Giving & Volunteering · October 21, 2024

Ken Germain is not yet retired, but he recently realized he wanted to devote more time to the Jewish community. World events also played a role. “When war broke out in Israel after the October 7, 2023 massacre, I felt a strong need to do even more for the Jewish People,” Ken said. “My wife, who had a more traditional Jewish background than I did, was very encouraging. Through the years, we have grown more observant, more attached to our Jewish homeland, and more motivated to contribute

Giving & Volunteering · November 30, 2023

In some ways, 13-year-old Elon Katz is a typical Cincinnati youth. As an eighth grader at The Seven Hills School, Elon is perfectly capable of enjoying an after-school chill-out session with his video games. He also likes to draw. And, well, that’s about it for the ordinary stuff. Elon, you see, is anything but typical. He likes to code video games for fun. He is a serious student of classical piano, and enjoys the weekly lessons his grandmother kindly offers him.

Giving & Volunteering · January 05, 2023

Sadie was happily making her seventh-birthday party plans with her family when a compassionate little switch flipped in her mind. Yes, birthday invitations had already been sent out a few weeks prior. And, yes, parental expectations were solidifying around fun ideas that were age-appropriate, child-focused, and celebratory. But that didn’t stop Sadie from abruptly turning to her parents and announcing with resolve, “I don't need any birthday presents. I need to do a mitzvah!"

Education & Learning · April 22, 2020

Seven students gather for their weekly ESOL—English for Speakers of Other Languages—class. Jewish Family Service (JFS) has hosted the class for Russian speakers every Monday at the Mayerson JCC for years, but the stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 outbreak changed the routine, and many were left to wonder what was going to become of the class.