Temple Israel and Omega Baptist Church will hold their 30th pulpit exchange over MLK weekend. The tradition began in 1994 with Rabbi P. Irving Bloom and Pastor Daryl Ward when Omega Baptist purchased Temple Israel’s building on Emerson Avenue and Temple Israel moved to Riverside Drive.

Pastor Joshua Ward will deliver the sermon at Temple Israel’s Shabbat service, 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17. An Oneg reception will follow the service.

Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz will deliver the sermon at Omega Baptist Church’s 11 a.m. service, Sunday, Jan. 19.

Temple Israel is located at 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. Omega Baptist is located at 1821 Emerson Ave., Dayton. For more information, call Temple Israel at 937-496-0050 or Omega Baptist at 937-278-1006.

Members of Beth Abraham Synagogue and The Potter’s House will come together at Beth Abraham for a Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat service, 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 18.

Pastor Ken Moss will join Rabbi Aubrey Glazer for a bima dialogue about King’s enduring teachings. A kiddush lunch will follow services. Youths with both congregations will take part in a sacred choreography workshop led by Beth Abraham Synagogue Religious School Director Elyssa Wortzman and Potter’s House sacred dancers.

Beth Abraham Synagogue is located at 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. For more information, call the synagogue at 937-293-9520.

To read the complete January 2025 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.