Our involvement with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland has been important to us as a family.  The thought of not being involved is impossible to imagine!

Jerry, my husband, is a survivor of the Holocaust. As new citizens of the U.S. in 1939, he and his family have remained grateful for the gesture of welcome at the synagogue which they joined the first week of arrival in Cleveland.  His continued Jewish education at the synagogue cemented the ties to this new city and life forever.  He and his family never forgot the warmth of the many outstanding folks who make up the Jewish community.

My friendship with the community to which I came as a bride was overwhelming.  Having grown up in a small non-Jewish town with no Rabbi, I did not have a Jewish education, so I’ve been playing catch-up all these years.  I never had a feeling of belonging to a Jewish group until I connected with those who welcomed me, most of whom still remain my friends.

Thankfully, our children and their families have become involved in various Jewish organizations in the community.  We are so very proud of them.

Our own participation is just a small way of showing our gratitude for what this kinship means to us and our loved ones.