Check out The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site.     To read the complete December 2019 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Daniel Cohen passed the Virginia bar exam in October. He is the son of Rich and Nancy Cohen. Josh Halpern made a cameo appearance back in Dayton Oct. 30 to perform with the Rodin Trio. The ensemble was founded in 2011 and has performed in some of the most important

Dr. Allen Ronald Ross passed away at age 87, Nov. 11 in Dayton. He is survived by devoted wife of 63 years, Helen E. Ross, and by three wonderful sons, David (Deborah), Richard, and Marc; four loving grandchildren, Rachel (Harry) Wolff, Cameron (Scott) Fussey, Gabriel, and Carter Ross; and one

By Martha Moody Jacobs, Special To The Observer Melanie Barrett, 20 years old and a junior at Wittenberg University, is an entrepreneur who designs and markets clothing. You might imagine she sells custom T-shirts or dresses made of repurposed fabrics. No. Barrett’s passion is creating specialized apparel for people in

By Masada Siegel, Special To The Observer Independent film and television producer Marra B. Gad says she wrote The Color of Love: A Story of a Mixed Race Jewish Girl so that young, Jewish kids of color will know that there is beauty and pride in living exactly as they

By Marc Katz, Special To The Observer Hawked as a sports story featuring the mid-20th century heights and depths of success and scandal, New York Times bestselling author Matthew Goodman’s new book, the City Game (only part of the title), relies as much on a civilian-life narrative of the mid-1950s

With Scott Halasz, The Dayton Jewish Observer Ethan Zied’s desire to place a U.S. flag at the grave of his maternal grandfather, Howard Mason, has helped Ethan become an Eagle Scout candidate. And there’s a good chance as you read this that his project has been accepted. Ethan, the son

A Bisel Kisel With Masha Kisel, The Dayton Jewish Observer “You’re a Jubu!” exclaimed my friend Jaime, who was also Jewish and much more worldly than me. Jaime was coming through town on her way back to the University of Santa Barbara, where apparently “Jubus” were plentiful. I took her

Our Dual Heritage Series Jewish Family Education With Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Some of the most memorable images of aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel) reveal the sheer jubilation and incredulity of travel-weary, barefoot Ethiopians, from toddlers to the aged, kneeling to kiss the ground as they step

By Rabbi Joshua Marder I told my wife I was going to bed early last Tuesday night. I was wrong. At 10:30 p.m., my anticipated bedtime, I found myself in the car taking one of my kids to the ER. It was a beautiful and extremely unpleasant experience. No one