Friday Five – January 9, 2026

As part of our commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in our community, JewishColumbus annually partners with Jewish Family Services (JFS) to distribute grocery gift cards to individuals and families facing food insecurity and financial strain. This Hanukkah’s distribution delivered dignity, choice, and peace of mind during a season centered on light and hope.

Gift cards offer flexibility when it matters most. Beyond groceries, recipients can use them for medications, household products, and other essential items. They can prioritize their most urgent needs while maintaining independence and respect during challenging circumstances.

This is the first of three planned distributions, with additional gift card support scheduled for Passover and Rosh Hashanah. JewishColumbus is proud to provide more than $40,000 in gift cards at each distribution, totaling over $120,000 in direct assistance throughout the year. Together with JFS, JewishColumbus continues to ensure that our community shows up with compassion, generosity, and meaningful support.

Across the country, the cost of Jewish summer camp continues to rise, reflecting increases in staffing, security, food, and operations. Yet Jewish camp remains one of the most powerful and joyful ways to build Jewish identity. A recent census from the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) found that nearly 200,000 campers and staff participated this past year (a record high) made possible in large part by more than $47 million in financial aid nationwide. Without it, more than a third of families report, they simply could not afford camp.

JewishColumbus is proud to be part of this collective effort to ensure Jewish summer camp remains accessible.

Through our partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s One Happy Camper program, we provide first-time overnight camp families with incentive grants that reduce the financial barrier to this important identity-building activity. In addition, JewishColumbus offers needs-based scholarships to families who require financial support to provide their children with a rich Jewish camp experience.

By investing in camp access today, we are investing in the Jewish future of Columbus. To learn more about One Happy Camper grants, needs-based scholarships, and how to apply, visit the JewishColumbus summer camp scholarship opportunities page. Together, we can ensure that more children experience the magic of Jewish summer camp.

The partnership between Columbus and Cincinnati with Kibbutz Carmia was established after October 7th as part of JFNA’s emergency response program. At the center of that connection is Maayan Bernshtein Dabush, Carmia’s Partnerships and Donor Relations Coordinator – a kibbutz member, mother of three, and steady force guiding this relationship with urgency, heart, and vision.

Appointed at the very start of the partnership, Maayan has helped transform shared responsibility into real-time action and long-term commitment. In the aftermath of October 7, she led critical community efforts during Carmia’s evacuation and return.

Through the Jewish Agency’s Communities2gether program, an expansion of our longstanding Partnership2Gether model that already connects Columbus with Kfar Saba, our partnership with Kibbutz Carmia became a powerful framework for healing, renewal, and growth. Today, Columbus and Cincinnati are committed to a three-year partnership (currently in year two), grounded in resilience and shared Jewish destiny.

Maayan maintains close relationships with the Federations, hosts visiting delegations, and helps ensure that partnership-supported projects reach people of all ages across the kibbutz. From thoughtful needs assessments to collaborative local initiatives, she sees the impact of this work every day and invites others to be part of it.

To learn more about our partnerships in Israel, feel free to reach out directly to Maayan or to JewishColumbus’ Director of Israel and Overseas, Efrat Speckman.

This winter break, three JewishColumbus teens, two high school seniors and one junior, returned home inspired after participating in a meaningful Israel experience through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program, supported by RootOne and JewishColumbus.

Alyssa, one of the participants, said, “seeing everyone in public and unapologetically Jewish helped strengthen my Jewish identity and how I see the world.”

The teens explored historic and contemporary sites, engaged in thoughtful learning, and built bonds with peers who shared the experience alongside them. The trip deepened their connection to Israel and strengthened their sense of belonging to the global Jewish people. One of Alyssa’s most meaningful stops was Mount Herzl, where counselors shared powerful personal stories about those buried there, bringing Israel’s history to life in a deeply emotional way.

JewishColumbus is proud to help make Israel experiences possible for more teens this summer. Israel Experience Grants are available for Central Ohio Jewish teens ages 15–19. Families are encouraged to apply for BOTH the JewishColumbus Israel Experience Grant and a $3,000 RootOne voucher, which can be used toward more than 90 Israel trips. These two scholarship opportunities together significantly reduce the cost of summer Israel travel.

Don’t wait: Now is the time to help your teen plan their transformative Israel journey! For any questions, feel free to reach out to JewishColumbus’ Diamond Family Foundation Root One Schlicha Tamar David Yaari.

Leadership JewishColumbus (LJC) Cohort Five recently gathered for session #4, focused on Jewish Education Leadership.  The cohort met with community leaders to explore community investment and engagement, and also learned about CJDS’s history, mission, and impact from professional and lay leaders, including Board President Ken Gold. These conversations highlighted the critical role education plays in shaping Jewish continuity and leadership.

Rabbi Jay Moses, Vice President of The Wexner Foundation, guided participants through a lesson on adaptive leadership and change management, essential tools for navigating today’s complex communal challenges. Through Jewish texts, contemporary leadership frameworks, and a powerful discussion inspired by Benay Lappe’s teaching on the “crash” inherent in every Jewish story, participants were challenged to think differently about resilience, responsibility, and leading through uncertainty.

Reflecting on the experience, Rabbi Moses shared his strong impression of the cohort and the program:

“The participants asked good questions and contributed thoughtful insights as we learned about adaptive leadership. Despite the challenges of limited time and the complexity of combining Jewish learning, leadership training, and community engagement into each session, the program is doing great work. There is a real leadership pipeline being built.”

LJC is proudly preparing emerging leaders with both Jewish grounding and practical skills to step confidently into community leadership roles.