Friday Five – June 19, 2026
At JewishColumbus we have a bold and audacious goal to become the BEST Jewish community in North America. Friday Five is a way to share how your support makes a great impact possible. Every other week, we are proud to share that impact, community partnership, accomplishments, and our most incredible moments of pride. Thank you for coming along.
Recently, Jewish teens sat across from a room of Central Ohio educators and told them what it’s like to walk into school as a Jewish kid. They’re alumni of Student to Student, our program that trains Jewish teens to share their personal experiences face-to-face. This time, the audience wasn’t peers. It was the teachers and administrators who shaped their days. I’ve watched what happens when an educator gets it. They lead differently. And it changes the experience of every Jewish student in their classroom and school.
That moment wasn’t luck. For four years, JewishColumbus and Congregation Beth Tikvah have brought Holocaust education and antisemitism training into Central Ohio schools, and our JCRC team has built these relationships methodically. It’s working.
We don’t hand over a packet and walk away. We stay in the conversation. We’re there when incidents happen, because they do.
At JewishColumbus, the safety and security of our community is a shared responsibility—and behind that effort is a dedicated team working around the clock to monitor, assess, and respond to potential threats.
We are pleased to introduce two key members of our Security Operations Center (SOC): William Doss, who joined JewishColumbus as SOC Lead in April, and Mitchell Wilde, who recently joined the team as a SOC Operator. Together, they bring extensive experience in security operations, investigations, emergency response, and protective services, strengthening our ability to provide real-time situational awareness and coordinated support for the Jewish community across Central Ohio.
William’s leadership reflects a commitment to proactive, technology-driven security that helps ensure our community remains safe, welcoming, and resilient. Supported by Mitchell and the broader security team, the SOC serves as a central hub for monitoring incidents, evaluating risks, and coordinating responses with trusted partners.
Every member of our community plays an important role. Remember: See Something, Say Something. By staying alert and working together, we can help protect one another and strengthen the security of our entire community.
Reports can be submitted on the JewishColumbus website or email [email protected].
Birthright Israel has always been more than a trip. For many young Jewish adults, it’s the first time they feel a deep, personal connection—to Israel, to their heritage, to each other. JewishColumbus invests more than $250,000 a year to make it possible, funding not just the travel but the wraparound programming that prepares students before they go and keeps them growing long after they return. It’s an investment in identity, in community, and in the next generation of Jewish leaders.
This summer, more than 100 OSU Hillel students will travel to Israel. That number matters. The world is watching this moment in Jewish history, and these students are choosing to show up anyway. They’ll come home with something no classroom can teach: a sense of purpose, a circle of lifelong friends, and a bond with Israel that will shape them for years.
It’s exactly the impact Hillel professional Cydney Goldberg has built her career around. This year, Birthright honored her with its Distinguished Alumna Recognition. We couldn’t be prouder of her, or of the 100 Buckeyes heading to Israel this summer with their community standing behind them.
Since October 7, JewishColumbus has continued to partner with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and communities across North America to strengthen Israel’s recovery. Nearly $90 million in philanthropic capital, which includes an investment of $100,000 this past year from JewishColumbus, has been mobilized through the JFNA Small Business Loan Fund, supporting close to 4,000 small businesses across Israel — many of which would have had no other access to credit. As businesses continue to navigate prolonged disruption, the Fund is demonstrating the power of collective action: as borrowers repay their loans, those dollars can be put back to work, helping more businesses, preserving jobs and sustaining local economies.
The impact is felt most acutely in Israel’s hardest-hit regions:
- In Kiryat Shmona, a family-owned restaurant reopened after evacuation, only to be forced to close again following renewed missile attacks.
- In the Gilboa region, a boutique hotel that opened just before October 7 survived repeated tourism disruptions through access to emergency loan capital.
These stories reflect the reality facing thousands of small, locally owned businesses across the North and the Negev/Gaza Envelope, where access to credit often determines whether a business closes permanently or remains a source of employment, dignity, and community stability.
When a rabbi speaks, people listen—and when he speaks about JewishColumbus, we’re especially grateful. Rabbi Kapenstein of the Kollel recently recorded a heartfelt video message to our community, reflecting on the profound impact of the Annual Campaign: from day schools and summer camp to the Israel 614 Mission, to the security infrastructure that allows us to gather and celebrate as Jews without a second thought.
His words are a reminder that the Jewish community we love doesn’t happen by accident—it happens because people step up. With just two weeks left in our campaign and an audacious $15 million goal within reach, we’re asking you to take three minutes, watch his message, and join him in making a gift at whatever level is meaningful to you.
