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

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer When the Sinai Scholars program established a Judaic studies track at The Miami Valley School in 2009, a goal of its founders was to prepare Jewish high school students to defend Judaism and Israel against negative attacks when they would go to college.

By Jackie Congedo and David Bernstein The resurgence of antisemitism on both sides of the ideological spectrum, exhibited in novel and sometimes deadly ways, demands that Jewish communities reevaluate priorities and create new strategies to combat it. In the latter part of the 20th century, American Jews enjoyed a welcome

New surveys shed light on overlooked segments. By Shira Hanau New York Jewish Week They are coming of age with Parkland and Pittsburgh and the hyper-polarized politics of Washington. And whether you call them the iGeneration or Gen Z, today’s teens and young adults — feeling at once vulnerable and

A Bisel Kisel with Masha Kisel, The Dayton Jewish Observer “You’re a Jewish mother. You understand,” I said to a mosaic of the Virgin Mary in the University of Dayton courtyard. I sought the mothering spirit wherever I looked, mentally conversing with trees, flowers, with images of mothers on cereal

John John Groger, a rising senior at The Miami Valley School, placed fifth overall in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments 2019 High School National Championship Tournament in May. Also on the MVS team were John John’s brother, William, and Max Mader, son of Jenifer and Joe Mader. John John and

Our Dual Heritage Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way,” begins Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Harrison Bergeron. Supported by ever-expanding amendments

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

By Rabbi Levi Simon, Chabad of Greater Dayton “Modeh Ani, I offer thanks to You, living and eternal King, for you have mercifully restored my soul to me, your faithfulness is great.” These words are so important that they are the first words we utter every morning — while still

By Josefin Dolsten, JTA At the age of 20, Kali Spitzer left her home in Victoria, British Columbia to travel north and immerse herself in the culture of her father, who is a member of the Kaska Dena, a First Nations people native to Canada. For around seven months, she