By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Mendel Mangel and his brother Lazer of Crown Heights, Brooklyn drove to their hometown of Dayton in mid-March to get away from the Covid-19 surge about to hit the New York area. But he had no idea it had already hit him. Now,

With hospital rotations on hold because of the coronavirus this semester, Jessica Sokol, a third-year student with Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, is volunteering as assistant to Dr. Michael Dohn, medical director of Public Health — Dayton and Montgomery County. “I’m helping out with projects that he works

When Rebecca Blumer first heard about the opportunity to spend a semester in Israel with the Reform movement’s high school program there, she knew it was for her. “I wanted to learn more about my Jewish identity and about the history of the Jewish people,” Rebecca, an Oakwood High School

Our Dual Heritage Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Prevented from gathering — or even extensive shopping — for Passover seders this year due to Covid-19, Jews across the country were at first despairing. But hope doesn’t die so easily. Synagogues, caterers, Jewish organizations,

By Melissa Klurman, The Nosher My grandmother, Mama Pearl, was 99 when she passed away last February. She was my baking buddy and Crisco guru. She taught me to make apple pie when I still had to stand on a stool to reach the counter, and I’m now the keeper

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

By Ben Harris, JTA As the coronavirus pandemic forced Jews around the world to navigate a Passover in which large family gatherings were all but impossible, an unusual question posed to a group of Israeli rabbis led to an extraordinary answer. The question was whether it might be permissible for

Charlotte Hannah Ross Bloom, age 96, formerly of Dayton, passed away April 9 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where she had been living. Mrs. Bloom was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome Bloom; parents, Abraham and Francis Ross; and brother, Matthew Ross. She is survived by her children, Barbara (Jim)

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer As the Dayton area’s Jewish community was shutting down its in-person programs and services in compliance with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s directives to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, it was rapidly building virtual communities to keep people connected. And Jewish Family Services was steeling

By Rabbi Judy Chessin, Temple Beth Or This spring, the coronavirus has created an unprecedented crisis in our lifetimes. Already we were learning to cope with extremism in politics and religion, divisive elections, and antisemitism both here and abroad. Now the Covid-19 virus has become a global pandemic filling many