Beth Jacob’s Sixth Jewish Women Inspiring Jewish Women luncheon will be held at 11 a.m., Sunday, June 14 with speakers Sandy Sloane-Brenner, Renate Frydman, Judy Heller, Lori Lipp, Cantor Andrea Raizen, and Mary ‘Mahira’ Rogers. The cost is $26. Beth Jacob is located at 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Township. RSVP by June 5 to bethjacob1@aol.com.

Ohio Jewish Communities announced it has hired Josh Kramer as its new CEO beginning June 1. A Cleveland native and Ohio State University graduate, Josh returns to Ohio from his work as director of the American Jewish Committee New York Regional Office. With AJC, he led advocacy initiatives fighting antisemitism, strengthening U.S.-Israel relations, as well as government engagement and public diplomacy. Prior to his work at AJC, Kramer held senior roles in government and nonprofit sectors, including at University Hospitals in the Cleveland area.

He began his career in public service with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio House of Representatives and has remained engaged in Jewish communal leadership through board and volunteer roles in Cleveland and beyond. Josh has also studied abroad at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Vilnius University. He takes over at OJC from Howie Beigelman, who served as its CEO for more than a decade; Howie and his family have made aliyah (immigrated to Israel). OJC is the lobbying arm of Ohio’s eight Jewish Federations. Meryl Goldman serves as Dayton’s representative on the OJC board.

Sonny Saeks is spearheading the launch of the newly revived Greater Cincinnati Jewish Genealogical Society. Born and raised in Dayton, Sonny began tracing his own family tree decades ago. “I want to help others in Cincinnati discover their roots, preserve their family stories, and feel the same deep connection to the generations that came before,” he explained. Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History, a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, is a cosponsor of its inaugural event, Ancestry Meets AI: Tracing Your Roots Using the Latest Hi-Tech Tools, with MyHeritage Chief Genealogist Officer Daniel Horowitz, 7 p.m., Monday, April 27 at Adath Israel Congregation in Cincinnati.

Sam Kessler, chief and managing editor of Fulcrum Global, the publishing arm of The Society for Defense and Strategic Studies at American Military University, has published the essay, Staying sane and resilient in a cognitive and information warfare environment, at fulcrumglobal.us. Sam is president of SDSS and one of the founders of Fulcrum Global, which aims to foster a nonpartisan environment to study and enhance advocacy, research, and knowledge pertaining to complex national security issues.

Mah-jongg mavens take note and get your sets ready: All The Best Delicatessen will host mah-jongg games Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m. and Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. beginning May 6 and 7. Single players and groups at all skill levels are encouraged to join by making reservations to the deli in advance. Players will also receive discounts on meals before or after their games.

Send your Mazel Tov announcements to mweiss@jfgd.net.

To read the complete May 2026 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.