By Samantha Ferraro, JTA Koofteh are Persian meatballs with many different variations, including lima beans or meatballs mixed with only rice, or in this case, a gorgeous mixture of rice, split peas and the most exciting part of the recipe, sabzi. Sabzi is a blend of dried herbs including leeks,

Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site.     To read the complete February 2017 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Robert N. Friedman, 88. Our friend, our mentor, our Dad, slipped away on Jan. 21 in Potomac, Md. Longtime residents of Dayton, Dad and Mom fled the sleet and snow for the sun and tranquility of their adopted home of Naples, Fla. He was predeceased by only seven weeks by

‘We don’t know enough about each other.’ An interview with Dr. Mehnaz Afridi By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, director of the Holocaust, Genocide & Interfaith Education Center of Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y., will present Wright State University’s lecture for International Holocaust Day, Jan. 25

Two leading commentators in American Jewish media from opposite sides of the political spectrum will debate Israeli policy and the United States-Israel alliance, to kick off the Jewish Community Relations Council’s new Israelity discussion series. Forward Editor-At-Large J.J. Goldberg and Commentary Magazine Senior Online Editor/Chief Political Blogger Jonathan S. Tobin

By Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin, Chabad of Greater Dayton Among the great comforts of this coldest and darkest season of the year is snuggling up with a good book. Not always does that mean we are turning to things we believe to be lofty. Comfort reading and dutiful reading mostly point

Back To Basics Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The arrival of Christmas trees, store sales, and holiday music regularly launch a flurry of articles about the December Dilemma: How should Christmas intersect with the lives of American Jews? Author Jan Larkin writes, “My

With Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer Beth Abraham Synagogue Sisterhood has announced its 2017 Women Of Valor honorees: Rena Beyer, Leslie Buerki, Debbie DiSalvo, Beverly Farnbacher, Esther Feldman, Linda Horenstein, and Susan Joffe. The Women of Valor luncheon will be held on May 3. Bonnie Parish, executive director

Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site.     To read the complete January 2017 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

By Ronnie Fein, JTA Koshary, an Egyptian specialty, is one of the best vegetarian dishes I have ever tasted. It’s street food, sold everywhere you look, including carts and stalls in Cairo — along with everywhere else in Egypt. It’s carb-loaded and comforting, bountifully flavorful and rib-sticking. My grandma would