Courtesy of Cincinnati Community Kollel.
Submitted by Cincinnati Community Kollel
This summer marks a significant milestone: the Cincinnati Community Kollel is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Over the past three decades, the Kollel has elevated the presence and appreciation of Torah study across the broader Jewish community and has played a pivotal role in shaping the Orthodox Jewish landscape of Cincinnati.
Founded in 1995 by a visionary group of lay leaders — among them senior care executive Steve Rosedale, newly practicing attorney Ronnie Wilheim, cardiologist Dr. Ned Mehlman, real estate developer Gidon Eldad and attorney Simon Groner — the Kollel emerged from a shared conviction: that a community anchored in Torah learning would be strengthened at its core. Inspired by the success of kollelim in other cities, they brought that transformative model to Cincinnati.
At its essence, a Kollel is a center for rigorous, text-based Jewish learning. For millennia, Jewish life has been sustained not only by synagogues but by batei midrash, houses of study. The Community Kollel reimagines this ancient model, positioning Torah learning as both a communal pillar and a deeply personal journey. The underlying belief is profound yet simple: of all the elements that have preserved Jewish identity through time, none have been as enduring or as unifying as Torah and its study.
The Kollel’s mission was clear from the outset: to share the depth, beauty and relevance of Torah learning with the wider Jewish community of Cincinnati, helping individuals across the spectrum reconnect with their heritage in meaningful, personal ways.
Two young rabbis — David Spetner and Meir Minster — were the first to take up this charge, later joined by Rabbis Yitzchok Preis and Chaim Heinemann. What began with four additional staff scholars has grown to a team of ten, complemented in recent years by the work of Seth and Lisa Cook, together with Kayla Soroka, through their initiative Cincinnati Jewish Experience. Together, they have improved the Kollel’s long standing programs on the campuses of UC and Miami University, deepening engagement with the next generation.
Rabbi Spetner articulates the guiding philosophy of what has come to be known as “The Kollel Approach”:
“We call the Torah Etz Chaim — the Tree of Life. Like any tree, in order to bear fruit, it must be firmly rooted. The more rooted our scholars are in serious, immersive Torah study, the more authentically and effectively they can share it. Each day, our scholars engage in two intensive study sessions, each lasting three hours, in a collaborative environment of deep analysis and discourse. And throughout the day — from early mornings over coffee to lunchtime conversations to evening learning sessions — you’ll find our team studying and teaching with Jews from all walks of life.”
The Kollel’s mission is stated simply yet powerfully: “To enrich and grow the Cincinnati Jewish community by creating an environment of Torah study and providing access to our spiritual heritage.” And indeed, anyone who has stepped into the Kollel’s Beis Midrash (study house) can sense the vitality that such an environment brings. Still, the Kollel’s leadership has always understood that to inspire a community, one must meet people where they are. That’s why the Kollel has long collaborated with a wide range of local institutions, bringing learning into diverse settings and forging partnerships that extend its reach. This has resulted in community members affiliating or strengthening their roles in a very broad array of existing community institutions.
Having outgrown its original home on Losantiville Avenue in Golf Manor, the Kollel is now preparing for the next chapter — constructing a state-of-the-art study and activity center in Amberley Village.
This construction project is being led by the development team of Bret Caller, Fred Kanter, Rabbi Spetner and Ron Wilheim. This bold new facility is set to break ground in early September, marking a renewed investment in the future of Jewish learning in Cincinnati.
Over the past 30 years, the Kollel has left an indelible mark on Cincinnati’s Jewish community. As it looks ahead to the next three decades, its mission remains as vital as ever: to bring the power and relevance of Torah study to a new generation, fostering Jewish identity, continuity and connection for years to come.
