Perhaps Cincinnati isn’t the first city on your radar for dynamic Jewish life. But it should be.

As a medium-sized city with historic roots in Reform Judaism and a significant hospital converted to a Jewish foundation, Cincinnati is large enough to sustain home-grown agencies and congregations and local affiliates of national organizations, yet it is small enough that no organization can own a single domain — communication and coordination is essential. Cincinnati exemplifies what is possible for a model community of scale to build together. And there is no template for this — it is hard work!

Courtesy

Sixty Cincinnati-area Jewish communal professionals and funders came together for The Big Gather in 2025.

Earlier this year, 60 professionals from 24 organizations, spanning a wide spectrum of denominations, approaches, and roles came together for “The Big Gather” — a full-day immersive retreat for organizations and professionals who engage families raising young children, designed to enhance community-building in Jewish Cincinnati. Convened by the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, and facilitated by the nationally-recognized expert team at Assembly, the retreat focused on tools and strategies that center relationships within and across our organizations, inspired by Gather’s thought leadership on relationship-based engagement. Eight additional leaders from five local agencies set the collective vision together for the initiative. Interactive workshops covered relational recruitment, sacred one-on-ones and the lifecycle of community building. In breakouts, leaders explored new models of coordination and shared purpose.

A compelling question 

At a time of much uncertainty and deep polarization in our world, connection is an antidote. As parents consider why and how to engage in Jewish community, there is deep value in investing in families with young kids, which has been a key focus area for the Jewish Foundation. Jewish Cincinnati organizations are essential in creating belonging for families, yet our community has created few intentional spaces for such a wide swath of Cincinnati professionals to come together and build trust. 

How can we enhance ways to create belonging for Jewish families in Cincinnati if we don’t start with the professionals at the helm of these relationships? Compelled by this question, our committee of key leaders set The Big Gather in motion, a gathering unlike anything in our community’s recent history. Participants ranging from executives and senior rabbis to family engagement professionals met in a beautiful, light-filled room to cut through the noise of the everyday to experience a shared purpose and way of relating to one another.  

From intention to execution 

The Big Gather was an opportunity to redefine the role of funder from an isolated conductor to community partners who shape possibilities alongside others. Everyone there was part of an experiment focused on who has influence at “the table,” and it represented a real-life case study for intentional partnerships between funders and grantees: foundations, federation and the incredible organizations representing the host committees, including synagogues, JCC and camps.

The role of funder as convener can be tricky. It is not simple to balance power dynamics — to appreciate the expertise of agencies and the macro viewpoint of funders — but when done right, such convenings reinforce that every professional is an essential part of community.

Behind the scenes, we led a committee of key stakeholders to develop a highly curated experience for The Big Gather. For attendees, this began with personalized invites to people who would serve as door greeters at the event, handwritten notes upon entry, glossy guidebooks, delicious food and coffee gift cards to-go. For committee members, this started way before, with a facilitated participatory process that leveraged their expertise and surfaced their dreams for family engagement in Jewish Cincinnati.

Even with some event hiccups — from power dynamics to food accessibility to more professionals than expected seeking to attend — even the skeptical among us walked away feeling this was a valuable use of our time; and, more importantly, that the spirit of inclusion was louder than any flaw. 

The Big Gather was a radical act to choose unity. It was a reminder that the work we do matters and that we are in it together. After The Big Gather, 82% of attendees reported feeling more connected to their colleagues and 84% felt a strong sense of shared purpose. Many expressed a desire to collaborate or partner.

What comes next 

More than just a professional development opportunity, The Big Gather has sparked the beginning of a new way of operating — one rooted in relationships, equity and long-term impact. Many people are already connecting with colleagues they otherwise wouldn’t, while others seek more learning. To maintain this momentum, Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, plans to explore emerging themes of more professional community building, integration of relational-based engagement techniques, and collaborations to create a concierge experience for families.  

One participant offered a particularly poignant vision:

“If our community is truly growing in family engagement, I think we’ll feel it. Families will show up more often — and not just to attend, but to participate, to offer ideas, to help shape what’s happening. We’ll hear it in the feedback — when people say things like ‘We’ve been looking for something like this,’ or that they felt seen, and the experience was warm, real and meaningful. And over time, we’ll see that they keep coming back, bringing others with them and feeling proud to be part of it.”

We plan to take the next few months to offer some quick learning and networking resources to interested organizations, while key stakeholders facilitated by Third Plateau begin to inform a vision for further supporting and connecting these professionals. This may include more funding, cohort learning, intentional executive gatherings or a regular Big Gather.

Relationships are the backbone of our community and of many others. They take time, discipline and intention to spark and maintain. The Big Gather reminded us of one simple truth — we can’t do this work alone.

Kim Newstadt is the director of research and learning at the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. 

Jaynie Levinson is the director of community engagement and leadership at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.