Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
The Cohen Family Leaders in Light Institute began its third cohort on Thursday, September 17, 2026, convening fifteen leaders from across Greater Cincinnati for a year-long fellowship that prepares them to recognize extremism, understand how it spreads, and act where they already lead. The Institute is a program of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), the public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Ideas that once existed on the fringes of American public life have moved into the mainstream. Political polarization has hardened. Loneliness and disconnection, especially among young people, have opened new pathways to radicalization. Nine in ten Americans say antisemitism affects society as a whole and that everyone is responsible for confronting it, according to the American Jewish Committee. Far fewer are in a position to do something about it.
The Institute was built in 2021 to close that distance: a cohort-based fellowship that prepares trusted community leaders to recognize hate, name it, and stand against it in spaces where they already lead. This latest cohort reflects the breadth of Cincinnati’s civic life. Its Fellows lead in corporate law and banking, public schools and universities, congregations, city government, the arts, and some of the region’s largest nonprofits. They were selected not only for the influence they carry in the institutions they serve, but for their commitment to the health and vibrancy of Cincinnati.
The Cohort 3 Fellows are:
David Boyles, Senior Counsel, GE Aerospace
Randi Burlew, Founder, The Burlew Group
Suparna Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Global Cultures, Xavier University
Brandon Craig, Board President, Cincinnati Public Schools; Assistant Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, University of Cincinnati
Deidre Hazelbaker, Executive Director, Equasion; Loveland City Councilmember
Yisroel Kauffman, Assistant Rabbi, Congregation Zichron; Executive Director, New Horizons Recovery Centers
Alex Linser, Chair, Hamilton County Democratic Party
Ross Meyer, Vice President for Strategy, Interact for Health
Brice Mickey, Advisor and Senior Facilitator, Co-Hear
Nickol Mora, Founder, Portón Events; Former Board President, Design Impact
Amelia Orr, Vice President, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati
Gladys Pope, Community Program Manager, 3CDC
Charlie Schlimm, Relationship Manager and Vice President, PNC Bank
Jenna Shaifer, Owner, Ombre Gallery; Office of Cincinnati Councilmember Anna Albi
Wendy Strickler, President, Forest Hills Board of Education; Professor, Mount Saint Joseph University
The opening session, “How Extremism Went Mainstream,” took place September 17. Its keynote speaker was Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians,and the Hijacking of the American Conversation. Marantz’s reporting traces how a small group of online provocateurs used social media to push extreme ideas from the fringe into everyday politics, and what community leaders can do to reclaim a credible voice. A reception and book signing followed.
The Institute convened its first cohort in 2021 and its second in 2023. Each cohort moves through seven seminars between September and April, paired with projects that address hate and extremism in Cincinnati directly.
About the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati envisions an exceptional Cincinnati Jewish community and, through the community-wide strategic plan Cincinnati 2030, brings diverse groups together to build it. We raise money and use a volunteer-driven, transparent process to distribute it to the local, national, and global programs that need it most. We connect our community agencies with the leaders and expertise they need to thrive. And we work to protect Jewish security by educating the community and advocating for Israel. We do all of this to help people in need, create an engaged community, assure our Jewish future, and support the Jewish people in Cincinnati, in Israel, and throughout the world.
About the Jewish Community Relations Council
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the non-partisan public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Its mission is to protect Jewish security, recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. To achieve this mission, it advocates for the local Jewish community through Israel education; fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and racism; and building understanding with other ethnic, religious, and civic organizations.
