By Rochel Simon, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer I grew up in a religious, Orthodox home. We followed strict Kosher laws and kept all Jewish holidays. I have wonderful memories growing up with my six siblings in Ann Arbor, Mich., where my parents are the Chabad rabbi and rebbetzin.

By Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin, Chabad of Greater Dayton There were many reasons why my path should never have crossed that of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose 20th yahrzeit (anniversary of his death) the world has just marked. My Jewish experience was limited to the liberal variety, and my

Dayton’s Jews of color share their stories By Michelle Tedford, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Janice Davies-May’s most recent steps on her lifelong spiritual journey were down the hallway at Temple Israel. It was the first Shabbat after her Oct. 19 Bat Mitzvah with the temple’s adult B’nai Mitzvah class.

Ousted rabbi sues previous congregation in Pa. claiming interference with his contract at Dayton synagogue By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer In an Oct. 23 letter sent to members of Beth Jacob Congregation, President Dr. Herman Abromowitz wrote that he and the three other executive officers of the synagogue’s

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Rabbi Janice Garfunkel, who served as the rabbi of Temple Sholom in Springfield from 2004 to 2010, died on Oct. 26 in Cincinnati after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 54. Born in New Jersey, she and her family moved to

How the Great Dayton Flood shifted the course of Jewish life here By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer For nearly three days, the Israel family huddled on the roof and in the attic of their home, 241 Sycamore St. in Dayton. Trapped above the waters March 23-25 during the

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Two note cards are pinned to the bulletin board next to Barry Serotkin’s desk.  One reads, “Stay Calm. Carry On.” The other has one word: “Think.” Barry says he posted those messages “just as reminders that we should show everybody the proper respect.”

Above, you’ll see the sheet music cover for a Yiddish song. Written in 1912, The Titanic’s Disaster honors the memory of Isidor and Ida Straus, who bravely went down with the ship in the early hours of April 15, 1912. If one thinks at all about Jewish connections to the

Bernice Berkenfield, age 96 of Kettering, passed away on Feb. 25 at The Suites at Walnut Creek, Kettering. “Barney” was born June 28, 1915 in Pittsburgh, Pa. to the late Benjamin and Rhea (Klineman) Steinberg. She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Morton R. Dworken of

Availability of kosher food sheds light on immigration via England By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Of the 2,225 people aboard Titanic on its maiden voyage, 1,512 perished in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic when the ship went down in the early hours of April 15, 1912.