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Thank You's and Request
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Since my last e-mail report our lay, professional, and student leadership were involved in multiple initiatives. I want to mention three of them before my request
1. Preparing our budget for the next fiscal year and its presentation to the allocations committee of the Jewish Community Federation (JCF) of Cleveland. With our focus on reorganizing our agency into four program areas; Cleveland Metro, Oberlin, Graduate students, and Summer programming, we have had a lot of healthy discussion on how to best implement these goals. I want to thank all of our leadership and JCF for their support and commitment to our success
2. We are also having many discussions within our community, with other religious organizations, university leaders, and other stakeholders to secure the best space and/or spaces for our Hillel to have the type of facility that will enable us to bring cutting edge programming and value added to the students and campuses we serve. These discussions should culminate within a few months and I thank all those who are involved
3. We could not program without the financial support of hundreds of individual donors, family foundations, and grants that we receive from alumni, community members, friends, parents, and other stakeholders. We thank you for helping us cultivate Jewish student life on all our campuses
Request: I ask both those of you who have supported us and those who have not to consider a gift to our Hillel so we can continue to assure a brighter Jewish future. Donations can be made on line at www.clevelandhillel.org or by sending checks to our office at 11291 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44106
Thanks again for all you do
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March 13, 2008
6 Adar II 5768
Dear Friends,
As we approach the middle of March there is much to report about what Hillel is doing on all our campuses this semester. It is also the month of spring breaks with both Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State on break this week and Oberlin on break later this month. This interlude gives us the opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and report while also continuing to plan for the rest of this semester, into the summer, and of course for next fall.
Our Hillel is in the process of becoming a year round programming center. Thanks to grants from The Cleveland Foundation and Growing and Strengthening Jewish Cleveland of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland we have developed a summer internship and leadership program for undergraduate students. Students who are accepted in the program will work for area businesses and non profit organizations, learn about the Jewish community, and opportunities in Cleveland. Along with our staff these students and others will also be responsible to create social and educational programming for their peers. Our goal is that over the next few years summer social and professional opportunities for university aged students in Cleveland will continue to grow. We also plan follow up programming and interactions with the interns to keep them connected to Cleveland and learn how we can continue to improve the program. This new initiative was recently covered by an article in The Cleveland Jewish News. It can be read here
We will be celebrating Purim next week and Passover (Pesach) a month later. Both Holidays celebrate our redemption from potential physical destruction. There is no mention of Gd in the Book of Esther while Gd is everywhere in the Book of Exodus, but in both narratives redemption could not have happened if Man did not step up. Possibly what our tradition is informing us is that there are a variety of ways to understand the role of Gd in our history, but no matter the situation it is up to us as Jews and human beings to play an active role in finding solutions to problems. The world is here for us to make better. That is a major focus of all we do on campus as we work with students so that they are better prepared to enrich their People and the world.
We also have many programs planned so that students can celebrate both Purim and Pesach. I will report on those in my next report.
As always I am interested in hearing from you, your comments, feedback, and ideas so you can either call me at 216-231-0040 or e-mail me at gcoleman@clevelandhillel.org
With Blessings,
Gary
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Recent Program Highlights from Cleveland Metro and Oberlin
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Hillel is about students and our programs both meet student interests and challenge them to take the next step. This time I will highlight programs in five areas:
Israel Focused Events
This is an area that we receive a lot of support from many grants and we want to especially thank the Rapport Trust for helping make some of these programs a possibility
AIPAC and the Middle East was the focus of a presentation by Professor Fred Lazin of Ben Gurion University at Oberlin 
Birthright reunions for winter participants and recruiting for spring trips occurred
Hebrew speaking tables met at regular intervals
Israel scholar Chuck Freilich, a visiting professor at Harvard, spent a day in Cleveland speaking to graduate students at Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State and undergraduate students from multiple campuses. He was interviewed by the Cleveland Jewish News and here is a link to the article Tzedek/Social Justice Programming
This is a program area that we also receive grants and are involving students in many different ways
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At Case Western Reserve, the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Drive was held twice on campus to swab and sign students up as potential donors
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At Oberlin, Tzedek hosted a Dance Marathon with the HIV Educators to raise money for anti-retroviral medicines for HIV positive families in Africa and India. About 475 students attended 
- In Cleveland, students participated in the community wide program for Darfur awareness and at a regional STAND weekend retreat on campus
- As mentioned in the last report, a number of students went to New Orleans during winter break. One of them, Jordan Leventhal, wrote a reflective piece that you can read by clicking here.
Educational Events
Musical Events
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Jam Session with Ribs and Brisket Revue at the Hillel building in Cleveland
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Graduate students, along with undergraduate students, attended a performance of Wicked at Playhouse Square in Cleveland
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Queer Jews and Allies presented transgender, Jewish performance artist, Katz for spoken word at the Cat in the Cream on Oberlin's campus Shabbat
There are student led services and dinner every Friday night in Cleveland and at Oberlin. Some of the special themed Shabbat's included:
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National Council of Jewish Women Shabbat at the Hillel building in Cleveland
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Tzedek Shabbat at Oberlin
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Valentine's Day Shabbat including the singing of love songs and a special chocolate dessert at Oberlin
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Oberlin leadership Shabbat at Cleveland Hillel building
- Graduate student Shabbat at medical school students' apartment
I think this gives you an indication of the wide variety of ways we reach the 2500 Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at the area colleges and universities we serve as well as how we are adding value to campus life. | |
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