16 Changemakers and leaders from Cleveland’s black and Jewish communities
Rekindle, Cleveland’s Black-Jewish dialogue, announces that its ninth cohort of Rekindle Fellows has started. Since its founding in 2021, Rekindle has graduated eight cohorts, totaling 119 Fellows, representing a diverse group of black and Jewish leaders from around Greater Cleveland. Each Fellow engages in the 15-hour Rekindle curriculum (five meetings of three hours each), plus numerous one-on-one meetings, readings, assessments, and homework. The program also encourages informal and formal collaborations between Fellows, with the goal of creating a Black-Jewish collaboration that builds a more equitable and inclusive Northeast Ohio.
Rekindle accepted 16 Fellows, split evenly between the two communities. Rekindle Fellows are already proven change-makers, and this experience is meant to accelerate their impact through creating new collaborations and partnerships across interfaith and intercultural lines.
Cohort 9 is moderated by (right to left): LaRaun Clayton, Trysa Shulman, and Ilene Frankel. Not pictured is the fourth moderator, AdeOlomo Dansi. Catherine Holloway and Jeff Mixon are participants.
The Cohort 9 Fellows are:
- Sean Benjamin, Director of Digital Strategy, Jewish Federation of Cleveland
- Zoe Bluffestone, Associate Regional Director at ADL Cleveland
- Bishop Chui, Assistant Director, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates
- Jeannie Citerman Kraeger, retired
- Michelle Felder, CEO Felder & Co and Founder, Cotton Blocks
- Rachel Fink, Managing Director, Cleveland Play House
- Joseph Fuller, Minister, Fuller New Door Church
- Catherine Holloway, Etiquette Consulting Services, Owner
- Beth Innenberg, Talent Acquisition Partner
- Markita Jackson, Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
- Joshua Kuritzky IT Manager (Architecture), Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- Sharyn Lowenkamp, Project Manager Oracle
- Jeff Mixon, community activist
- Jeffrey Rockland, Associate Professor - Kent State University
- Michael White, Furnace Operator-Federal Metal Co.
- Darnell Wilson, Talis Clinical - Project Manager
Charmaine Rice, co-founder, Board President, and a driving force behind Rekindle, highlighted the broader vision, saying, "Every cohort, we see individuals who are eager to learn, share, and act. They're not just talking; they're making real change. By investing in these leaders, we’re not only making strides in Cleveland but also setting a national example for how interfaith and interracial dialogues can lead to actionable justice.”
Cohort 9 Fellows at their first meeting at EDWINS Restaurant on October 13, 2024.
Upon completion of the Fellowship, Rekindle alumni are eligible to receive Collaboration Grants, which provide up to $1,000 to fund joint projects that connect the two communities. To date, Collaboration Grants have funded programs such as a breakfast increasing awareness for a policing reform effort, which drew 40 attendees from the black, Jewish, and Cleveland communities; a Black-Jewish concert in Elyria; and a joint community gardening project that beautified a corner of the Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood of Cleveland.
Rekindle is also built to scale nationally, with twenty chapters either launched or in formation around the country. To date, 60 Fellows have graduated from the cohorts in Tampa, Omaha, Detroit, New Jersey, and Rochester.
Rekindle's co-founder and Executive Director, Matthew Fieldman, emphasized the critical impact of the program, stating: "Rekindle has created a safe space where leaders from black and Jewish communities can come together to break down barriers and build mutual respect and understanding. The connections and collaborations formed here have led to transformative social actions that benefit the entire community.”
Interested adults are invited to review the commitments and apply online for cohort 10, starting in 2025, on the Rekindle website.
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