Microgrants To Be Awarded By Beachwood Group

BEACHWOOD, OH — The Young Leadership Division (YLD) of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland launched a new Microgrant Program recently. The program awards up to $1,000 to support projects that help create a "thriving, vibrant Jewish Cleveland young adult community."

The target group for the YLD's new program is Jewish Clevelanders between the ages of 22-45. Funding will be made available twice a year and applications will be due in July and December. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Beachwood newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

So, what is a microgrant? The YLD's website says, "A YLD Microgrant is pre-approved funding for a program or project in the Cleveland Jewish Community geared towards young adults, ages 22-45. Young professional groups or individuals will be reimbursed for expenses (up to the agreed upon amount) after completion of their project."

“Supporting innovation and creativity is one of our top priorities as we look to grow our thriving young Jewish community in Cleveland,” said Barry Guttman, YLD board chair in a statement. “The initiatives our YLD Board has chosen to fund through the Microgrant Program are diverse, fresh and forward-thinking, and YLD is eagerly looking forward to the impact these initiatives and our Microgrant Program will have on our community.”

The initial recipients for July 2017 microgrants are:

• Aaron Wolkoff of Beachwood, representing B’nai Jeshurun Congregation’s BJ Atid, will host Shabbat dinners for the synagogue’s 20s and 30s group.
• Adam Rosen of Cleveland, representing Jewish Heritage West of the Cuyahoga, will host a tour of Cleveland’s two oldest Jewish cemeteries and a social at the Forest City Shuffle Board Club.
• Ali Stern of University Heights, representing Cleveland Partnership Minyan, will host “Bridging Divides,” a scholar-in-residence Shabbaton.
• Andrew Kahn of Cleveland, representing Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple’s Fairmount Young Professionals, will host “Jew Year’s Eve,” a celebration for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
• Holly Sukol of Pepper Pike will host a Judaica Series, where young adults can craft their own Judaica pieces like Shabbat candlesticks, a Kiddush cup, and more.
• Holly Sukol also joins Mandy Kwait of Lyndhurst, representing Jewish Big Brother Big Sister Association, to host a Bigs’ Night Out Recruitment Event.
• Rosalynne Sommer and Naomi Fein of University Heights, representing Green Road Synagogue’s Young Leadership of Green Road, will host a Shabbat Lunch for new synagogue families.
• Rabbi Rosette Baron Haim, representing The Temple-Tifereth Israel’s NextGen group, will host Purim Pandemonium.

Photo from Jewish Federation of Cleveland