Rabbis recited prayers and Psalms, leaders of Jewish community organizations lit memorial candles, and “victory before peace” emerged as a rallying cry at the Jewish Federation’s program to mark one year to the day since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre. From the podium of the multipurpose room at the

Story and Photos by Talia Doninger, Special to The Dayton Jewish Observer Local Native Americans visited children with Beth Abraham Synagogue’s religious school Oct. 13 to share the art of their traditional storytelling. The Conservative congregation’s new religious school director, Elyssa Wortzman, organized the program to explore how Native Americans

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Who do you call when you need volunteers to help clean headstones at a cemetery that dates to 1875? In Beth Jacob Congregation’s case, they called on the Air Force Junior ROTC at Tecumseh High School in New Carlisle. Nine cadets teamed up

By Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz As you are aware, the situation in Springfield has been quite tenuous over the past several weeks. All of us should be deeply concerned by what is happening in our backyard. Springfield residents are facing bomb threats and gatherings of neo-Nazis and White supremacists. Jewish values

  Mendel Mangel, son of Devorah and Rabbi Nochum Mangel, has received his rabbinic ordination through Chabad’s Machon Limud Halacha Lemaan Yilmedu program. Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Marc Lubitz is now practicing with Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Miamisburg. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Marc graduated from Wright State University’s

The Synagogue Forum of Greater Dayton presents its 14-session Introduction to Judaism course on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Nov. 12 and running through March 4. The annual class is open to anyone interested in Jewish learning, dialogue, and exploration. A hybrid course, some sessions are held at

By Talia Doninger, Special to The Dayton Jewish Observer Lolita set the literary world of 1955 on fire. Controversial, provocative, and polarizing, Vladimir Nabokov’s novel was rejected by multiple publishers before George Weidenfeld took a chance on it. Critics called it obscene, bookstores hesitated to display it. But for Weidenfeld,

Sacred Speech Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The Talmud tells of a man who prepared a party, but the invitation to his friend Kamtza mistakenly went to his sworn enemy, Bar Kamtza. When the host discovered his enemy at the party, he ordered,

By Rabbi Leibel Agar, Beth Jacob Congregation As November rolls around, my thoughts turn to Thanksgiving. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is a chance to take a break from work or school and hang out with our families. We gather around the table and share a big dinner of turkey and

The Dayton region’s Jewish day school, Hillel Academy, will host One Enchanting Evening, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16 at the PNC Arts Annex, 46 W. Second St., Dayton. The fundraiser will feature the Hauer Swing Band, a gaming parlor, kosher hors d’oeuvres and desserts, cocktails and mocktails. The cost is