Adath Israel Country Showcase Brings Down the House
On May 31, congregants and friends gathered at Adath Israel to honor Mitch Cohen’s retirement as Communications Director — and to celebrate the music that defined his nearly two decades of service.
Palestinian Activists, Covington Workers and the Kentucky Taxpayer
If you spend enough time around downtown Covington, you begin to notice a common theme plaguing the city’s streets. A slogan appears on a stop sign: Boycott Israel. A sticker shows up on a parking meter: Free Gaza. Painted text materializes on a municipal power box: 680,000 killed in Gaza. Then, a few days later, a city employee arrives with a scraper, a paint roller, or a replacement sign. The message disappears. The worker leaves. A week later, it starts all over again.
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.
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.
Anti-Zionist Protester Out on Bond After Bringing a Sword to City Hall
Alexandra Dalton, who also goes by Alexander and “Big Al,” was released on bond Thursday after allegedly smuggling a concealed sword cane into a Cincinnati City Council meeting. Dalton appeared before the Council draped in a keffiyeh to criticize the city’s redevelopment plans for Piatt Park. During her testimony, she directed repeated, pointed comments toward Councilman Mark Jeffreys, “No answers, no accountability … but what do you expect from a Zionist?”
Charges Filed After Coordinated Harassment of Yeshiva Students in Golf Manor
Jackson Mettler, 19, of Springboro, appeared before a judge on Wednesday morning following a May 4 incident in which prosecutors say he targeted students at Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati, an Orthodox Jewish high school on Section Road.
A Sacred Partnership: Adath Israel Formally Installs Rabbi Scott Shafrin
The sanctuary at Adath Israel was filled with a palpable sense of renewal on Shabbat, April 18, as the congregation gathered for the formal installation of Rabbi Scott Shafrin as its next Senior Rabbi. Succeeding Rabbi Moshe Smolkin, Rabbi Shafrin’s installation was more than a formal transition of power; it was described by congregants as a “lifecycle moment,” marking a new chapter of growth and communal connection.
At Z3 Cincinnati, Young Jews Aren’t Walking Away—They’re Asking Hard Questions
One of the hallmarks of Jewish culture is open communication. Furthermore, it is asking hard questions and being willing to hear the answer, even if you don’t agree. This ability to ask, listen, argue, and eventually agree to disagree was on full display at the inaugural Z3 Cincinnati Conference. In Keynote speaker Zack Bodner’s presentation,