May 2009 religion column By Rabbi Samuel Fox, Rabbi Emeritus, Beth Jacob Synagogue Rabbi Samuel Fox The colorful, exciting and jubilant march of the graduation season is rapidly approaching. High schools and colleges across the country are preparing for this important day in the lives of students, parents, relatives, and

On Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m., Dayton Playhouse will present Asher’s Command by Marilyn Felt as part of its Flip Side series. Based on a true story, Asher’s Command takes place in 1988 in the West Bank during the first intifada. Looking back over 18

Archives   This image of a 1928-29 dance class at the Jewish Federation’s JCC at 59 Green Street is among the thousands of photos, documents and artifacts that comprise the collection of the Jewish Federation’s newly established archives By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Last year, most historical materials

Alysa Stanton profile By Sue Fishkoff, JTA Alysa Stanton isn’t particularly interested in being a standard-bearer. Alysa Stanton She’s proud to be black, proud to be a woman and proud to be a 45-year-old single mother who raises her adopted child on her own. And when she says that on

Shmuley on teen sex By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Rabbi Shmuley Boteach A few weeks ago, Oprah featured two teenagers, all of 14 years old, who had decided they were going to progress their fledging relationship to full-on sex. The mother of the boy, hearing of her son’s plans, went to

Maurice Gordon obituary Partisan fighter Maurice Gordon with the Torah his family rescued Englewood resident Maurice Gordon, who served with the partisan resistance in the forests of Belarus during World War II, died on May 20 at his home. He was 78. Gordon and his family were among more than

Nancy Cohen profile The journey to Judaism of Temple Israel’s new president Nancy Cohen at Temple Israel. ‘I’ve always felt embraced, accepted, encouraged.’ By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer A few weeks into her role as president of the Dayton area’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation, Nancy Cohen sits

Student ID By Miriam Mogilevsky, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer BEAVERCREEK — In early May, the U.S. Department of Justice dropped a case against Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, two former employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The former staffers of the powerful pro-Israel lobby were

Grandparents Circle By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer After native Clevelanders Cheryl and Franklin Lewis retired from their jobs, they moved to Dayton in 2004 to be close to their daughter and her family. Their son-in-law isn’t Jewish and their four local grandchildren aren’t being raised as Jews. The

Hillel trip 09 By Marla Guggenheimer, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Hillel Academy graduating eighth-graders at an Ethiopian absorption center in Israel during their class trip in April (L to R): Ari Vandersluis, Riley Jacobs, Tzvi Fox, and Marla Guggenheimer You can’t really know Israel until you experience it