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Braiding Together Cincinnati’s Jewish & Queer Communities
Walking into the JCC’s Amberley Room for the annual Rainbow Challah Bake, I was quickly and warmly welcomed by everyone there. Some were people I knew, like the event’s organizer, Wyn Garfinkle, and many were not. But whether it was my 100th time meeting someone, or my first, I knew one thing: I was exactly where I was meant to be. The queer and Jewish communities are both spaces that pride themselves on being welcoming of others, no matter their background, and I felt that in the JCC during the event.
Summerfair Continues Amid a Changing Coney Island Landscape
Summerfair looked different this year, but its creative spirit remained intact.
Long associated with the Old Coney grounds, the fine arts and crafts show returned in a more compact form as major changes continue across the property. The former Coney Island site is being transformed into the Farmer Music Center, a $160 million live-entertainment campus operated by a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. With construction reshaping familiar surroundings, this year’s Summerfair occupied a reduced footprint. Even so, the event still drew a good turnout, helped by great weather, shaded walkways, food vedors, and the kind of easily navigated booth arrangement visitors have come to expect.
A Cincinnati Jew in London
Hi American Israelites… It’s been a while. Let me re-introduce myself, if you’ve forgotten: my name is Eliana Garfunkel, I graduated from Sycamore High School in 2021 and since then I’ve been outside the states for my further education. First, I was in Milan then London studying fashion design and now I’m finishing a completely new degree from Royal Holloway University of London in Creative Writing and American Literature (I get why it’s funny). I lived in Surrey, where the university actually is, for the first two years of my degree, but I started to be more religious so I moved to Golders Green to be in the community.
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Marks 130 Years With $16.1 Million in Giving
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati held its 130th Annual Meeting on May 20, gathering roughly 300 community members for an evening that blended institutional history and fundraising results.
Board Chair Sherri Symson opened the program with a video narrated by Danielle Minson tracing the organization’s origins to three civic leaders who founded it in Cincinnati’sWest End in 1896. “Wow, 130 years in just five minutes,” Symson remarked after the video concluded. The evening’s framing leaned heavily on continuity: the Federation, Symson noted, had outlasted every individual who built it, which is the measure of any enduring institution.
March First Brewery Offers Tasty Beer, But the Pizza Falls Short
At March First Brewery’s Kemper Road location, the beer gives visitors a clear reason to stay. The pizza, unfortunately, does not make as strong a case.
The flight offered a well-balanced sampling with a clear sense of progression. Each pour had its own recognizable character, while the tasting as a whole remained easy to follow. The lighter selections brought fruit, smoothness, and refreshment; the malt-forward beers added toast, creaminess, and structure. Rather than relying on novelty or excess, the flight succeeded through balance.
Opponents Flood Ohio Senate Hearing on Israel Trade Partnership Bill
Opponents of House Bill 188 outnumbered supporters at a May 12 Ohio Senate Finance Committee hearing on the state’s proposed trade and innovation partnership with Israel. HB 188 was introduced by Rep. Thomas Hall and Rep. Eric Synenberg last year. The bill passed the Ohio House in November by a vote of 73 to 10. The May 12 session was the bill’s second hearing before the Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Bill Cirino. The bill would establish a 17-member commission to strengthen economic, academic and technological collaboration between the two states.
At Krohn, Fragility Takes Flight
Butterflies have returned to Krohn Conservatory, and with them comes one of Cincinnati’s loveliest seasonal rituals. This year’s show, Destination Monarch, is cheerful, crowded, warm, and visually generous—a reminder that some of creation’s most memorable lessons arrive on delicate wings.
Glenn Bochner speaks at CCFI event
At a recent luncheon hosted by CCFI, the Cincinnati Coalition for Israel, featuring Glenn Bochner and representatives from SKIES, Sharing Knowledge & Innovations, Empowering Success, much of the discussion centered around a simple reality: modern information wars are no longer won through long policy papers and carefully crafted statements. They are fought through emotion, culture, speed, and whatever captures attention first online.
Warped Wing Brewpub & Smokery: A Promising Taproom with a Few Uneven Notes
At the prominent corner of Tylersville and Reading roads, Warped Wing Brewpub & Smokery’s Mason location makes an impression before guests even reach the door. The aroma of smoked meat drifted into the parking lot when we arrived—a direct and promising introduction to a brewpub built around craft beer, barbecue, and neighborhood gathering. A sign at the entrance extends a standing invitation to “Share a pint and make a friend.”
When Rabbis Forget the Jewish People
There are moments in Jewish life that look small from a distance but reveal something enormous up close. The controversy at the Jewish Theological Seminary over Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s honorary doctorate is one of them. Some rabbinical students and graduates objected, using the language of genocide and moral disqualification. Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz defended the invitation, noting Herzog represents the State of Israel and the Jewish people. That should have been obvious. Apparently, it is not.