Cleveland Kesher, Summer 2021 by Cleveland Jewish Publication Company

SPRING 2021 PESACH ISSUE

Overwhelmed by your healthcare expenses?

YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

Take the Kleins, for example. Yossi and Sarah Klein live in Cleveland with their four beautiful children. Like many families in our community, the Kleins struggle to balance their day-to-day expenses together with tuition, mortgage, bills, and their healthcare expenses. And what are their healthcare expenses? A whopping $37,000 a year!

Sounds extreme? It may, but it’s also incredibly common. Healthcare expenses and tuition costs are typically a Jewish family’s greatest financial pressures. And compromising on your family’s health - well, that’s just non-negotiable.

That’s where United Refuah HealthShare comes in. As the

first and only Jewish health sharing organization, United Refuah’s mission is to provide the Jewish community with an affordable healthcare option. That means United Refuah members slash their healthcare expenses - often by as much as ten or twenty thousand dollars a year!

Before we explain “Health-Sharing 101,” let us say one thing: the real secret to United Refuah’s success is the fact that it’s a nonprofit organization. United Refuah was founded to meet a pressing need within the Jewish community. Since its inception, it has remained true to its original mission: providing the Jewish community with an effective and affordable way to manage its healthcare expenses. Members’ costs are so low because there is no unnecessary overhead to cover and no investors at the top collecting profit.

our members access to the healthcare they deserve.”

So, how does health sharing actually work? We’ve broken it down below.

“It’s an honor to be a part of this mission,” says Moishe Katz, United Refuah’s National Director. “There’s a very real sense of being able to provide for the klal savings of tens of millions of dollars, and get

this mission,”

The United Refuah sharing infrastructure is based on the monthly sharing contributions of thousands of members from 27 states across the country. United Refuah members make low monthly contributions to their ShareFund based on their family size. When a member encounters a healthcare expense, the funds in their ShareFund are first accessed to pay for those expenses. If the member does not have sufficient funds in their own ShareBox, the healthcare costs are shared between other members, resulting in dramatically lower healthcare costs and dramatically higher satisfaction rates. So, not only do members save as much as tens of thousands of dollars a year, their monthly payments are directly helping other Jewish members with their healthcare expenses. In addition, sharing requests are processed as quickly as the same day they are received!

United Refuah members are able to save an incredible amount on their annual expenses, without having to compromise on their quality of care.

“I joined United Refuah over two years ago, and have been completely happy with my decision,” says author Victoria Dwek. “I wholeheartedly recommend it.”

Remember the Kleins from the beginning of this article? They’re the family who spent $37,000 a year on their healthcare expenses. This year, they signed up for United Refuah’s family health sharing program.

“I joined United Refuah over two years ago, and have been completely happy with my decision,” says author Victoria Dwek. “I wholeheartedly recommend it.”

Remember the Kleins from the beginning of this article?

They’re the family who spent $37,000 a year on their healthcare expenses. This year, they signed up for United Refuah’s family health sharing program.

Let’s take a look at their healthcare expenses.

As a family of 6, the Kleins contribute $499 per month to their United Refuah ShareFund.

When a member encounters a medical expense - say, the Kleins’ daughter broke her leg - the expense is split amongst United Refuah members. If the Kleins have met their pre-share, United Refuah members share 80%

of the total cost, and the Kleins pay 20% of the total cost.

If the Kleins were to, Heaven Forbid, hit their co-share maximum of $8,000 United Refuah would then facilitate the sharing of 100% of additional eligible medical expenses (up to $1,000,000.00 per incident).

By the way, United Refuah members are not limited to “in-network providers,” so the Kleins were able to use the doctor and hospital of their choice with generous reimbursement limits.

So, whatever your healthcare needs are - United Refuah might just be the right fit for you.

Got questions? United Refuah’s team is on standby, ready to help. And no worrying about wait times or annoying hold music - their

team’s average phone answer time is just 20 seconds.

CallUnited Refuah Today at 440.772.0700 or Visit UnitedRefuah.org.

United Refuah empowers the Jewish community nationwide to make healthcare affordable through sharing. United Refuah is not an insurance company, and does not offer insurance. Sharing is subject to Sharing Guidelines.

HOW TO REACH US

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Up Close with Ruchi The Castle Hill effect

Ruchi Koval

“Castle Hill’’ were the magical words of my childhood. For years, my family and I rented a small bungalow in what we called a “bungalow colony” in the Catskill Mountains in New York State – one colony of many populated by frum Jews living in the city (this included Brooklyn and Queens) and seeking to escape to, literally, greener pastures.

All winter long I dreamed of Castle Hill. There, we swam every day in the freezing cold pool, chattering and shivering as the sun began to set. There, we barbecued every Sunday, when all the dads, who joined us for Shabbos and headed back to city life for the workweek, could grill us their famous hot dogs and burgers, along with cold fizzy drinks and drippy watermelon, cut into huge chunks.

There, we learned to ride bikes, along with the cuts and scrapes that accompanied the rite of passage called “time-to-take-off-the-trainingwheels!” There, my uncles played endless games of backgammon and played guitar while my aunts and mother chatted and needlepointed, while us kids ran around with abandon.

Castle Hill had a castle. I have no idea what this castle was for. Google is keeping its secrets. As kids, we made up story after story of princes and princesses, of haunted places and scary spirits. The colony used the castle as its sort-of main house, where the counselors of our day camp slept (I guess they weren’t spooked) and where you could buy ice cream and treats in a little snack bar. At some point the castle was condemned by the board of health, or some such agency, its windows boarded up and its stairways roped off.

Every now and then, the trucks would roll up. There was “Mom’s Kosher Knishes From Woodbourne!” as the driver would holler over his megaphone, over and over on repeat. There was Murray’s “sock truck,” which would appear selling socks, toys, and all kinds of novelty items. Also: yarmulkes, challah covers, nose plugs and long skirts. But mostly, we lived a pretty simple life at Castle Hill. Dinners without the dads were kid-friendly affairs taken outdoors, with lots of grilled cheese sandwiches, which we were only too thrilled to enjoy.

But Shabbos at Castle Hill was special. On Friday, we’d clean up real nice. Everyone came out of their bungalows on Friday afternoon all sparkly with damp hair and shiny eyes. The Tatties were home. Our tiny bungalows were transformed into ballrooms for Shabbos. We’d have our aunts, uncles and cousins over for Shabbos meals, dining like kings in the simple spaces. Since Shabbos was late, and I was young, I’d be sent off to bed which was literally one room over from the dining room, drifting off to dreamland to the comforting sounds of Shabbos chatter so close by.

And then, the September when I was 6 years old, my father died. We had just gotten back from Castle Hill a short while before. Little did I know it would be the last summer of Castle Hill with my father. And the next summer, my mother was preparing for her second marriage to my stepfather, a man from Cincinnati who had come to Cleveland to learn at Telshe Yeshiva and later attended medical school here. We would be moving to Cleveland. There would be no more Castle Hill.

I tried to get back to this near-mythical land of my childhood many times. My aunts, uncles and cousins still went, and I used any opportunity to be there, to drink in those halcyon, uncomplicated days. But the older I got the less entrancing it seemed, the smaller the bungalows, the more run down it all appeared.

Can we ever go back in time?

Every year as summer approaches I think of the days of Castle Hill. I’ve always wanted to give my children the summers I had as a kid, and in a way, raising them here in Cleveland, in suburban, safe, green spaces, is doing just that. But as nostalgia would have it, it’s not the same.

The older we get, the less halcyon life seems. It’s hard to think that today’s bumps and scrapes will be tomorrow’s nostalgia, but I already know this to be true. Today, as summer approaches, I am consumed with the trauma of COVID-19, of Meron, of the war in Israel raging even as I type these words. I am sad, scared, and helpless. Can today’s complex moments really be tomorrow’s fond memories? I can’t even look at photos of people in masks without feeling that familiar pit

in my stomach and welling of tears in my eyes.

The year we’ve been through has been hellish on a number of levels. Never in my life have I experienced the fear of the unknown as I have in the past 14 months. It’s very possible that 24hour access to digital information exacerbates that – I’ll own it – but it’s objectively been an unprecedented ride for those of us who have not lived through wartime. One memory: I am in my bedroom, talking on the phone with my sisterin-law, as she describes to me her real, raw fear that my brother-in-law will not survive the day. And yet.

I am nostalgic, already, about the beginning of Covid, when we davened together every Shabbos morning because shuls were universally closed, bar none. We reminisce, this soon, about the delight of going out to pick up a prescription, because you were “going somewhere,” not to mention the joy of being selected to take out the trash. And, concomitantly, I think we all have posttraumatic stress from the low times. The fear, the tears, the losses, the dread.

Summer is coming again, and the Castle Hill of my youth is forty years in the past. It’s

Up Close with Ruchi

mixed up with the death of my father and my abbreviated time in that burnished bubble. The Year From Gehenom is barely a year old. The good memories and the bad, they’re all mixed up together. I wonder if my mother remembers Castle Hill the way I do. And I wonder how my children will remember COVID.

No one knows. Time has a way of shaping perceptions into something that takes on a life of its own. But one thing is for sure: perspective, my friends. Gam zeh yaavor. This too, shall pass. It always does; it always will. And maybe, just maybe, it will even take on a certain halcyon sheen one day.

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.

Community News

The Grove Kosher Market comes to Cleveland

Alexandra Fleksher

The Orthodox community in Cleveland is growing by leaps and bounds, and now the community will be home to a new 40,000-square foot kosher grocery store.

When the highly-anticipated Grove Kosher Market opens in July in South Euclid, it will provide convenient one-stop-shopping. The Grove is in the process of receiving kosher certification from Cleveland Kosher.

Shoppers will be able to choose from produce, frozen, dairy (including a variety of Cholov Yisroel products), meat, chicken, deli, fish, pizza, sushi, bakery, hot foods and takeout prepared foods. In addition, there will be a full line of ready-to-eat options.

The store features multiple commercial kitchens in which all the take-out and ready-toeat food is prepared fresh. Nothing is shipped in from other locations. There will be options to make customers’ Shabbos and weekday meals easy. Mains include pulled BBQ beef, lemon pepper chicken, schnitzel, cholent, and sides include roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, kugels, egg rolls. The grab-and-go section will offer fresh salads, sandwiches, wraps, meat and chicken dishes, dairy dishes and kugels. And there will be an expresso and smoothie bar.

The Kosher Grove Market has four locations in Florida – in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Hollywood and Surfside, and one in Southfield, Michigan.

“We had been looking at the Cleveland market for the past five years and we were ready to expand the brand into another city in the Midwest,” explains Rachel Yudewitz, COO of The Grove Kosher Market in South Florida. “We knew there was a big demand for a one-stop shopping experience and the right opportunity presented itself, to the benefit of the greater Cleveland community.”

Most people know where The Grove will be located: in the grey stucco – it used to be purple when Seasons was coming to town –stand-alone building on Warrensville Center

Road in Oakwood Commons. Seasons declared bankruptcy in 2018. Shlomo Goldman, the owner of The Grove, seized the opportunity and purchased the unfinished building in March 2020 for $2 million. The property in South Euclid includes a 2.5-acre plot with a 40-space parking lot.

Yudewitz said she is looking forward to serving the Cleveland community and expects to receive a warm reception. “Just like with our location in Detroit, the courteous and friendly customers are a pleasure to serve,” Yudewitz remarked.

“The Grove provides a state-of-the-art kosher shopping experience,” Yudewitz said, “and the warm and knowledgeable staff is ready to assist with everything from food and wine recommendations to catering menus. “

“When we consider opening a branch in a new city, we look for a large or growing Jewish community that desires a state-of-theart kosher shopping experience where they can get everything they need, from comfort food that reminds them of home to Shabbos candles and so much more,” Yudewitz said. “We are really excited to bring The Grove, and our incredible food, products and general vibe, to the community.”

The Grove Kosher Market is at 1930 Warrensville Center Road and is expected to be open Sunday through Friday, with closure for Shabbos taking place about two hours before Shabbos begins.

Alexandra Fleksher is an educator and published writer on Jewish contemporary issues. She resides in University Heights with her husband and five children.

A Dose of Inspiration

An awesome time and an awesome Place

Rabbi Nissim Abrin

In the coming months, we will mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, and then observe the “Yomim Noraim.” In an effort to make these daysmore meaningful, let’s take a few moments to reflect upon the concept of “Nora,” awesome.

The words awe and fear are sometimes used interchangeably, especially when translating the Hebrew word “Yirah”. However, that rendering is inaccurate, because awe and fear are not the same thing. Awe is a feeling of admiration, drawn from encountering something awesome, that motivates and stimulates a sense of responsibility. Fear is a feeling of anxiety, that paralyzes a person who feels threatened. Vis-a-vis G-d, for example, a person can dread and fear G-dAlmighty, but on the highest level He is awesome and revered, which contrary to anxiety and dread, is both alluring and inspiring.

To truly revere G-d is challenging, because He is by definition infinite and abstract. However, there are tangible channels through which we can experience divine awe. One example is what Rabbi Akiva taught, that the mandate to revere G-d includes an obligation to revere Torah Scholars (Pesachim 22b). Torah Scholars are amazing people, who host and project the Divine Presence, through a lifetime of self-sacrifice and devotion.

We don’t revere the scholar himself, but the divine light that shines through him. Please allow me to share a personal reflection on the topic. My Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Avrohom Chaim Levine, “ZT’L,” inspired awe and reverence in all those who encountered him; he was a true “reverend” if you will.

A few months before the Rosh Yeshiva’s

passing, my wife and I had the privilege to visit him, while on a trip to Chicago. While the Rosh Yeshiva’s declining health precluded any dialogue, we will never forget the wave of admiration and aspiration that washed over us, just from sitting in his company. He was so awesome, that we felt a charge to uphold his lofty standard of Torah regality, all without his uttering a word.

The Beis HaMikdash was perhaps the greatest projector of divine awe, as King David said (Psalms 68:36): “G-d is revered through His Sanctuary.” Those who visited the Beis HaMikdash, and observed the mandate to revere the Sanctuary (Leviticus 26:2), experienced awe and admiration not of the structure, but of G-d (Yevamos 6b). When we mourn the absence of the Beis HaMikdash, we bemoan not just the loss of Divine Presence, but also our inability to access the channel to divine reverence.

Upon the completion of the period of mourning,we turn our attention to the High Holy Days, which our Sages referred to as “Yomim Noraim,” Days of Awe. What the Beis HaMikdash is to space, the Yomim HaNoraim is to time. G-d’s majesty is palpable during the Days of Awe, and his grandeur more accessible.

Our mourning during the months of Tammuz and Av enhances our ability to perceive G-d’s awesomeness, and is the perfect preparation for the months of Elul and Tishrei. May we be blessed with an awesome summer, and an awesome new year!

Rabbi Nissim Abrin is the Rav of Bais Avrohom in Beachwood.

Focus on Finance

Securing your financial future

Submitted by: Matt Slain

o you need to be well o to work with a ﬁnancial professional? When is the best time to start?

There’s no one size ﬁts all approach to planning, regardless of your stage in life. Being proactive provides peace of mind knowing where you stand in relation to your goals or concerns. “Well o ” is subjective. Don’t get bogged down on what your neighbors or loved ones are doing, this process needs to be solely focused on you and your family.

What is the best way to use wedding money? Should you invest? Should you save? Should you Spend?

All three are good options (spending being the most fun), but every situation is unique. The first step in professional planning is having a conversation that identifies a client’s timeline (house, family, business, etc.), financial expectations and concerns. Asking the right questions, divulges these answers which will allow for a plan that incorporates multiple strategies.

How do you know how much, if any, debt is safe to incur?

The important thing is to identify good debt vs. bad debt. Good debt should ideally be in low amounts, low cost, help you achieve your ﬁnancial goals, and have potential tax advantages (mortgage, student loan). Try to minimize or avoid bad debt that is high cost and isn’t tax friendly (credit cards, payday loans).

How does a frum family make a budget?

It’s not the job of a ﬁnancial professional to tell you what you should spend your money on. As much as it might sting, be proactive and budget track. Every home is di erent and taking into account certain months are more expensive than others (i.e. during Yom Tov) give yourself a several month picture before making a determination. Doing nothing and

hoping that it all works out seldom leads to good results. Hope is a great thing, but it is not a ﬁnancial strategy.

How would you advise someone navigating income disruptions such as, emergency house repairs, medical bills, job loss, etc.?

Protection is the most important component to all financial planning. There are certain things in life that you can’t go back and fix if not done right the first time. Safeguarding your financial plan from the unknown should be amongst the first topics discussed and always addressed at an annual review.

What recommendations would you give someone on how to plan and save for upcoming events when living on a tight budget?

Make sure you understand the rationale behind how your ﬁnances are organized. I’ve seen people save for retirement with great diligence but at the expense of short- and mid-term goals. Ideally, all your goals, within their timeline, should be purposely addressed.

How does one learn to build wealth at di erent stages of life?

There is a misconception that collecting assets is the same things as building wealth. In order to build wealth, you should protect against wealth eroding factors (taxes, inflation, market fluctuation, creditors, etc.). A person’s greatest financial instrument is their ability to make money. Once the money is made, you want to make sure that the plan you have is focused on building wealth, not simply accumulating assets.

Matt Slain is a ﬁnancial services certiﬁed professional® (FSCP®) at XXI Financial.

SUSHI MENU

Garden Roll

Carrot, avocado, cucumber

Ohio Roll

Sweet potato, fried onions and avocado

California Roll

Kani, avocado and cucumber

Alaska Roll Salmon, avocado and cucumber

Manhattan Roll

Cooked salmon, avocado topped with crispy onions, spicy mayo and sweet sauce

(Partial list)

Fire Dragon Roll

Spicy tuna, avocado, fried onions, topped with avocado, jalapeno, spicy mayo, sriracha and sweet chili

Fancy Crunchy

Onion Roll

Salmon, avocado, topped with spicy kani, fried onions, spicy mayo and crispy onions

Rainbow Roll

Kani, avocado, cucumber, topped with tuna, salmon and avocado

“That’s How Ben” Rolls

Spicy kani, avocado, fried onions, topped with avocado, pepper crusted seared tuna and sweet sauce

Green Dragon Roll

Carrot, avocado, cucumber, fried onion, topped with avocado and spicy mayo

Fancy Crunchy

Onion Roll

Salmon, avocado, topped with spicy kani, fried onions, spicy mayo and crispy onions

COMEDY CONNECTION

Special to Cleveland Kesher

Submitted by: Irv Tavshilin

Greetings fellow Northeast Ohioans!

Clevelanders sure like to feel proud of their hometown. The other day, someone said to me, “Did you know the ﬁrst tra c light in the USA was right here on Euclid and East 105th Street back in 1914? He was beaming with pride and I found that amusing. Personally, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the angry motorists who had their life turned upside down by this new inconvenience.

“Honey, I’m sorry I’m late, I got stuck at that silly three-colored tra c thing again!”

On the other hand, it must’ve been exciting for the local police department which, all of a sudden, had a new way to generate muchneeded revenue for the city. Think about all those police cars hiding along East 105th Street, excitedly waiting for one of those souped up Model T speed demons to come “barreling” through a yellow light just as it turned red. Cha-ching!

Another 12 cents in the city’s co ers! Can you imagine trying to ﬁght that ticket in court? You really don’t have a very good excuse when the top speed of those cars was 2.7 miles per hour, do you? Speaking of tra c lights, am I the only one that goes crazy when trying to log on to a website and the screen asks you to “click on all pictures with a tra c light”?

I know I’m probably overthinking this, but I dread sitting there, debating to myself “Wait, do they mean just the light? I see some boxes have the pole leading up to the light. And, one box has just the itty bitty corner of a light. Does that count? Aaaargh!” (Gives up and exits website) I hate those.

Anyway, back to those police o cers. Here’s a little fun fact for you. Did you know that back then police o cers were called “constables”? Constables sound a lot like an exotic vegetable my grandmother might have used in her chicken soup (“Grandma! These constables are so light and ﬂu y!”) Yessiree! It was a di erent world back then.

Back in 1914, ketchup was still called

catsup (which sounds awful) and it came in glass bottles which made it nearly impossible to access. Honestly, you don’t have to go all the way back to 1914. If you’re 40 or older, you remember those and you know what I’m talking about. You needed an advanced college degree in physical science and structural engineering just to ﬁgure out how to get the ketchup out of the bottle. It seemed simple enough, sure.

You would hold the bottle upside down and repeatedly pat the bottom of the glass with the palm of your hand. When that proved futile in dislodging the red river of goop, you would shake the bottle vigorously for 30 seconds or until your wrist fell o , whichever came first. Nothing doing. Feeling desperate, you channeled your creative genius and stuck a knife deep into the abyss, hoping that might do the trick. Boooom! The ketchup exploded out of the bottle and came roaring down all over your french fries, completely engulfing them like Mount Vesuvius in all it’s glory. Frankly, there was nothing more disheartening than being completely defeated and humbled by a 16-ounce glass bottle. Ah yes, the good old days, indeed. I wonder if the first plastic, squeezable ketchup bottle was invented in Cleveland. Who knows? Now that would be an achievement to be proud of!

Mevaser Musings

Irv Tavshilin is a Northeast Ohio historian who has an irrational fear of checking o boxes with tra c lights. His favorite food is steaming hot constables with catsup. Connect with him at irvtavshilin@gmail.com.

Time to Organize

From chaos to calm: 5 root causes of clutter

Submitted by: Adina Forouzan

s this you? You tried to get organized, but no matter how hard you try, you just can’t stay organized.

You may even be a “naturally organized” type, but something is not adding up. My “free spirited” creative friends, it’s not your fault either.

Maybe you need storage bins, right? Wrong. That didn’t help either.

Buying workout clothes for the gym and hoping to instantly lose five pounds doesn’t work either.

In my years of experience and research as a professional organizer, I noticed there are recurring themes in why people struggle to stay organized.

The problem is when we try to organize outside of ourselves – just the physical environment, instead of looking within ourselves to find the root cause of the problem.

When you understand what causes clutter in the first place, you are more likely to tame the chaos by being proactive. Using my acronym “CHAOS” let’s identify the five root causes of clutter.

Constantly shopping

People who are constantly shopping are only adding to their clutter.

Be proactive. Don’t buy on impulse.

Ask yourself, “Do I have something similar that can serve the same purpose?”

“Do I truly love this item or is it an impulse buy?”

The more you buy, the more maintenance things require, only adding to the disorganization.

Holding on

The rule of thumb is to keep what you use, love, or serves a purpose.

If you tried to get organized and struggle to let go of things, it is usually because of something emotional in the way. There are many reasons you may be holding on.

You are either “holding on” because of

sentimental value, perceived value, fear of “what if you are going to need it one day,” generational trauma (think: hoarding tendencies of refugee grandparents), or good intentions, like, “I will use it ... one day!”

Realize it’s not the item you’re attached to, it’s the memory and emotional connection.

Focus on the gain not the loss. You gain space, time, energy, confidence, money, creativity, and more!

Attitude

Our attitudes and thoughts can prevent us from getting organized. “What’s the point? My kids make it impossible to be organized,” or “I’m a pack rat!” Start by taking responsibility and adapting a growth mindset. By committing to the change to get more organized, amazing opportunities will come your way to make it happen.

Out of Order

Is something “out of order” or broken? A rod in a closet that fell down, or a drawer that does not open easily, is a leading source of clutter. Make sure you fix what is broken, otherwise you are either delaying the organizing progress by creating more steps, or just structurally cannot get organized due to the broken instrument used for organizing.

Schedules

Time and proper scheduling is crucial to maintain organization. The average American spends two hours a week looking for things due to clutter. If you have time to look, get proactive and find time to organize.

Adina Forouzan is a professional luxury home organizer serving the Cleveland area. For more organizing solutions and tips, follow her on Instagram @mastermyspace.

Business Spotlight

LocalBizGuru

Sarah Rudolph

Cleveland enjoys increasing numbers of small local businesses, including many that began as home-based passion projects. Getting the word out, though, can be a challenge for those without marketing experience.

After all, a person can be the best baker or seamstress – or dentist or lawyer or anything else –in the neighborhood, but if they don’t know how to tell people they’re there, no one will ever beneﬁt from what they have to o er. Especially in today’s digital world, a business’s ranking in online search results for “X near me” can make all the di erence.

That’s where companies like LocalBizGuru come in. Founded in August 2016 by Aaron Garfunkel and Nachum Langsner, LocalBizGuru started primarily with helping local brick-and-mortar establishments get found. As the company grew, they have expanded to become a full-service digital marketing ﬁrm, o ering branding, website design and development, and more.

Garfunkel, LocalBizGuru’s chief business development guru, is originally from Savannah, Ga., and was drawn to Cleveland after several visits with friends here – one of which involved his rescue from a breakdown on Interstate 80 in one of Chaverim’s very ﬁrst calls. He liked Cleveland’s community feeling and decided to relocate. He and Langsner, chief marketing guru, were neighbors, friends, and coworkers, and when they started their company, Garfunkel relates that “We decided from the beginning that we have to be more than business partners; we’re chavrusas, too.”

In my conversation with Garfunkel, I quickly got the sense that he and his partner/chavrusa treat their clients with that same personal touch – as more than just business clients.

“What sets our company apart is our ability to explain these concepts to a business owner,” he said. “People can pay for services with no idea what they’re paying for, like snake oil, but we give peace of mind and go through the process and explain how we’ll improve their online health.”

“Online health,” I learned, includes a number of

tools that can improve a company’s ranking in a list of search results; SEO (search engine optimization) is perhaps one of the more familiar terms, but that’s far from all there is to it – and SEO can be complex, too. The company also helps with social media, paid advertisements and more.

Despite how much there is to know, and the fact that things change all the time – Langsner budgets daily research time to keep up with the latest trends – Garfunkel stressed that “there are no secrets in this business.” Anyone could read up on digital marketing and become an expert.

LocalBizGuru has always stressed education and maintains an active blog that shares strategies business owners could study and implement themselves. Most, however, would rather leave that research and implementation to the pros – or gurus and focus on their own products or services.

Why emphasize educated people who are unlikely to utilize that knowledge themselves? “Knowledge, transparency, and results are core to us.” Garfunkel, whose background is in sales, enjoys talking to prospective clients and, like any good educator, says he aims for the “aha” moment –when the person he’s talking to really gets it.

With an online company, it can be hard to connect with the people behind the website. But from their morning chavrusa to client meetings (pre-COVID-19 at least) to educational seminars, the people behind LocalBizGuru are all about connection. Their model of open communication isn’t just good middos; it creates trust that has built them a loyal customer base. They continue to add solutions to their business, such as accessibility options, and they’ll be happy to explain what any of that means.

You can reach LocalBizGuru at 216-202-3386, Getfound@localbizguru.com, or Localbizguru.com.

Sarah Rudolph is a Jewish educator and freelance writer. She lives in University Heights with her husband and four children.

Time for School CHAVIVA HIGH SCHOOL

“There is no truth. There is only perception.”

With these two sentences, the students of Chaviva High School launched into a lively debate about the nature of absolute truth. In a world where we are bombarded by facts and opinions on a constant basis, the ability to recognize how perception plays a role in determining truth is critical to the development of today’s students.

This year, Chaviva chose to focus on this topic in our annual integrated project-based learning unit. Integrated project-based learning (IPBL) engages students in relevant topics and requires them to learn by way of research and creative assignments in collaboration with their peers across curricular lines. IPBL requires critical thinking, curiosity, and deep thought.

All project-based learning begins with an essential question, one that does not have a clearly defined right or wrong answer. Students cannot memorize facts and figures to answer the essential question, and instead must take time to delve into a variety of topics and work collaboratively to formulate their own unique responses based upon inquiry and research.

Our essential question this year was, “How does perception shape or alter truth, and should it?”

For over three months students investigated different aspects of truth and perception, including topics such as false advertising, media bias, cultural norms, social media’s filtered realities, daas Torah and halacha, and data analysis. Students worked in groups to create meaningful projects reflecting on what they had learned and discovered.

Our IPBL unit culminated in a public presentation to parents and the community titled “Truth on Trial,” in which students shared their experiences, presented their perspectives, and displayed their creativity. The Chaviva students demonstrated maturity and professionalism far beyond their years, and it was clear that they felt a deep sense of pride and accomplishment in their work.

Chaviva held its graduation for its first class on June 13 with five graduating seniors.

To find out more about Chaviva High School, visit chavivahighschool.org.

Time for School content provided by Chaviva High School

Time for School FUCHS MIZRACHI SCHOOL

uchs Mizrachi School celebrated it’s 36th anniversary at the end of April on Lag B’Omer! With over 300 attendees at the Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre, we celebrated Fuchs Mizrachi’s past, present and future.

We honored 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.

We are gearing up for Machane Mizrachi – our new summer camp for children entering Pre-nursery, Nursery and Pre-K. We’re excited

for a summer of play and fun!

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’d like to wish our graduating class of 2021 a big mazal tov on their graduation! We are so proud of each of our graduates and wish them much success for the future.

Time for School HEBREW ACADEMY OF CLEVELAND

Beis Chinuch Horav Dessler / Hebrew Academy of Cleveland celebrates the successful completion of an amazing school year. Despite the myriad challenges brought by the pandemic, the Academy engaged its students with scores of inspiring programs and initiatives. Most recently:

In the elementary school, Yedios Klalios chidons, Tefilah initiatives, Bas Mitzvah finale, grand siyumim, Ohio State Fair, Wax Museum, Island Project and more. In the boys Junior High: Kedushas Beis Knesses and Masmidei HaSiyum in memory of the Kedoshei Meron, Ashreichem and PBL Evening of Inspiration. Yavne High School hosted a fabulous Shabbaton, its pre-Shavuos Leil Iyun, Junior High Yom Iyun, annual STEM Fair, the Chidon Champion Challenge focusing on the unique mission of nashim, women. They also visited the Baltimore Bais Yaakov Exhibit.

Yavne High School’s Graduation recognizes not only valedictorians and salutatorians, but also an amazing group of students who have demonstrated academic excellence and taken full advantage of college course offerings. Over half of the graduates graduated with college credits they earned while at Yavne and one-

third earned over a 4.0 GPA. Yavne is equally proud of those who excelled in their leadership and chesed roles in and out of school. Students in grades 7-12 were recognized for achievement in the arts, writing, poetry, public speaking, volunteering, citizenship and academics.

The Academy’s Camp STEP (Summer Torah Enrichment Program), now in its 41st season, provides Cleveland’s Jewish community with six exciting weeks of enthusiastic learning, exciting sports, amazing trips, creative arts and crafts, entertaining skits, relaxing swimming and nutritious meals and snacks. Under the direction of Rabbi Hillel Drazin, and outstanding division heads, Camp STEP is in operation this summer from June 28 through August 6. Call 216-321-5838, ext. 167 for information.

Excitement is mounting as the Academy prepares to open its magnificent, new state of the art educational complex at the Oakwood Campus for the coming school year. New and exciting features include an indoor wonderland and outdoor playgrounds for early childhood children, and an exciting innovation lab and intervention center for the elementary school.

Time for School content provided by Hebrew Academy of Cleveland

Time for School Yeshiva Derech H a Torah

Yeshiva Derech HaTorah is gearing up for another year of with nearly 850 students enrolled for the upcoming school year. YDT is committed to its mission of providing and promoting an all-encompassing education that nurtures and equips the child of today, and our aim is to motivate students to reach personal excellence, and to be conscientious learners.

for their learning and enjoyment in . In addition, is introduced in an exciting and uplifting way, ensuring a lasting impression of . Special programs with weekly prizes and ra es are run throughout the year to encourage the students to review their weekly learning.

A warm nurturing environment is an indispensable component to our objective, as our focus is to inspire a love for learning, develop academic and social skills, and foster Torah-true values in each individual. Yeshiva Derech HaTorah is driven to perfect every area and facet in the Chinuch of our children. Our passion is to reach the apex at every juncture, while remaining deep-rooted in ruach Yisroel Saba both in theory and practice.

YDT operates a preschool, elementary school and middle school for both boys and girls, and a girls’ high school. The environment provided by the genuine Rabbeim and Moros enables the students to develop a real

The general studies program provides the students with the tools they will need for their future. YDT teachers bring their lessons to life in an exciting and innovative way, with hands-on experiments, group projects, etc. The extracurricular activities that YDT o ers, such as student counsel, productions with song and dance, and a Chesed and Mishmeres program, enable the students to shine in ways outside of their studies.

YDT is a key component to the strength of the broader Jewish community in Cleveland and will continue to play a role in building the community in any way it can.

Time for School content provided by Yeshiva Derech HaTorah

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Looking Within Us

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Yachad Cleveland of the Orthodox Union

The flagship division of The National Jewish Council for Disabilities

Yachad is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish individuals with disabilities and their families, by enhancing their communal participation and their connection to Judaism through social and educational programs and support services.

With a diverse array of unique and inclusive programs throughout the United States and Canada, Yachad empowers children and adults with developmental disabilities to lead full lives – lives ﬁlled with opportunities to socialize, to learn, to work and to celebrate their Jewish heritage.

Equally important, Yachad programs strengthen the Jewish community by increasing awareness and understanding of individuals with special needs. Programs appeal to a wide constituency and bring together (“B’Yachad”) those with disabilities and their typically developing peers. The friendships developed at Yachad are mutually enriching, and the lessons learned last a lifetime.

Yachad, the Hebrew word for together, believes that no matter what challenges some-one has, he or she should have the opportunity to participate fully within the Jewish community. Yachad’s mission is to facilitate inclusion, to foster belonging, and to help attune the community to the needs of the individual.

Yachad in Cleveland was founded in 1987, ﬁlling a void in the community at the time. It was the ﬁrst organization whose mission was and continues to be inclusion. We have been o ering inclusive services to teens and adults in the broad Jewish community in Cleveland for the past 30-plus years.

Yachad members come from all walks of

life and religious a liation. All abilities and backgrounds are welcome.

While we were mostly virtual for the last year, we are looking forward to transitioning back into our robust programming schedule. Our local services include:

• Inclusive social programs for teens and adults (weekly)

• Israel Birthright trips for persons with mobility and/or special learning needs

• Recreational outings

• Art and physical ﬁtness programs

• Intergenerational educational programs (monthly)

• Holiday parties and community celebrations

• Shabbat programs and weekend retreats

• Torah learning and Jewish values

• Community collaboration (schools, temples, agencies, youth groups)

• Life and social skills programs

• Inclusion advocacy

• Community education, scholars-inresidence and sensitivity workshops

• Summer camps and programs for members of all ages (camper, vocational, shadow, etc.)

• The Sarah Taub GO B’Yachad Social Program (women only)

• Leadership board positions and leadership opportunities

• Community service projects and volunteer initiatives

HOW TO HELP

You can visit our website at yachad.org/Cleveland, follow us on Instagram @clevelandyachad or join our Facebook group, Yachad Cleveland, to stay connected For questions, job and volunteer opportunities or referrals, contact our program coordinator, Sara Cooperman at our Cleveland o ce: 2403 S. Belvoir Blvd. | University Heights, OH 44118 | ClevelandYachad@ou.org | 216-299-1004

Looking Within Us content provided by Yachad Cleveland

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