ish

Bold Jewish Idea

ish is a Cincinnati-based, community engagement organization centering  Jewish arts and cultural traditions as a platform for connecting artists with communities to create new experiences, inspire pride in Jewish and intersectional identity, and foster appreciation of Cincinnati history and Jewish peoplehood. ish is a disruptor, adapter, and instigator of social-cultural change. We are a movement for creative expression, inclusion, human-centered design, and cross-cultural collaboration to strengthen community connections and improve our quality of life. Whether Jewish, Jew-ish, (or just here for the matzah!), ish brings people together in artistic and cultural exploration, and through that exploration, builds understanding.

What it looks like

Founded in 2016 as Cincinnati’s Jewish arts and culture festival, ish explores the wide spectrum of intersectional identities and presents a dynamic selection of artists, vendors, works of art, food, music, and cultural activities from traditional to contemporary, religious to secular, Jew-ish to non-Jewish. Through year-round arts and cultural experiences, ish celebrates Jewish heritage outwardly with pride, connecting local artists with community members and curious culture seekers from around the region, country, and globe. By highlighting diverse voices, identities, traditions, and arts disciplines, ish seeks to authentically represent the complexity of Cincinnati’s changing Jewish demographic.

Given Cincinnati’s history as the oldest Jewish community west of the Allegheny Mountains and home to a thriving arts community, we believe that Cincinnati presents an ideal platform to celebrate and transform art and Jewish culture, forming a powerful tool to break down barriers, express our authentic identities outwardly with pride, forge connections, and deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.