Shabbat Message – March 13, 2026
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Dear Friends,
Let me begin by sharing how saddened and horrified I was to learn of the antisemitic attack yesterday at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. While we are relieved that security personnel and law enforcement acted quickly and that the situation was quickly brought under control, the fact that a synagogue and its community were targeted is deeply painful and unsettling.
Moments like this remind us that the threats facing Jewish communities are real. They also reinforce why the safety and security of our institutions must remain a constant priority. Across our community, we remain in close coordination with our security partners and local law enforcement, and we continue to invest in the protections necessary to ensure that our synagogues, schools, and agencies can remain safe and vibrant places for Jewish life.
That’s especially true over the past two weeks, as events in the Middle East have continued to unfold, I have found myself reflecting on how our community responded. What stands out most is a deep sense of pride in how JewishColumbus showed up for our community.
Because of the investments our community has made through the JewishColumbus Annual Campaign, we were able to respond immediately. As tensions rose overseas, here at home we were in active conversation with our clergy and agency heads to ensure they had what they needed. Because of this community’s generosity, we were able to immediately increase armed security presence at every agency and synagogue. Because of what we have built together, we did not meet this moment with panic. We met it with preparedness. Real protection, made possible by real investment.
At the same time, Ori Katzav, our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Director, along with our volunteer leadership, immediately connected with our civic allies and partners across Central Ohio.
Over the past year, JCRC has intentionally strengthened key relationships across our region, including the mayors of Columbus, Bexley, New Albany, and Worthington, local school system administrators, the business community, law enforcement, leaders of the Black community, and interfaith partners.
In moments like these, those relationships matter. They allow us to keep civic leaders informed about what is happening in Israel and the broader region, to share the perspectives and concerns of our Jewish community, and to reinforce the strong partnerships that ensure our community is supported and understood.
Over the next couple of months, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships across the community as we participate in the City Council Interfaith Passover Seder, Statehouse Passover Seder, City Council Yom HaShoah Observance, and the Annual Governor’s Holocaust Commemoration.
The heightened unrest worldwide makes JCRC’s work more important than ever. I am deeply grateful to Ori, JCRC Co-Chairs Bill Byers and Dan Finkelman, and the entire JCRC committee for the seriousness and steadiness with which they lead this work.
If you want to learn more about the work of JCRC and our broader impact initiatives, I encourage you to connect with Ori or Ginna Rinkov, our Chief Impact and Community Officer. Strong Jewish communities do not happen on their own. They are built by people who choose to lean in.
As we enter Shabbat, we continue to stand with the brave men and women of the Israeli and American military. We hold in our hearts the civilians whose lives have been disrupted by war, and hope for a positive conclusion soon.
Shabbat Shalom,
Jonathan
