April 1, 2026
In October and November, members of the Beth Tikvah community came together in a series of Listening Circles to share what issues were troubling them and what was keeping them up at night. We undertook these listening circles to inform our social justice work at Beth Tikvah, as part of RAC-OH—the Ohio branch of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism—and to inform our work with B.R.E.A.D., a local multi-faith coalition.
We saw three major themes emerge from these circles:
- Preserving our Democracy and Democratic Norms: The erosion of democratic norms came up in one way or another in nearly every listening circle. As American Jews, we helped shape and now rely on these norms—on the freedoms of religious practice, press, speech, and assembly; our right to due process, and the peaceable processes through which power transitions from one administration to the next. These core rights and norms are not and should not be partisan issues, but they are currently being weaponized and undermined.
- Fear of Christian nationalism and antisemitism, especially in our schools: Our students are facing antisemitism at school, both directly and indirectly, at levels that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. Some have lost friends. Worse, they’re beginning to think this is normal. At the same time, the state has allowed students to leave school during the school day to receive religious instruction without oversight into what is being taught or by whom.
- Care for the most vulnerable: With rising costs and changes to state policies, our community members are worried that those who are most vulnerable, including immigrants and those in need for a variety of reasons would face food insecurity, potentially loss of housing, and inability to access medical attention because of rising costs.
What We’re Doing:
We are not alone in our concern over the future of American Democracy. In collaboration with Worthington faith partners, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Worthington Presbyterian Church, All Saints Lutheran Church, and Lord of Life Lutheran Church, we brought faith250, a multi-faith program to study and discuss American foundational texts and values created by A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy. The Jewish Partnership for Democracy (JPD) is a non-partisan initiative to empower and equip Jewish communities to uphold democracy. Our goals are to create values-based communication across differences and build strong bridges with our neighbors.
At both state and national levels, we will be working with the Religious Action Center on targeted actions to preserve and protect democracy, starting on April 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM, with We Decide Our Future: Acting Together for Democracy as a kickoff to the Reform Movement’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign. Please join us!
After a listening campaign that reached across the state and included more than 120 people from 19 congregations, followed by a period of research and connecting with potential community partners, RAC-OH will be focusing its next campaign on ensuring our public-school students have the freedom to learn without religious influence. Our campaign launch is on April 30, and I hope to see you there. Click here to register.
As I write this, H.B. 531, the “School Chaplain Act,” is in committee in the Ohio state legislature, which would require school districts to vote on whether or not to allow volunteer chaplains into their schools to provide support services and programs. As it is currently written, a “chaplain” is defined as:
A religious professional who has received endorsement or certification by a recognized ecclesiastical endorsing agency and who provides spiritual programming, support, and counseling.
By this definition, only Christian clergy or religious professionals can be “chaplains” in this context, and these chaplains do not require formal chaplaincy or mental health training. Speaking as a former hospital chaplain, this is deeply troubling and I hope you will join me in writing your state representatives and asking them not to support this bill.
Locally, Rabbi Kellner, in partnership with JewishColumbus and the JCRC, met with superintendents from several Columbus area school districts to teach about Judaism and antisemitism. He continues to visit with classes at area high schools and supports the JCRC’s teen Peer2Peer program to combat antisemitism. As the 9th Grade and 10th Grade teen program teachers, we both support our students in any way we are able as they navigate these issues on a daily basis.
In hearing our community’s call to support the most vulnerable, we partnered with Jewish congregations across Columbus to support immigrants through Helping Hands, Jewish Family Service, and Muslim Family Service. Our support drive is ongoing! In January, we also launched a monthly free community meal. Although we are in the process of assessing where and how the program will continue, I’m awed by our community’s commitment to putting values into action.
With B.R.E.A.D., who took the information from our listening circles as well as input from multi-faith congregational partners across Columbus, we are focusing on supporting the vulnerable in our city by finding a path to ensure people are able to earn a livable wage. Please join us on April 14 at 7:00 PM at Corinthian Missionary Baptist, 3161 E. 5th Ave for the B.R.E.A.D. Rally to learn about solutions for these community problems, and on May 12, 2026, for Nehemiah Action at the Celeste Center. The doors open at 6:00 PM and the program begins at 6:40 PM. It’s incredible what we can do when we work together, so come experience the power of collective action.
We also continue this work of supporting those in need at Beth Tikvah on Mitzvah Day, April 12, with projects that support homeless individuals, adults emerging from the foster care system who are setting up new apartments or welcoming children, and much more. I hope to see you all there.
There is a lot of work to do to mend what is broken in our world. In Pirkei Avot (2:16) we read: “Rabbi Tarfun used to say, ‘It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.’” We don’t need to finish the work or to take on every aspect of it, and we’re not in this alone, but it is imperative that we all work together toward tikkun—healing. Please let me know if you have questions or would like to support any of these efforts.