Jewish Lakewood Alliance Premiere Event- Havdalah

Last summer, poorly-drawn Nazi swastikas were spray painted on the driveway of a house on Belle Avenue. Born out of this hate was a community effort called “Sidewalks of Love.” Lakewood residents spread messages of love, welcome, and acceptance through sidewalk chalk art. Lakewood held a rally just as the momentum peaked, where Rabbi Enid Lader (Beth Israel-West Temple in Cleveland, Ohio) praised the “Sidewalks of Love” effort, sharing her daughter’s experience of anti-Semitism in the Lakewood City Schools when they first moved to Lakewood, 35 years ago.

In the wake of Nazi vandalism, Jewish people living and working in Lakewood found many allies who supported and welcomed diversity. Though, more surprisingly, Jewish west-siders found that there are actually other Jewish people on the west-side! Jewish Lakewood Alliance (JLA) aims to increase visibility and break down any fear and stigma about being Jewish in public life. JLA was formed with the hopes of inspiring other Jewish Lakewood-ers to feel comfortable expressing their unique Jewish practice in the city we love, and proudly share this culture openly with the community.

JLA will host its first Havdalah on April 21, 2018. The event is free and open to the public at the Bottlehouse Brewery at 13368 Madison Avenue at 7pm. Rabbi Enid Lader will lead a short service and Deb Rogers and Robin Selinger will lead us with music. JLA members will provide a potluck; kosher meals are available upon request. JLA will also be collecting food and personal care items for donation to Lakewood Food Bank. We do hope you can make it - all are welcome!

Tim Collingwood and Maya Camhi

I am a Lakewood resident  who has written blogs for Tumblr and  Turner Classic Movies, and was the Akron Classic Movie Examiner. I would like to write about issues pertaining to social justice issues and how they are affecting the Lakewood community. I believe in the power of citizen journalism. 

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Volume 14, Issue 7, Posted 12:07 PM, 04.03.2018