Image Courtesy: Mayerson JCC.
Holly Wolfson announcing the renovation of the PJ Patch at the Mayerson JCC Annual Meeting, September 30, 2026
Submitted by Mayerson JCC
The Mayerson JCC held their annual meeting on Wednesday, September 30 in celebration of 18 years at their current location in Amberley Village. Board President Bob Oestreicher spoke about the need for the Jewish community to have a home, as well as the importance of fostering interfaith relationships with the Greater Cincinnati area. “Before this building, the J knew a kind of exile of its own, years without a home,” he said. “Eighteen years later, this building is where we do the work of connection, one relationship at a time.”
At the meeting, Adi Carmi and Melissa Acklen were nominated as new board members. Jen Stein and Yael Newman have completed their board terms. Jody Brant will serve as president-elect this year before taking over as board president in 2027. Jody is president and CEO of Katz Teller. Beyond the office, he has volunteered to lead several community organizations: serving as board chair of Cincinnati Country Day School, Easterseals, and JVS Careers. Along the way, Country Day honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award, and just this year, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation named him its Bridge Builder Award recipient.
CEO Holly Wolfson talked about joining the JCC in 2008, the same year it opened. “My father-in-law, Steve Wolfson, was so excited that the ‘Center’ was opening, that he signed up our entire family for memberships,” Wolfson said.
She described the memories she made with her family at the J including attending music classes and workout classes, and taking the opportunity to connect with other moms. Eventually, she found her professional home at the J. She talked about her executive vision for the JCC and her four priorities: Operational Excellence, Financial Stability, Staff Culture, and Programmatic Excellence.
“Our goal is to build relationships first and then create opportunities for Jewish connection across the lifespan, from our youngest children through our oldest adults.” She ended by acknowledging the donors to the 2008 capital campaign that helped see the Mayerson JCC become a reality, as well as those who continue to support the J today. “Eighteen years ago, I walked through these doors looking for connection. Today, I have the extraordinary privilege of helping make sure that door remains open for everyone who comes next.”
The 2026 Kovod Award was given to Steve Zawatsky. Zawatsky has served as a captain in both the JCC softball and basketball leagues, bringing his competitive spirit and love of the game to the JCC courts and fields. For the past six years, he has volunteered as a coach for the JCC Blue Jays youth baseball and basketball teams.
Ronnie Shore was honored with the 2026 Sigmund M. Cohen Memorial Award. Shore has spent a lifetime giving her time, energy, and talent to the Cincinnati and Jewish community. Since the building opened in 2008, she has taken a great interest in the beautification of the courtyard and JCC grounds, most recently sponsoring a landscaping refresh this fall.
Shore is also a dedicated volunteer with the Jewish Federation. CEO Danielle Minson shared this about her commitment: “Ronnie was ahead of our time, in paving the way for Women’s leadership as a past Women’s Campaign Chair for the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Ronnie continues to mentor and support women leadership and women’s causes.”
The final award of the evening was the Nadiv Award, given to people who have played a significant role in the transformation of the JCC through unusual acts of kindness, generosity, and hard work. This year, the award was given to Toby Samet, a beloved former JCC staff member who passed away last fall.
Toby was a fixture in the Cincinnati Jewish community for 89 years. She dedicated decades of her life to educating children in our community. Toby taught Hebrew and religious school at Adath Israel Congregation beginning in 1966, while also teaching kindergarten at Yavneh Day School (now Rockwern Academy). She later taught preschool at the Jewish Community Center in Roselawn and was the director and teacher at the Adath Israel preschool. Throughout the years, she touched the lives of generations of Cincinnati’s Jewish community.
Her hobbies included gardening and animal conservation. She served as a volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo for 25 years. In her retirement, Toby was a fixture at the Welcome Desk, greeting guests with her signature raccoon puppet and serving as the community’s bubbe in the PJ Patch.
The evening concluded with Wolfson announcing the renovation of the PJ Patch in honor of Samet. “We’re proud to dedicate this new space in her memory, so that young children in our community, and their families, have a place to gather and connect,” Wolfson said.
