$43,000 In Grants Awarded By Ohio High School Panel

BEACHWOOD, OH — Thirteen organizations will receive $43,000 in grants from the Maurice Saltzman Youth Panel of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. The grants are decided by a group of Jewish high school juniors and seniors.

The Saltzman Youth Panel was created in 1998 through a gift from Shirley Saltzman, in memory of the late Maurice Saltzman. The program aims to educate the next generation of Jewish community leaders. Each year the panel allocates up to $50,000 to worthy organizations — 85 percent to organizations serving the Jewish community and 15 percent to nonprofits serving the general community.

Two panelists — Nathan Wieder, a junior at Fuchs Mizrachi School and Eliana Goodman, a junior at Solon High — presented the panel's recommendations during a virtual meeting on May 18. The recommendations were unanimously approved.

“The Saltzman Youth Panel is more than a simple selection of worthy programs to help fund,” said Goodman. “It is about the Jewish community, the importance of the work we do, and the importance of community involvement and process.”

Here are some of the grants awarded by the panel:

• $6,000 to Jewish Family Service Associations (JFSA) to cover reliable transportation for anyone unable to drive due to mental health or physical disabilities or insufficient income
• $4,000 to the Jewish Agency for Israel to provide scholarships for educational opportunities
• $2,000 to the Rainey Institute to engage and lead children of homeless families in activities, provide support and learning opportunities

The panel met seven times throughout the school year. They created a Request for Proposals, reviewed grant applications and then made consensus decisions.

To nominate a rising high school junior or senior for next year's Saltzman Youth Panel, contact Anna Novik at anovik@jcfcleve.org or 216-593-2844. Application deadline is Sept. 4, 2020.