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JewishAkron Kicks Off 2023 Annual Campaign!

The Jewish Community Board of Akron’s Board of Trustees, volunteers, and professional staff are excited to announce the kick-off of the 2023 Annual Campaign, which will run from November 2022 through February 2023.

This year’s Campaign Co-Chairs are David Stock and Steve Kutnick. “We are very excited about the momentum from last year, which put us back on track to pre-pandemic results,” said David Stock, who is returning for a second year as co-chair. “We are looking to grow the campaign even further this year,” said Steve Kutnick, a long-time leader in the community who is joining this year as a co-chair of the campaign.

For those who are not as familiar, the Jewish Community Board of Akron (JCBA) is a volunteer association of concerned and committed people working together to preserve, enhance, and perpetuate the dynamic Jewish community of Akron. It is affiliated with the Jewish Federations of North America. The JCBA’s annual campaign, and other fundraising activities, support all aspects of community life in JewishAkron:
 

  • Agencies based on the Schultz Campus for Jewish Life: The Shaw Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Service of Akron and The Lippman School
  • Senior Living at Schultz Towers
  • The Ohio Jewish Communities, which represents our state-wide interests in Columbus
  • Hillel at Kent State and University of Akron
  • Partnerships with local congregations
  • Programs focused on young families and community members – J-Ticket, PJ Library, and Rubber City Jews
  • Israel travel and advocacy

“JewishAkron is here to enrich people regardless of their background or stage of life. We want help people connect, grow, and thrive individually and collectively,” said Thom Mandel, Chair of the JCBA Board of Trustees. “We also are very excited about a number of new initiatives to enhance community life – including a community-wide security initiative in partnership with Akron’s congregations and Canton, an effort to improve and maintain our local Jewish cemeteries, the engagement of Israeli rock musician Rami Feinstein as our new community shaliach (emissary) and so much more.”

Additionally, the annual campaign also provides funds to support projects in Israel, people suffering from the war in Ukraine, and other Jewish communities around the world. Investing in the Annual Campaign forges a link between our local and global Jewish community, helping the person around the corner and around the world. These investments enable JCBA to work with local, national, and international agencies to transform lives and deliver hope, dignity, and comfort to millions of people — ordinary people facing extraordinary needs. Simply put, no charitable investment can touch more lives and have a greater impact, both in Greater Akron and globally, than an investment in JewishAkron through the JCBA Annual Campaign. 

“Every year we have new goals for the annual campaign, yet the core effort is always about the commitment to enhancing Jewish life in Akron, being a good citizen in the general community, taking care of the vulnerable, and ensuring a Jewish future,” said Daniel S. Blain, CEO, Jewish Community Board of Akron.