Submitted by Cassidy Gossage
Deb and Brett Leonard
Back row, left to right: Brett, Deb, Ellie, Leah’s college roommate Lilly, Hanna, Shachar
Front row, left to right: Leah and Livia
Meet the Leonards. Deb hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Brett is from Long Island, New York. Both living in Cincinnati since the early-90s, Brett and Deb met while skydiving in 1996 and married a year later. They both grew up in Reform Jewish households and now attend Adath Israel Congregation. Deb works in PR for Cincinnati’s Metropolitan Sewer District and Brett works for Fifth Third Bank in the IT department.
The Leonards are very involved in the Jewish community, globally and locally. Brett has been active in Adath’s choir for nearly 14 years. He is a former president of Adath’s Brotherhood group and organizes the yearly candle delivery for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Similarly, Deb is active in Adath Sisterhood, assisting them with PR. Deb also uses her PR experience to serve the Hillel Board at Ohio University, where Leah, Deb’s and Brett’s middle daughter, is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. Hanna, their eldest daughter, works with Deb at the Sewer District. Livia, their youngest daughter, is a Madracha at Adath’s religious school and a United Synagogue Youth Board member. Ellie, Leah’s best friend, is an honorary daughter, coming to live with the Leonards during the COVID-19 pandemic. She now attends university in the UK.
The last few years have been busy for the Leonards. Hanna and Leah took Birthright trips in the Summer of ’22, Hanna in June and Leah in May. After her Birthright trip, Hanna stayed in Israel as part of the Jewish Federation’s Onward Israel program. She interned at Tel Aviv University, exploring her love for botany. Later that summer, the Jewish Federation called the Leonards while they were on vacation in New York, asking if they would host a youth ambassador from Israel through the ShinShinim program. “Sure. When’s he coming?” Deb asked. “Friday.” The Leonards rushed home to prepare their home for their new guest, Shachar, whom the Leonards hosted until early ’23. As fate would have it, Hanna and Shachar realized they had already met during Hanna’s time in Israel! Shachar has become part of the family, even singing a duet with Livia at her Bat Mitzvah in May ’23. In the Summer of ’23, the Leonards hosted another Israeli guest, Ori. Ori was part of an Israeli contingent of campers at Camp Livingston, where Livia was a camper that very summer.
When asked to offer some final encouraging words for readers, this community-oriented couple immediately responded, “Being kind and opening your door to others is often overlooked in society. It costs nothing but pays dividends.”
Karen and Avner Chiriqui
Karen and Avner Chiriqui
Meet Avner and Karen Chiriqui, the proud owners of Kinneret Grill. Avner was born in Morocco, where he lived until his family moved to Israel when he was 12 years old. In his early twenties, he moved to New York City. Karen grew up in Cincinnati, graduated from Ohio State, lived in Israel for a few years and moved to New York for a change of pace. Karen grew up Reform in Cincinnati’s Temple Sholom but became more orthodox as she got older. Similarly, Avner grew up in a traditional Jewish home and began living a more orthodox lifestyle upon moving to New York City. Meeting in New York City, Avner and Karen married, had a few kids, and decided Cincinnati might be a better place to raise a family.
In 2007, looking to change careers, the Chiriquis opened the vegetarian Kinneret Café. Like an epiphany, Avner simply decided, “We are opening a restaurant!” After gaining in popularity, their patrons were eager for them to open a kosher-meat restaurant, and in 2017, Kinneret Grill was born. Their five children — now aged 21 to 33 — practically grew up in the restaurant business. Their daughter, Adina, helped start Kinneret Grill after earning her marketing degree. Their youngest boy, Yonatan, does bookkeeping for the restaurant.
More than a restaurant, the Chiriqui’s feel that Kinneret Grill is a hub of Cincinnati Jewish life. Eager to offer tasty kosher options, the Chiriquis serve their community through food. They cater to the Jewish Federation, orthodox businessmen from overseas, Cinci Journeys, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Sha’arei Torah, their own synagogue. Karen says, “We have an opportunity to serve the Jewish community and their food needs.”
Avner and Karen are thankful for the community’s support. “Thank you to everyone in the Jewish community that supports us! It makes a big difference to us, and we are grateful to serve.”
The American Israelite’s “People of the Year” will continue in next week’s issue.
