My word this year is mindful. Barely three weeks in, it's already being tested. 

Iran. Minneapolis. Venezuela. The headlines are difficult to read.  

Some of you have reached out wondering why we haven't said anything. Others are asking us to stay focused on Jewish needs here. 

Many are scared. Some feel unseen. 

I hear all of it. 

There's a teaching that says a society is built on three things: justice, mercy, and trust. Not one. All three, held together. That's the work. 

I feel all three of those pulls.  

We hold Jewish values that call us to care about human dignity everywhere. We believe people should not live in fear.  We hold a responsibility to protect and strengthen Jewish life here. Those aren't in conflict. But they do shape how we use our voice, and when we choose action over statements. 

That means strengthening relationships with faith leaders and civic partners through our Jewish Community Relations Council. Staying connected to local public safety. Being there when community members reach out. And creating spaces where Jews can show up fully as themselves. 

That's not silence. It's purpose. 

That showed up twice this week. 

Monday morning we marched together for Martin Luther King Day, then gathered at Music Hall. Dr. Holly McGee, a UC historian, put it plainly: "Justice is not a niche issue. It's a shared civic responsibility." The next morning, our board approved a 2026 budget with more going out to partners than last year. 

That's not about statements. It's about the work. 

Your giving makes that possible. Here’s what it fuels.  

When you give a dollar, 87 cents goes directly to programs that reach people: agencies, schools, camps, and services that sustain Jewish Cincinnati, care for Jews in Israel and around the world, and help for those in need. Last year, that meant more than $26.5 million reaching 2.2 million people. 

That's a family getting back on their feet. A synagogue gathering with more confidence because safety planning is in place.  A conversation with faith leaders about what antisemitism looks like today. A community staying connected to Israel through learning and relationships. 

Here's the breakdown. 

Of your Annual Campaign gift, about a third supports Israel and overseas partners, through organizations like The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), not the Israeli government. 

Our total allocations and grant making tell a fuller story. It includes your campaign gift plus directed giving, foundation grants, and other revenue. See the full breakdown.

And the other 13 cents? That keeps the system running: the people and infrastructure that let us respond fast when it matters. For every $1 we invest there, we deliver about $6.70 in programs. 
 
That's stewardship. 

There's one more number I don't usually talk about. Last year, we collected 99 percent of pledges. A board member called it astonishing, said they'd never heard of a rate that high. 

That's more than a nice number. It's a sign of an organization that's healthy, a community that follows through, and donors who trust us to do what we say. Our job is to keep earning that. 

I hope you'll join us on Wednesday, February 4 for our Impact Breakfast, Celebrating Jewish Joy. Register here.

Rabbi Shira Stutman will help us put language to what so many of you are already doing. Choosing connection. Choosing meaning. Choosing each other. 

You're part of why people are leaning toward Jewish life right now. Our job is to hold the door open. 

Warmly,
Danielle V. Minson
CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
jewishcincinnati.org/give 

P.S. Proud of this: Charity Navigator gives us four stars and a 98% rating. See here.