$1 million in funding
for security initiatives each year
For more than 30 years, the JewishColumbus in collaboration with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) has sponsored the Community Shaliach.
The Shlichim educate people of all ages in the community about Israel and serve as advocates, role models and staff members for Israel programming. Among the many services that the Shlichim provide to our community are the planning and execution of the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. For several hours every spring, Columbus becomes a part of Israel, alive with the music, food and joy that accompanies Israel’s Independence Day. “Israel Fest” draws more than 800 people to the Columbus JCC, thanks in large measure to the work of our Shlichim.
Shlichim serve as an educational and cultural liaison and Israel advocate between the central Ohio Jewish community and the people and State of Israel. The Shaliach plays an integral community role by promoting and facilitating community organization and collaboration around Israel-related activities and issues.
Partnership 2Gether creates long-term partnerships and builds a living bridge between 45 regions in Israel and 550 Jewish communities worldwide. The main goal of the Partnerships Unit is to serve as a platform for the development and strengthening of unity among Jewish communities. This is accomplished through the creation of meaningful and ongoing ties between the members of each community, based on shared endeavor and Jewish identity.
The partnership between the Jewish community in Columbus and Kfar Saba has been active since 2002. It implements a wide range of programs for a variety of age groups in the areas of education, Jewish identity and community leadership. The bridges created strengthen the ties to Israel and the close relationship between Israel and the Diaspora.
The strong partnership between Kfar Saba and Columbus can be attributed to the dedicated volunteers on the steering committees in the two cities. The members of the steering committees contribute their energy and time to the development and strengthening of the Partnership and assist in designing programs and making strategic decisions. Their work is motivated by a shared responsibility for the nurturing of volunteerism in the region, which is based on the values of Jewish tradition, Jewish identity and Zionism, and on respecting the pluralism in Jewish society in both Israel and the Diaspora.