By Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel Election Day is almost upon us. With real health concerns due to Covid-19, I fear some might decide it’d be easier to stay at home than to head to the polls. This is, of course, why we’ve seen numerous debates about early and mail-in

Considering Creation: A New Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek The Dayton Jewish Observer For centuries, scholars and scientists, clergy and commoners have argued about the Creation story. Are the Bible’s opening verses about the unfolding of the cosmos, the origins of life, and the birth of humanity

With Scott Halasz, The Dayton Jewish Observer Skyler Miller was awarded the Martin C. Kuntz 1912 Award of Excellence as an outstanding junior in mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton. Miami Valley School senior William Groger has been named a National Merit Semifinalist, a designation reserved for students in

For its 2020-21 season, the JCC will present its Cultural Arts and Book Series virtually, with 15 programs spread out from Oct. 22 through May 5. As with last season’s Dayton Jewish Film Fest, the JCC will offer these programs free. “At this point in time, we have scheduled all

Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site.       To read the complete October 2020 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

The Synagogue Forum of Greater Dayton will present its 17-session Introduction to Judaism course on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom, beginning Oct. 19 and running through March 15. The annual class is open to anyone interested in Jewish learning, dialogue, and exploration. The course offers an in-depth

Bernice Ezekiel Brant died Sept. 9 in Dayton. Born in 1927 in New York City, her warm and loving family consisted of parents Lilian and Edward, and little brother David. She adored the city: roller-skating over the Washington Bridge and spending summers at Brighton Beach with her grandmother. When her

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer When a member of Dayton’s Jewish community posted a photo on Facebook Sept. 16 of an antisemitic sticker pasted on the rear of a strip club’s van, her friends could see the sticker really was on the van’s rear. Rachel Haug Gilbert and

How Dayton’s daily newspapers covered local Jewish life — long before local Jewish newspapers did By Marshall Weiss Reprinted with permission from Ohio Genealogy News, Summer 2020 On the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1863, Dayton’s 40-plus Jewish families held a grand celebration: the dedication of the first synagogue building

‘So many hearts are overwhelmed with sorrow’ One more palpable cause of worry and grief piled on top of the Great War. By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Although The Dayton Daily News reported on Oct. 5, 1918 that Dayton Health Commissioner Dr. A.O. Peters thought there was undue