Judaism Is a People, and Israel Is Part of That Story
I write this as we enter the holiday of Hanukkah, arguably the most Zionist holiday in existence. Not because Zionism began then. It did not. But because Hanukkah reminds us that Jewish self-determination, Jewish sovereignty, and Jewish survival in our ancestral land are not modern inventions. They are ancient. Long before modern political movements, Jews
Israel Experiences and Learning Opportunities at the University of Cincinnati
CINCINNATI – Amidst the study sessions, last-minute cramming, and stress the end of semester may to students who face exams, the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Israel Initiative Committee (IIC) opened a space for two hours, offering students a break, dinner, and an opportunity to hear about what UC can offer in the upcoming semester. The
Raising Light in a Dark Season
This time of year always feels louder than it needs to be. As the days shorten and the nights stretch, the world seems to respond by turning up the volume. Christmas music grows more insistent. Lights multiply. Schedules fill. The noise swells just as the darkness deepens. I’ve started to notice that pattern more clearly
Pattern of Anti-Semitic Graffiti Being Addressed at Miami U
Recently, Miami University experienced repeated antisemitic graffiti incidents, including comments and a swastika. The university responded quickly, involving various departments. Jewish community leaders emphasized the need to address antisemitism while acknowledging a growing reluctance among students to report incidents due to fears of dismissal or scrutiny. Reporting is crucial to combat hate.
That Hanukkah Mom
I never planned to become that mom — the Hanukkah mom. The mom who sweeps into a classroom with a menorah, PJ Library books, and a well-meaning plan to explain Jewish holidays to small children who think everything in December is Christmas-adjacent. Our older kids go to Rockwern — Cincinnati’s Jewish Day School — which
Being a Young Dad in the Cincinnati Jewish Community
“What did the stuttering quarryman say to the dump truck?” my six-year-old asks, barely containing his giggles as he practices telling the joke we made together. “Ba-dump-dump!” This is what fatherhood looks like for me these days: crafting incredible and terrible jokes with my son, watching my toddler charm everyone with what’s commonly described as
Meet Jonah Snyder
I have known Jonah Snyder for a while now. Officially, we’ve been in each other’s lives since we began 5th grade at Sycamore Greene school together, but we really only became friends our senior year of high school, when I returned from my semester at Alexander Muss High School in Israel. I was selling a
Two Local Incidents Show October 7 Antisemitism Never Ended
Recent antisemitic incidents in Cincinnati highlight that antisemitism is not receding since October 7 but has become embedded in the culture. A Jewish citizen faced aggression while cleaning anti-Zionist graffiti, and overt expressions of hate persist. Young Jews feel unprepared for hostility and need to understand the importance of Jewish safety and identity in combating hate.
What They Got Right: Lessons From the Tree of Life Gala
Downtown Cincinnati was buzzing on Wednesday night. Babysitters were booked solid, dinner reservations were impossible to get and Music Hall became the center of gravity. Some people were dressed up for the Nas concert; others — myself included — were headed to the Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) Tree of Life Gala. This year’s gala honored