PIONEERING “OUTREACH”

IN SOUTHERN OHIO

A brief history of Chabad of Southern Ohio, its arrival, growth and development 

The Jewish spiritual desert of Cincinnati began to blossom at last some thirty-five years ago with the arrival of Chabad to Cincinnati. Although a large metropolitan city of over one and a half million residents, its Jewish population is meek, a population of approximately 20,000. Cincinnati has served as the cradle of reform Judaism since the arrival of Isaac M. Wise in the middle of the nineteenth century.

In contrast, Cincinnati has seen many great observant Jewish leaders over the years. The great Rabbi Eliezer Silver, President of Agudas Horabarim, was chief Rabbi of Cincinnati for many years. Under his leadership Cincinnati saw the establishment of Chofetz Chayim, Cincinnati Hebrew Day School. Rabbi Silver established the Vaad Hoir, the agency responsible for Kosher dietary laws in the city. The original Mikveh (Ritualarioum) was the work of Rabbi Silver. Rabbi Silver was also known for his outstanding work in the Vaad Hatzalah, the organization that rescued thousands of

Jewish lives from the burning inferno of the Holocaust. Rabbi Eliezer Silver lead many great Rabbinic demonstrations to the White House on behalf of Eastern European Jewry who was subject to the genocide of Hitler and his herds.

Despite all this, the Orthodox community remained isolated from the rest of the community. The small Orthodox Jewish community lived far removed from the majority of the progressive liberal Jewish population.

In his quest to “Reach Out and Touch” every Jew under the motto “No Jew Shall Be Lest Behind,” the renowned leader of world Jewry, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Mentor of Chabad, was charting the entire United States and other countries to send Shlichim (Emissaries) to any and every community around the globe to spread Judaism, love, care and concern for fellow Jews. One of these targeted cities was Cincinnati.

Rabbi Sholom B. Kalmanson was personally chosen by the Rebbe to explore the possibilities of setting up a Chabad operation in the greater Cincinnati and Southern Ohio area. Like all Shlichim-emissaries, the Kalmanson family with their three young children arrived to Cincinnati without any financial support, local or otherwise, to establish the first Chabad Center in Southern Ohio.

Chabad arrived to the greater Cincinnati area with a great thrust and vibrancy. Within weeks, Rabbi Kalmanson garnered and acquired the well-known “Yavneh and Community Hebrew School” building on Summit Road, in Roselawn, the heart of the [then] Jewish community, to serve as the Chabad regional headquarters in greater Cincinnati. This facility began to serve as a center where students, youth groups, individuals, organizational and synagogue groups can experience living Judaism in a Chabad milieu. This center also provided manifold services to our young people. In addition to direct counseling and crisis intervention services available on a 24-hour basis, Chabad of Southern Ohio also provides hostel facilities, meals, clothing, job opportunities, community outreach, etc. This Center also served as a Synagogue with a “beginners Minyan” for Jews with the Synagogue blues.

Chabad -- an organization with a heart, is an outreach movement of "People Helping People" for over 250 years with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Today, Chabad boasts some 3,500 social, religious, and educational Centers around the globe. They are staffed by thousands of selflessly dedicated Shlichim-Emissaries, giving of themselves for the sake of others. 

The basic foundation of Chabad is the principal of “Ahavas Yisrael,” “Love of Fellow Jew.” Casting oneself aside for the sake of another is natural to every Chabadnik. Its goal has always been to reach out and touch every Jew without regard to background, affiliation, or level of observance. Its “Mission Statement” always called for Outreach. It was, therefore, only natural that when Chabad [formally] set its feet on the shores of the US in 1940, it immediately launched its Outreach activities to young and old.

How correct is the saying that “there are two things you can find all over the globe – Chabad and Coca Cola” [and in that order]. In the most remote places in the world there is a Chabad Center, with a Chabad Shliach and Shluchah alongside their family, giving of their personal life and conveniences to help other Jews.

As the largest recognized homeless shelter for families and individuals in the greater Cincinnati area, Chabad shelter division provided emergency (short and long term) shelter to an average of 80 people daily. Due to lack of space, it may have, unfortunately, been forced to turn-away some 35-40 people daily.

Outreach activities began to swiftly develop. A Hebrew school was set into motion, a summer and winter Camp was established. As time moved on, Chabad began to make its mark on Cincinnati. Kosher food was shipped into the community. Chalav Yisrael became a commodity available to the masses, and other Kosher staples were readily found in local food outlets thanks to Chabad efforts. 

With the successful expansion of Chabad in Southern Ohio, Rabbi Kalmanson initiated the establishment of The Chabad Jewish Center of Blue Ash, Ohio; Chabad on UC Campus; Cheder Menachem; Yeshivah High School; Semichah Ordination Program; Chabad (of Downtown Cincinnati) Hospitality Center; Chabad of Amberley, Ohio; The Shul; The Jewish Discovery Center; Chabad of Mason, Ohio; F.R.E.E. (Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe) Russian Center; Chabad Center of Dayton, Ohio; Chabad Hebrew School; Torah Learning Center; “Chai Club” High School; Tzivos Hashem Youth Program; Mei Menachem Mikvah Ritualarioum; Friendship Circle; and Camp Chabad. While the centers serve all the physical and spiritual needs of the greater Cincinnati, Blue Ash, Amberley, Golf Manor, and Dayton Jewish communities, the camp serves serves all Jewish children in the Cincinnati area, as well as an children with special needs. There is also a scholarship fund for those that need. 

Today, Camp Chabad winter and summer camps boast some three hundred and fifty children. Under the dynamic leadership of Rabbi Menachem M. Majeski, Camp Chabad is the most sought after day camp in the greater Cincinnati area. The only Jewish day camp in the greater Cincinnati area accredited by the American Camping Association, it offers a full array of activities attracting children from all backgrounds and walks of life. Parents from all streams of Judaism recommend this camp to their friends and acquaintances.

The success of Camp Chabad is evident by the fact that it extends its influence throughout the year with the establishment of a toddler day program. Thanks to the demand of many families from all walks of the community, Camp Chabad administration responded and established this well attended and successfully run toddler educational program. Headed by noted educator, Leah Majeski, the program is constantly growing.

Another extremely successful children’s educational program takes place daily under the professional tutelage of headmaster Rochel Kalmanson. This is a Montessori toddler program, which is entitled “Chai Tots” and conducts daily classes in its own spacious beautiful facility in the Mason, Ohio area.

Chabad of Southern Ohio offers a full Chaplaincy program. This covers all Jews in hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen independent living centers, and local area Federal, State, City, and County prisons. Chabad serves as the official Chaplains to local Law enforcement agencies. Rabbi Menachem M. Kalmanson is the staff Chaplain in the Federal, State, County, and City penal system. He also serves as the Chaplain to the local various Police departments. In addition to the regular visits in the respective institutions, he also makes sure that all spiritual needs of the Jewish inmates are provided.

With the crack in the Iron Curtain and the great influx of émigrés (in the first wave of immigration) from the former Soviet Union, and New Americans to Cincinnati in 1976, Chabad of Southern Ohio established the F.R.E.E. Russian Center, a “Home Away From Home” for Russian speaking Jews. This Center services all the Spiritual, physical, social, and educational needs of the Russian speaking community.

The Center, situated in a beautiful 10,000 square foot newly renovated facility in the heart of Roselawn, serves as a “Gateway” to Cincinnati, and a “Home Away From Home” to the Russian speaking community. This center provides daily services, Yiddish, Hebrew and English classes, a Jewish and cultural library, daily, Shabbos and holiday meals, congregant socializing, congregant meals for the elderly, guidance and counseling, legal aid, resettlement aid, immigration assistance, job placement, art and cultural programs, Circumcisions, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Redemption of First Born, religious wedding ceremonies for many Jews who did not have the opportunity to fulfill these Mitzvah directive rights under the Communist regime, publications, periodicals, transportations, a monthly newspaper, etc The F.R.E.E. Russian Center also offers community Seders during the Holiday of Passover.

With the Rebbe’s plea to utilize the highlight of the festival of Chanukah to “Publicize the Miracle” in public by constructing large Menorahs on public squares, Chabad of Southern Ohio launched an effort in 1983 to place an eighteen foot Menorah on Fountain Square. For many years legal battles were fought in the Federal Court system to maintain this Menorah on the Square. Year after year Chabad won the battle in the District Court, Court of Appeals, and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. This legal battle has even made it as high as the Supreme Court. “We definitely achieved the Mitzvah of Pirsumei Nissah, publicizing the Miracle each year to its fullest extend,” says Rabbi Sholom B. Kalmanson. This legal battle has brought national and international media attention. Its story appeared several times on the front pages of USA Today.

Today, the Menorah is secured on Fountain Square. To maintain the Pirsumei Nissah, publicizing the Miracle aspect of Chanukah, Chabad of Southern Ohio sponsors as many as fifty car Menorahs. During the festival, a grandiose Car Menorah Parade (with Police escort) takes place from the Regional headquarters in Roselawn to Fountain Square, where it culminates with a beautiful Menorah lighting ceremony on the square. Singing, dancing, Latkes and words of encouragement accompany the ceremonies.

In December 1977, Rabbi Kalmanson initiated and (personally edits) a tabloid-size newspaper “The Chabad Times”  --  a “Chabad of Southern Ohio Monthly publication”, which has been appearing monthly ever since, with a [national] circulation of over 23,000, and a local Cincinnati circulation of 10,000 (and still rapidly growing). This newspaper is “popular and highly regarded” by its readers “both near and far”. The Chabad Times can also be viewed monthly on its very own web page in PDF form.

Quoting the Rebbe, the purpose of The Chabad Times of Cincinnati is to spread Torah Judaism and Chassidus to readers near and far. In actuality we see how visionary the Rebbe is. Thousands of people are learning about their proud Jewish four thousand year heritage in the largest class of any Chabad Center. While in the confine of ones own house, one can join this monthly Jewish heritage class, and gain knowledge in Judaism in a hands on fashion.

May we merit to be front line soldiers in the Rebbe’s Army, and play our roll in helping hasten the imminent coming of Moshiach, NOW!

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To contact a Rabbi. please email: info@ChabadOH.org

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