Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month at this site and in The Dayton Jewish Observer.

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer At its meeting on Jan. 20, the board of the Jewish Federation approved Jewish Family Services’ three-year strategic plan, which aims to meet newly-identified needs in the Dayton Jewish community. Specifics of the plan — which grew out of a community survey and

Following intense public pressure, Kettering man provides Jewish bill of divorce to ‘chained woman’ in Israel By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer After more than eight years of waiting, Adina Porat finally received her get — a Jewish bill of divorce — in a ceremony with the Israeli Rabbinate

Steve Stuhlbarg, the convivial frontman of the Cincinnati Klezmer Project — who charmed audiences with his guitar playing, Yiddish singing, and gentle storytelling — died Jan. 3 after a brief illness. A lawyer with his own practice in Cincinnati by day, Stuhlbarg joined the Klezmer Project in 1994, a year after

By Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer We’ve all heard that the Jewish people are one big family. For evidence in the Miami Valley, look no further than Pam and Andy Schwartz of Oakwood, and Renana and Assaf Harel of Bellbrook. In fall 2014, Israelis Renana and Assaf and

By Rabbi David Burstein, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer The Jewish commentator Rashi said that Avram (Abraham) gave up four things by following God’s command. He gave up his birthplace, his home, his extended family, and his name. But in exchange for all of these losses and for following

With Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer Beth Abraham Synagogue Sisterhood has announced the recipients of its 2016 Women of Valor Awards: Marcia Kress, Beverly Louis, Joan Marcus, Myrna Nelson, Jane Novick, Wendi Pavlofsky, and Hyla Weiskind. The women will be honored for their achievements in the Jewish and

The Jewish Internet with Mark Mietkiewicz, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer The image is too familiar. A stabbing in Jerusalem. A shooting in Beersheba. A rocket exploding in Sderot. Within moments, Israeli emergency workers appear on the scene, willing to risk their lives to save the wounded, comfort those

Jew in the Christian World Jewish Family Education Series By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Mention to a Jewish audience that 56 percent of Israel’s tourists in 2015 were Christian and you’ll see an untroubled yawn. Note that the Jewish state owes its renaissance in part to evangelical

Leshon Ima – Mother Tongue with Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer I don’t have to tell you that winter is here. The birds migrate south and even some people follow their path as they endeavor to escape the cold, harsh northern season. The Hebrew word