Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
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Home / Our Newest Guardians: Karen and Stuart Zanger

Our Newest Guardians: Karen and Stuart Zanger

Karen and Stu Zanger

In the afternoon hours of New Year’s Eve 2019, my husband Stuart and I made a decision that felt like a satisfying way to start to 2020. We made the commitment to support Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati beyond the length of our own lives, through a pledge to Create Your Jewish Legacy. It was a decision that was a rather long time in the making, even if it was probably a foregone conclusion!

Stu and I love what’s made Cincinnati our Jewish home for 32 years now—our temple, our havurah, and those we have worked beside in all sorts of community projects. Beloved friends and family who have passed on, as well as local icons we have watched from a distance, have modeled for us a spirit of communal work and multi-generational commitment to Jewish philanthropy. That spirit has nurtured so many great institutions here for the past 200 years, and now we feel ready to do our part.

We chose to make our legacy pledge to Jewish Cemeteries for many reasons. As a JCGC board member for the past few years, I have been impressed with how devoted its staff and volunteer leadership are to the organization’s unique mission. Every step along the way, from answering the phone to handling data to operating a shovel, its people take to heart the sacred trust placed in them by every individual that JCGC’s work touches. My children’s generation deserve to be met at the end of their lives by the same compassion and respect.

Also, I love and have never feared cemeteries. As a kid in Milford, I had a friend whose foster parents were on-site caretakers of a cemetery, so she and I spent many pleasant hours in her familiar space. My parents took our family on explorations of historic sites and Native American burial grounds, and encouraged us to honor the space but stay curious. So, I was excited when I was invited to join the Board, and honored to be asked by one of JCGC’s Founders, Ed Marks. I’m glad to be able to help in work which will preserve our Jewish cemeteries.

Finally, I credit Jewish Cemeteries in part for our family’s recent very “deep dive” into all our branches’ genealogy, led by our daughter, Jess. I believe that knowing about JCGC “from the inside” helped motivate her, and therefore us. We have now discovered and visited family graves in two Jewish cemeteries on Long Island, in a ridge-top cemetery near Horseheads, NY, in a gravesite hidden in trees and brush in a Cincinnati industrial park, and even in pioneer cemeteries in College Hill and Lebanon—plus many more graves located online via databases, of which ours at JCGC is a part. The stories of all those lives were not lost to us, in part because people performed sacred burials and then preserved cemeteries and records. This is exactly the work of Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, and it doesn’t come cheap. Stu and I feel lucky to be able to help sustain it with our Create Your Jewish Legacy gift. We hope many will join us.

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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    5 days ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    We had the great honor of hosting Roberto Mighty and crew this week in preparation for the second season of "The World's Greatest Cemeteries." Thank you to Jack Rabenstein and ALL community members who made this project happen! ... See MoreSee Less

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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    2 weeks ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    We can't wait to welcome American Public Television (APT) to our cemeteries next week as they film the second season of “World’s Greatest Cemeteries." We look forward to sharing the incredible history of the Chestnut Street Cemetery and highlighting the important contributions of those buried in our cemeteries. Learn more in this Cincinnati CityBeat article.#JewishCemeteries #JewishCincy200 ... See MoreSee Less

    Cincinnati’s Jewish Cemeteries to be Featured on American Public Television's 'World’s Greatest Cemeteries' Series

    www.citybeat.com

    American Public Television will be coming to the Queen City June 30 and taping will continue through July 1.
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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    4 weeks ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    We are thrilled to share that JCGC Board Member Marlene Ostrow was honored with the Mesel Wieder Mensch Award at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Sustainers event on Wednesday. You might know Marlene as a dedicated volunteer who serves as the Chair of JCGC's Create Your Jewish Legacy Team, former Co-Chair of the Chestnut Street Committee, and as a member of the JCGC Executive Committee, Marketing Committee, and 200th Committee. This is all in addition to the volunteer work she does with many area organizations. Marlene is a “doer” who gets things done and leads by example. We are grateful to have her talents on the JCGC Board. Join us in giving Marlene a big “mazel tov!”The Mesel Wieder Mensch Award was established in 1999. The award recognizes a member of the Cincinnati Jewish Community who personifies the meaning of the Yiddish word “Mensch.” A mensch is someone who is sensitive and cares about other human beings and is concerned about and works for the Jewish community. They do this without fanfare or any expectation of public recognition.Pictured: Marlene Ostrow, JCGC Board Member, and David Harris, Executive Director of JCGC#JewishCemeteries ... See MoreSee Less

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Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
3400 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45207
513-961-0178

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