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  • WELCOME TO JEWISH TOLEDO More

  • PJ LIBRARY, FAMILY, & YOUTH More

  • GAN YELADIM PRESCHOOL More

  • NEXT JEWISH GENERATION More

  • SENIOR PROGRAMMING More

  • Jewish, Senior Family & Social Services More

  • WE STAND WITH ISRAEL More

Welcome to Jewish Toledo (WtJT)

 

Your one-stop shop for all things Jewish in the greater Toledo area

 

Welcome to Jewish Toledo, a collaborative, vibrant, and engaged Jewish community where you can find an outstanding Jewish preschool, scholarships to Jewish teens for summer camp, security for our Jewish institutions, and fun programs for the whole family. From synagogues to senior services and everything in-between, Jewish Toledo is here to help you and your family flourish.

  • JFGT honored with Excellence in Organizational Operations Award

    Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo (JFGT) received the Excellence in Organizational Operations Award from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation at its 2023 Northwest Ohio Nonprofit Excellence Awards in late October. The annual event was sponsored by The Andersons, The Blade, Greater Toledo Community Foundation, and The Center for Nonprofit Resources and includes $8,500 in unrestricted grant funds to support JFGT's mission.

Upcoming programming for the entire Jewish Toledo community

Surviving Terror: Voices of Heroes from October 7

 
Four Israeli survivors of the October 7 massacre will share their first-person, terrifying accounts of what they experienced on the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. At the Nova Festival, on the Kibbutz, and in safe rooms, each survivor spent hours hiding from terrorists before finding their way to safety and witnessing the aftermath of the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.
 
This program is one of many happening at various JCCs across the country, bringing the Giborim/heroes of October 7 directly to North American Jewish communities to share their stories.
Giborim | Heroes of Light program is part of the מתחברים | Mit-habrim | CONNECTIONS funding initiative, a partnership between the Israeli Government’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, JCC Association of North America and World Zionist Organization.
 
Pre-Registration is required to attend this event. RSVP by Wednesday, March 20 by clicking here.
 
Questions? Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-0405 or mary@jewishtoledo.org.

Pre-Passover Shopping Spree in Detroit

 

Thursday, April 4
9 a.m. - (approximately) 3 p.m.

***
 

8:45 a.m., meet at JFGT/JCC/YMCA main entrance
9 a.m., bus departs
3 p.m., bus returns
Free – includes bus ride and lunch
Participants pay for their own groceries.
*Please bring your own coolers and ice packs*

Join us as we get ready for Passover with a fun day of shopping in the Detroit suburbs! We'll drive up together and start our adventure at Zeman's Bakery to purchase some treats to enjoy before the holiday; then we'll go to The Grove Kosher Market to gather up everything we need to go chametz-free for eight days, from pantry staples to specialty items. After we've shopped 'til we drop, we'll head to Ess In Company, Chef Cari's restaurant, for lunch - Federation is happy to treat the group for this special meal. And then, finally, we'll head home with all our bounty!

RSVP by March 29 online here or to Sherry Majewski at 419-724-0351 or sherry@jewishtoledo.org.

Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-0405 or mary@jewishtoledo.org with questions.

Lourdes Lifelong Learning Passover Seder

 

Sunday, April 7
4 – 6 p.m.
Franciscan Center, Lourdes University, 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania
Free

 

Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), in partnership with Lourdes University’s Lifelong Learning Program, is hosting a model Passover seder specifically geared toward our non-Jewish neighbors and open to all. This event, which will take place two weeks before the start of Passover, is meant to show how a seder is traditionally held, debunking myths and stereotypes while helping to teach others about the important Jewish holiday that serves to remember the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Participants will each have their own seder plate with ritual items, and the event will include light bites.

 

RSVP to https://form.jotform.com/jewishtoledo/lourdes-passover-seder.
 

Questions? Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-0405 or mary@jewishtoledo.org.

 

This program is supported in part by the Dr. Howard & Mrs. Ann Rosenberg Philanthropic Fund of the Toledo Jewish Community Foundation and in part by the Sydney Mostov Memorial Fund of the Toledo Jewish Community Foundation.

Film screening and discussion of “How Saba Kept Singing”

with Avi Wisnia, filmmaker and award-winning singer/songwriter

 

Wednesday, April 10, 6:30-8:30 pm
Congregation Etz Chayim
FREE - includes kosher desserts
RSVP link: https://form.jotform.com/jewishtoledo/JCRC-events

 

The award-winning documentary film, How Saba Kept Singing, shares the story of Cantor, Holocaust Survivor, and Military Veteran, David “Saba” Wisnia z’’l, who spends his later years traveling with his grandson and musical accompanist, Avi Wisnia, sharing the story of how he survived the Holocaust through music which the duo perform together. For years, Cantor Wisnia’s story centered around the belief that he survived Auschwitz mainly by using his beautiful singing voice to entertain his Nazi captors. These performances in the death camp gave him status as a ”privileged prisoner.” However, when David takes his family back to Poland for one last performance, Avi starts asking questions and they discover that someone else had a hand in Saba’s survival. A powerful and uplifting story about music, faith, family and resilience, proving love can grow and take hold in even the darkest of places.

 

Special Toledo connection: David Wisnia’s son, and Avi Wisnia’s father, Cantor Eric Wisnia z’’l, was Assistant Rabbi at Temple Shomer Emunim from 1974 to 1977. While Avi is in Toledo, he will speak at local schools about his grandfather’s story.

 

Contact Daniel Pearlman with questions: daniel@jewishtoledo.org.

Rainbow Equality Seder

 

Sunday, April 21

2 – 4 p.m.

Handmade Toledo, 1717 Adams St.

FREE


Join Equality Toledo and Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) for an event celebrating our collective liberation. The Passover seder retells the story of the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. This Rainbow Equality Seder will follow the customs and order of a traditional Passover seder and will focus on chronicling our collective liberation as LGBTQ+ people, as Jews, as LGBTQ+ Jews, and others.

We come together to commemorate our emancipation from oppression, to celebrate the freedoms that have been achieved, and to explore freedoms not yet gained, remembering that none of us are free until all of us are free.

This event is free and open to all, regardless of faith, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

RSVP by Monday, April 15 by clicking here.

Questions? Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-0405 or mary@jewishtoledo.org.
 

This program is supported by the Sydney Mostov Memorial Fund of the Toledo Jewish Community Foundation.

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