By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Yellow Springs resident Ellis Jacobs says he became aware of the plight of Springfield’s Haitians the same way as people across the United States. “Trump and Vance decided to demonize them and scapegoat them in a shocking, appalling, and all-too-familiar way. And you

Michael Kimmel’s new book traces how first-generation Jews created the dolls, games, comics and stories that shaped generations of children. By Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTA On Saturday mornings in the 1960s and ’70s, instead of going to synagogue, I watched cartoons. Like millions of other American kids, I binged on Fat

A student at Centerville’s Watts Middle School deliberately drew a swastika on his arm in front of two Jewish students on the playground at recess Sept. 2. “Right when I was made aware, I pulled that kid from class, and (the student) did not go back to class until I

Elaine Arnovitz sat for an interview with The Observer on Feb. 17, three days before she was to retire. The evening prior to her final day — after 14 years as Beth Abraham’s business director — a fire suppression system valve broke, flooding the second and first floors of the

Stand-up comedian, former Israel Defense Forces “lone soldier,” and National Jewish Book Award-winning author Joel Chasnoff will present a benefit performance for Hillel Academy Jewish day school at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18. A native of Evanston, Ill. who now lives in Ra’anana, Israel, Chasnoff is the author of The

America 250 — Part Four In the news series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The Relative Influence of European Thinkers and the Bible on American Political Thought. How the Bible influenced the Founding Fathers. Proclaim Liberty: How the Hebrew Bible Molded America. The Hebrew

Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz, who lives in Cincinnati, will deliver the keynote address for Hadassah Dayton’s 100th Birthday Grand Centennial Celebration Party, 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11. “The event will be a tribute to past and current Dayton Hadassah members and it is open to the community,” said

After 46 years as a judge with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio — seven of them as chief judge — Walter H. Rice retired from the federal bench Aug. 28. As reported by the Dayton Daily News, the 89-year-old judge will occasionally preside over reentry

Dayton’s Jewish Family Services will offer the community a grief and loss support group on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., beginning Sept. 24. JFS Mental Health Clinician Bonnie Parish will facilitate the group, which she describes as a “caring, confidential, and supportive environment where individuals experiencing the loss of

Look for Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site!     To read the complete October 2026 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.