Some medical appointments should stay virtual forever. While I miss teaching in person, I love that women from
all over North America can join – and I plan on keeping that up. I wish more elderly people could have access to the technology that keeps us connected. How incredible would it be if home health aides for the elderly would incorporate FaceTime or Zoom with grandchildren? Maybe our community could create an initiative to provide iPads to the elderly to stave off some of the loneliness and isolation.
This Pesach, too, I’m thinking about freedom. How we’ve taken our freedoms for granted! The freedom to travel. To hug. To daven in shul without a mask. To have simchas here again without restrictions. To visit our elderly loved ones without fear. To breathe.
Will we ever go back to taking those for granted? How long will it take, in a post-Covid-19 world, to forget?
Pesach is a yom tov of remembrance. Remember! Remember that you were slaves, and Hashem took you out to make you free. It’s not just that we must remember the bad times, so that we’ll appreciate the good times, although that’s certainly an important part of the gratitude that Pesach represents. It’s also that we must remember who set us free. It didn’t happen by itself, nor in a vacuum. Our lives, too, are not haphazard. It’s all a setup, and we must pay close attention to how the story unfolds so we can understand it properly.
So if you have immunity, remember that Hashem set you free. And if you have been able to keep working, remember how precious that is. And if you can travel, hug, breathe, love, taste, smell, care – remember that it’s all a gift from Him.
Our experience of being strangers in a strange land didn’t just disappear from our national consciousness. It molded and shaped our identity, forever. So too, being traumatized by a global pandemic can’t just vanish once “Covid is over” (although I doubt it’ll go as quickly as it came). We must inhale that trauma and allow it to mold and form our new identities.
How can you just go back to normal after being through what we’ve been through? And even
though I personally experienced nothing worse than sciatica, and a relatively minor case of Covid, we’ve all seen the pictures and videos. We’ve all seen the ICU wards, glimpsed the ad hoc field hospitals, heard the labored breathing, listened to the stories of those alone in hospitals till the end, davened with long lists of cholim in our hands.
So how can we ever, really go “back to normal”? Is that even a goal? Just as each year we sit down to a Seder, and tell the story, in all its gory detail, maybe one day we will have a way to manage all the feelings this pandemic has stirred –the good, the bad and the ugly. We somehow need to ritualize what happened: the gratitude, the fear, the unknown, the grueling decision-making. We need to acknowledge the heroes of our community who made things happen when no one knew what was happening: doctors, nurses, teachers, principals, Bikur Cholim, Matan B’Sayser, Na’aleh and so many others. We need to create ritual around this deer-in-the-headlights feeling: what just happened?
But in the meantime, we’re still kind of in it. While this Pesach won’t be as rough as last year, it
Up Close with Ruchi
won’t be as blithely casual as the year before. So we’ll be cautiously optimistic, sit down at our tables with whomever we can be with, and give the due gratitude we now know can never be rote. We’ll sing for what is, and cry for what we’ve lost. We’ll celebrate where we can, and pray for next year’s celebration to compensate for where we can’t.
Next year in Yerushalayim.
Next year unmasked.
Next year, healthy and free.
Next year in person.
Next year together.
But never the same.
And that’s a good thing.
Ruchi Koval is the co-founder and director of the Jewish Family Experience. She is a certified parenting coach, educator, author, musician and motivational speaker. She lives in University Heights with her husband and seven children.
Our 20-acre Medina property includes open pastures for you to roam and visit our alpacas and their animal friends. We currently have 70 alpacas on our farm along with miniature donkeys, Nigerian dwarf goats, babydoll sheep, shetland sheep, highland miniature cows, kangaroos, llamas, miniature horses, miniature potbellied pigs and angora goats.
A unique interactive experience gets you up close and personal with the animals on the farm. Walk through the fields with our animals and let them eat from your hands!
To learn more about us and to book an appointment to visit the farm, please visit us on our website –www.majesticmeadowsalpacas.com
Farm & Boutique Hours: Daily: 10am – 6pm Individual rate for farm: $7.50 Kids 2 and under are free
Safety Electrical
Flipping a light switch. Plugging in a coffeemaker. Charging a laptop computer. These are second nature for most of us. Electricity makes our lives easier. However, we need to be cautious and keep safety in mind.
SAFETY TIPS
Have all electrical work done by a qualified electrician.
When you are buying or remodeling a home, have it inspected by a qualified inspector
Only use one heat-producing appliance (such as a coffee maker, toaster, space heater, etc.) plugged into a receptacle outlet at a time.
Major appliances (refrigerators, dryers, washers, stoves, air conditioners, etc.) should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. Extension cords and plug strips should not be used.
Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) shut off electricity when a dangerous condition occurs. Consider having them installed in your home. Use a qualified electrician.
Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to reduce the risk of shock. GFCIs shut off an electrical circuit when it becomes a shock hazard They should be installed inside the home in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and basements. All outdoor receptacles should be GFCI protected.
Test AFCIs and GFCIs once a month to make sure they are working properly
Check electrical cords to make sure they are not running across doorways or under carpets Extension cords are intended for temporary use Have a qualified electrician add more receptacle outlets so you don’t have to use extension cords.
Use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage on the lamp or fixture. There should be a sticker that indicates the maximum wattage light bulb to use.
Call a qualified electrician or your landlord if you have:
• Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers
• A tingling feeling when you touch a n electrical appliance
• D iscolored or warm wall outlets
• A burning or rubbery smell coming fr o m a n appliance
• Flickering or dimming lights
• Sparks from an outlet
Parenting
Preparing for Pesach - make it a family affair
Adina Soclof
Pesach is right around the corner and we’re wondering how are we going to get everything done. It can feel overwhelming. We don’t have to do it all ourselves. We can encourage our kids and spouses to help. Here are my top 12 tips to gaining cooperation from your family this Pesach:
1. Don’t take it personally. Your kids are not ignoring your pleas to help because they don’t care about you or how hard you work. They just really don’t like to clean.
2. Let your kids complain about all the work that they have to do and don’t want to do. They don’t have to like it; they just need to do it.
3. Have your pat phrases handy when your kids start to whine. For example, “In this family we all work together.” “Sometimes you do more and sometimes Sara does more, that’s how it works in families.”
4. Be kind. Always empathize. Not too many people like to clean and that, of course, includes kids. You can say, “Looks like you really aren’t in the mood for sweeping. You are wishing that this broom would work by itself ...”
5. Make a list of all the jobs that you need to get done and ask your kids to let you know what they would like to do and when they will be available to complete them. Kids don’t want to be at your beck and call all day.
6. Make it fun. For younger kids, beat the clock, pretending to be vacuum cleaners or garbage men, can do the trick. For older kids, putting on some music or listening to the ball game can help.
7. Don’t accuse. Avoid telling your kids they are irresponsible and lazy. It only reinforces a negative image of themselves. “If my parents think I am lazy and irresponsible, why should I even try to help out?”
8. Be positive. Don’t say, “We are never going to be ready for Pesach!” Be upbeat: “I know we are going to get everything that needs to get done, done. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
9. Have mini meetings. On the mornings leading up to Pesach, let everyone know what needs to be done and what their responsibilities will be. Even better, write it down.
10. Respect your child’s time. Always ask, “I will need help shlepping chairs this afternoon, will that fit into your schedule?” “We are going to clean out the drawers in the kitchen this afternoon, how does that work for you?”
11. Acknowledge your family’s contributions. “I appreciate all your help with the cooking.” Reinforce the ethic of teamwork, “This family really knows how to work together. We got this whole garage cleaned up!”
12. Be thankful for your family. Not only do you want to acknowledge your family’s contributions as you are getting ready for Passover, at the Seder take a minute to thank everyone and appreciate everyone’s help. “I am so looking forward to this Seder and the rest of yom tov. We all worked hard to get ready for yom tov and it shows. Daddy and I appreciate all of your efforts.”
And lastly, don’t just use these tips for your Pesach cleaning! You can help your kids help you all year-round!
Adina Soclof is a parent educator, professional development instructor, speech pathologist and founder of ParentingSimply.com
Gearing up for a summer of fun
Sarah Rudolph
As COVID-19 is still with us, parents and children may be wondering what to expect this summer from the robust day camp offerings the Cleveland community has come to love over the years. Conversations with the directors of three of those camps revealed a shared commitment to meeting children’s needs safely, whatever that turns out to require. Each stressed that they plan to open in person and will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local doctors – but they were naturally more excited to share their positive visions of their respective camps than to focus on the masks and temperature checks that will likely be part of the picture.
This summer – June 28 to Aug. 6th – will be the 40th summer for Hebrew Academy of Cleveland’s Camp S.T.E.P. (That’s Summer Torah Enrichment Program; give your kids a head start on camp trivia!) The director, Rabbi Hillel Drazin, is from Baltimore and has been with the camp for almost 20 years.
With hundreds of kids in four divisions and multiple facilities, Rabbi Drazin acknowledges there are a lot of logistics involved in running Camp S.T.E.P., such as scheduling days for both the girls and the boys to enjoy the pool at Yavne High School in Beachwood. He attributes the camp’s success largely to a committed, flexible staff. While busing between facilities was not possible last year due to COVID restrictions, Rabbi Drazin anticipates a return to that flexibility this summer.
One aspect of the camp that particularly came through in conversation with Rabbi Drazin is the emphasis on ruach and meeting the individual needs of each child. He spoke of the staff’s experience with children –Rabbi Drazin teaches fourth-grade boys –and their attention to different ages and personalities. The camp offers a variety of activities, including, but not limited to sports,
and a supervised game room for those who sometimes need an alternate activity. He also noted that although Camp S.T.E.P. is run under the auspices of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, the camp experience is very different from school even for HAC students, and campers come from other schools as well. The staff makes a point of accommodating everyone and making sure the kids play nicely together.
Rabbi Meshulum Yehuda Klugmann directs the all-boys CRC – Camp Ruach Cleveland, located at Taylor Road Synagogue. Originally from Passaic, N.J., Rabbi Klugmann became director of the camp formerly known as Camp CK in 2018. He is joined by Rabbi Nakdimen as head counselor, two division heads, and a staff of adult teachers and teen counselors he describes as geshmack. In fact, words like geshmak, leibodik, energy and ruach are sprinkled liberally throughout the conversation as Rabbi Klugmann’s enthusiasm for his camp comes through.
“There’s never a dull moment!”
In an apparent testament to the camp’s atmosphere, it was the campers who chose the name Camp Ruach Cleveland.
Asked about COVID precautions, Rabbi Klugmann, like the other directors interviewed, stressed the camp will follow whatever the CDC recommends at the time and will consult with a local doctor about any questions that arise. He is optimistic, however, that overall the camp will be able to run along pre-COVID lines – with its regular assortment of outdoor activities (sports and otherwise) at nearby Cain Park, indoor shows utilizing the Taylor Road Synagogue’s auditorium, learning, and more.
CRC will run from July 5th through August 6th and, like Camp S.T.E.P., plans to allow signing up by the week.
Camp Gan Israel (CGI) of Beachwood was founded in 2008 by Rabbi Shmuli and Rivky Friedman, co-directors; there was already a
CGI in Solon, where Rivky had worked for several years, but a need was identified to create a program in Beachwood. Camp Gan Israel is a well-known name across the world (named after Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov –more camp-name trivia!), and Rivky says the Beachwood branch weaves local creativity with international resources and networking to build a camp experience that is fun, nonjudgmental, and infuses a love for Hashem and Yiddishkeit into every aspect of the day. Parents appreciate the impact of the camp atmosphere, which aims to “nurture both body and soul” through a mix of fun, wholesome, Jewish-themed activities.
After only offering a virtual program last summer, CGI is looking forward to having kids back on site, though with some COVID changes already in place: camp will run from June 14 to Aug. 6 for kindergarten through fifth graders, with a counselor-in-training program for sixth to eighth graders, and registration is by two weeks instead of one
so as to reduce turnover in case of possible exposure. They will also run at a smaller capacity. In fact, registration was almost full at the time of our conversation! Like the other camps, CGI will consult with local doctors, including some who are parents and understand the issues that might arise in a camp setting.
Flexibility is the name of the game under COVID-19, and each camp director I spoke with expressed a commitment to doing whatever they have to do so kids can fully enjoy the camp experience many desperately need after a regular academic year and in particular under the extra stresses of COVID-19.
Sarah Rudolph is a Jewish educator and freelance writer. She lives in University Heights with her husband and four children.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Fitness myths busted the easy way
Chavie Cohen
Myth: I can’t work out at home because I don’t have the right space and equipment.
Fact: You need very little to get started. A set of fitness bands will work every muscle group and provide resistance for even the most fit athletes. As long as you have enough space to lie down and stand up, you can do a killer workout with just these bands. Another option, start with one or two sets of dumbbells, a heavier and lighter set, for your workouts. You don’t need a lot of space or expensive machines to work out at home.
Myth: I can’t seem to stay motivated. I’m just not one of those people.
Fact: Motivation is great to get started, but it’s not reliable. Motivation disappears when the work is no longer new and exciting. Don’t rely on motivation to keep you going. Instead, focus on your commitment. Think about setting realistic goals and commit to achieving those goals. When you’re too busy or too tired, refocus on your commitment and get it done.
Myth: I’m naturally thin so I don’t need to work out.
Fact: Fitness is not weight loss. Our bodies are designed for movement and our brains function best when we move our bodies regularly. Exercise can improve your mental health and mood, manage blood sugar and insulin levels, boost your immune system and improve your sleep. There are so many reasons to exercise and everyone, regardless of size and ability, can experience the health benefits of physical activity.
Myth: The best exercise to make my (insert body part) smaller is …
Fact: You can do specific exercises to
strengthen and potentially increase the size of certain muscle groups but you can’t use exercise to decrease the size of your (insert body part). If fat loss is your goal, your body will decide how it will release fat. Just as you can’t change your height or eye color, you don’t get to choose the shape of your body. Think about exercise as a tool to get stronger and improve your everyday activities; not as a method to burn calories and shrink yourself.
Myth: I’m out of luck because I don’t enjoy group classes or doing anything at the gym.
Fact: Many people attend group classes to provide structure and accountability to their workouts. But think of exercise as joyful movement, something you look forward to. Is it kickboxing, swimming, biking? Do you enjoy being with other people or do you prefer to be alone? Do you want to work out indoors or outside in nature? There are so many ways you can do this. Choose an activity that sparks joy and make it yours.
Myth: Taking a day off is lazy.
Fact: Rest days are essential for recovery and muscle growth. Regular rest is necessary to avoid overuse injuries and burnout. Rest will prevent fatigue and restore your energy. Make sure that rest days are included in your program.
Chavie Cohen is the founder of True Fitness and a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She can be reached at 216-225-8235 or trufitonline.com.
Ilana Wolfson, RDN
Food is Medicine
Services available include: One-on-one consultations for weight loss, healthy eating suggestions, meal planning, and meal preps For further information, please contact iwolfson691@gmail.com • 216-401-5012 Individualized
Complete and largest selection of Kosher foods in Ohio.
Enjoy our famous bakery goods made right here on our premises.
Largest selection of Kosher Wines in Ohio at the lowest prices, featuring Kedem Wines.
Incredible Pesach selection at the lowest prices in Ohio!
Grab the family and join us on Sun, April 25 for a run/walk to suppor t the Mandel JCC! Or compete in the 5K race.
Want to suppor t The J but aren’t ready to hit the pavement with ever yone yet? If you prefer, join us vir tually April 25-28.
Business Spotlight
MCandy-A-Plenty
Rivki Silver
any people can turn something they love into a successful business, and Gaylee Cweiber does just that with Candy-A-Plenty, where she creates customized and personalized hard candy treats.
After years of successfully running a small nonprofit whose mission she loved, Cweiber saw there was no room for advancement or variety, and she craved something where she could use her creative abilities. Her husband encouraged her to take o three months to decide what she really wanted to do.
She had dabbled with making lollipops in the past, and found herself returning to that.
“I just started going back into the kitchen and creating,” Cweiber said. “That’s where I was just happy and doing my creative thing.”
She came across the method of personalizing lollipops with images, and demand for her products grew.
“It wasn’t like I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to quit my job and become a lollipop maker.” Cweiber said. “I was able to ... let my creativity come through, which is what I really thrive on.”
Cweiber has been very creative indeed. CandyA-Plenty has over 130 products on its website, including paint-your-own lollipops, rattle lollipops, edible shot glasses, personalized mints, hard candy place cards and more. Everything is edible – the images, the paint, everything but the stick.
Candy-A-Plenty has supplied thousands of lollipops to camps, schools, simchos, and even to urgent care centers, for their younger patients. She ships to locations across North America, from the tri-state area to Oregon, Los Angeles to Florida, and to Canada, as well.
“Being an owner of a business, I am working harder than when I worked as an executive director,” Cweiber said. “I get calls at literally
all hours of the night, I get orders at all di erent times.”
Her busiest times are Purim and Chanukah, and her dedication to excellent customer service means pulling all-nighters during these peak times.
Candy-A-Plenty products are sweet, but they are sugar-free. Cweiber discovered many of her customers wanted to save their personalized treats, but the sugar would crystalize after about six weeks and the images would become distorted.
She did some research and found an ingredient called isomalt, a sweetener made from beet sugar, which is safe for diabetics and even helps prevent tooth decay. It also has an essentially indefinite shelf-life, so if stored under the right conditions, the sweets can really last forever.
In addition to being certified kosher under the OU, Candy-A-Plenty recently received the Tartikov hechsher under Rabbi Yechiel Babad, which makes Cweiber’s products accessible to many Chassidish communities.
Candy makers from all over the world have reached out to Cweiber for advice and tips, and she is generous with her time and expertise.
“The more people that are doing this (is) growing the field,” she said. “All of our creativity together helps each other out.”
Cweiber can see her business going wholesale or maybe even retail in the future.
“It’s been really great and I hope to keep growing and growing,” she said.
You can find Candy-A-Plenty at candyaplenty.com, on Instagram @candy_a_plenty and on Facebook @candyaplenty4U. You can reach Gaylee at 216-469-8400.
Rivki Silver is a musician, composer, teacher and writer. She lives in Cleveland Heights with her husband and five children.
Vocabulary
Retelling
Following
Writing a Paragraph
Articulation
Reading Comprehension
Listening Comprehension
Understanding Concepts
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Time for School CHAVIVA HIGH SCHOOL
In being asked to describe my teaching career at Chaviva High School, I could talk about the intellectual curiosity of my students, and how that has furthered and encouraged my growth as an educator. I could explain how my fellow talented, thoughtful faculty members engage daily with innovative, authentic teaching styles, or provide a myriad of examples of how each educator truly “knows” each student. I could reference the most deeply ingrained belief we Chaviva teachers hold: that every girl can achieve greatness, and that at Chaviva, “we can do hard things.”
I also know I would be remiss not to include a detailed explanation as to how our level of academic rigor plays a role in our curricula across the board, why we use IPBL (integrated project and problem-based learning) as a large portion of our peda-gogical style, or the authenticity and intellectual curiosity with
UPCOMING EVENTS
which our teachers and students face realworld challenges head-on.
I’ll suffice it to say that teaching at Chaviva has been both an honor and a privilege, and so instead of waxing on about how much the students and teachers love it here, I’ll leave you with our mission and vision statements, which speak for themselves: our goal is “to empower each student to cultivate a genuine relationship with Hashem, and become and educated, productive member of society.” Here at Chaviva, we accomplish this by providing “a loving and supportive environment in which each student can achieve success,” thus enabling “each student to discover her own inher-ent worth.” I feel blessed to have found Chaviva and I know my students feel the same.
Submitted by: Mrs. Ariella Landy, who teaches English at Chaviva High School.
Chaviva High School’s open house will be held April 11 for parents and students. Our IPBL community presentation, “Truth on Trial,” will be April 28. Applications are being accepted for the 2021-22 school year. Visit our website at www.chavivahighschool.org for more information about our academic program and our unique approach to girls’ education.
Time for School feature submitted by: Chaviva High School
Time for School Fuchs Mizrachi School
uchs Mizrachi School is celebrating it’s 36th anniversary. We are looking forward to celebrating our school – past, present and future at our 36th Anniversary Celebration on Lag Ba’omer, April 29. We will be honoring Yehuda Mitch and Laura Wolf, Morah Malkie Ginsburg and Rabbi Raffi and Rachel Glickman. Fuchs Mizrachi School prides itself on creating a school community committed to Torah and Mitzvot, Israel, excellence in general and Judaic studies, and developing future leaders.
Fuchs Mizrachi is currently taking applications for admissions for the 2021-22 school year. Our school nurtures children from 18 months through 12th grade. Our teachers create a warm and supportive environment for students to grow and thrive. Located in
Beachwood, our beautiful facilities feature tailored learning environments for our early childhood program through high school. To inquire, contact: admissions@fuchsmizrachi.org. We are also excited to be launching our brand new summer program, Machane Mizrachi, which is near full capacity!
The Fuchs Mizrachi Annual Golf Outing will be held this year, June 14 at Beechmont Country Club. This is a fabulous opportunity to support our school, network with other companies/businesses, and publicize your company/business within the Mizrachi community – and enjoy a beautiful day out on the course! For more information about the Golf Outing and Anniversary Celebration, reach out to Shira Teller at steller@fuchsmizrachi.org.
Time for School Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
Founded in 1943 by distinguished Roshei Yeshiva and visionaries who dared to dream, Beis Chinuch Horav Dessler/ Hebrew Academy of Cleveland has emerged from a basement fledgling school to a nationally renowned institution with a current enrollment of over 1,250 students and an alumni of 7,000. Academy alumni have pursued every field of accomplishment and many are leaders in their fields.
The Academy began its 78th year of existence with a plethora of resources and its leadership and staff have risen to the occasion by redefining the concept of caring throughout the current pandemic. Schools across the country, like Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, have invested much to implement COVID-19 guidelines which ensure the safety of staff and students.
Thanks to the generosity of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Academy successfully secured modular classrooms to alleviate overcrowding due to the astounding growth of the school in recent years. The Academy has invested and continues to invest enormous time, effort, finances and heart to maintain in-person school throughout the pandemic. The Academy serves over 1,400 lunches each day and provides over 650 food
boxes for its families every other week.
The Academy is a leader in educational innovation, enrichment and excellence. Programs like the voluntary early morning Mishnayos Cocoa Club, Night Seder, Yedios Klalios, Project BEAM (Be A Mentsch), Gedolim Fair, Parsha Challenge, Eretz Chemdah, Lamed Tes Melachos Fair, Bas Mitzvah Program, Hearts Ablaze Tefilah Initiative, Champion Challenge, Torah Chinese Auction, State Fairs, Wax Museum, and Invention Convention engage students and enhance the trademark Academy experience. Junior High mini courses enable students to explore their talents and shine.
The Academy looks ahead in anticipation of opening its magnificent new, state-of-theart facility for the coming school year. The facility, on the 92-acre Oakwood Campus, will be home to the Academy’s early childhood and Yeshiva Ketana divisions. They join kindergarten, the Academy’s school-based Kollel Ateres Nochum Zev, and the Yeshiva of Cleveland, rounding out the boys’ campus. The Academy will maintain its state-of-the-art Yavne High School building and will enhance its Taylor Road complex to further foster educational excellence.
Time for School feature submitted by: Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
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Looking Within Us
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Cleveland Chesed Center helps those in need
The Cleveland Chesed Center’s mission is to provide food, basic necessities and complementary programs with dignity and kindness in order to ease the financial burden on Jewish families and to improve their overall wellbeing. Its mission has become even more crucial over the past 12 months because of increased financial strain, and it has been open for business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic without any service interruptions, albeit on an adjusted service model. It hopes to be able to return safely to in-person shopping in the not-too-distant future.
While its main program provides monthly packages, including kosher chicken, meat, cheese, food staples and household necessities, it o ers many auxiliary programs throughout the year. This includes a weekly produce pickup, four annual distributions of new children’s clothing and school supplies, gently-used clothing and household items, Pesach food packages, as well as its annual subsidized Yom Tov clothing sale. Its programs meet the varied needs of individuals and families across the Jewish spectrum, ranging from una liated to families from all of the Orthodox Jewish day schools. Additionally, it has expanded its services to seniors in the community due to their increased isolation as a result of COVID-19.
The largest and fastest growing program o ered is our Pesach food distribution. This year, Cleveland Chesed Center expects to provide between 300 and 400 families in the community with generous packages of meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, hand matzos, grape juice, foil pans and other Pesach staples at no cost. This program is open to Chesed Center clients, Matan B’Sayser clients and day school Rebbeim in appreciation of their service to our community, as well as families referred by community Rabbonim. This program increases in scale by 30% to 40% each year.
Several years ago, Cleveland Chesed Center began the Maot Chitim of Cleveland project to provide Pesach food packages to families in the Greater Cleveland Jewish community who are not currently receiving assistance from the Cleveland Chesed Center. This program
provides an additional 250 to 300 Passover food packages, connecting these families with the Jewish community and its infrastructure, as well as assuring they have what they need to celebrate the holiday with dignity. Cleveland Chesed Center works in partnership with Jewish Family Service Association, local synagogues, the West-Tribe and others to register families for this program. While it missed many volunteer groups this year, Cleveland Chesed Center was excited to be able to work with Fuchs Mizrachi High School students to pack bags for distribution in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
After Pesach, Cleveland Chesed Center will pivot into fundraising mode, planning its sixth annual matching campaign, which is expected to take place June 6-7. For sponsorship opportunities or to join the campaign committee, contact Mrs. Friedman at info@clevelandchesedcenter.org.
Cleveland Chesed Center is actively recruiting community members who can act as ambassadors to spread the word about its services to their micro-communities. It is extremely important that everyone knows Cleveland Chesed Center is here to help, and needs educated, thoughtful community members to converse with others about its services in order to ensure the needs of their friends and neighbors are met.
HOW TO HELP
If you’re interested in learning more about the services Cleveland Chesed Center provides, how you can get involved, or how you or someone you care about can receive assistance, contact the o ce today at 216-932-3115 or o ce@clevelandchesedcenter.org.
You can also follow us, Cleveland Chesed Center, on Facebook @ facebook.com/ clevelandchesedcenter and at clevelandchesedcenter.org.
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