New hire in religious studies department, partnership with Reform seminary aim to broaden interfaith approach By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer In addition to the standard Introduction to Judaism and Holocaust courses at the University of Dayton, undergraduates will soon be able to enroll in Jewish Thought and Jewish

Rabbi Karen N. Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel As Purim approaches, my thoughts turn to our heroine, Queen Esther. Though introduced to us merely for her beauty, Esther is remembered for her bravery and strength of spirit. When Queen Esther learned of Haman’s wicked plan to destroy all the Jews in the

Back To Basics Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “When I was a boy, we had in our lives adults who took pride in being adults,” writes commentator Dennis Prager. “To distinguish them from our peers, we called these adults ‘Mr.,’ ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Miss,’

By Sheri Silver, JTA My love of Italian cuisine was honed at a very early age — there was no lack of Italian restaurants, pizzerias and bakeries. If I had to pick my favorite Italian pastry, it would be no contest. I am #teamcannoli all the way. Something about the

By Shlomo Schwartz, JTA On Purim, it is traditional to eat food with fillings hidden inside to symbolize the hidden nature of the holiday’s miracle. Here is an Arab dish that has become a staple in many Israeli restaurants and homes. Shishbarak is a variation of ravioli. I first encountered

Female religious leaders across Jewish movements reflect By Alina Dain Sharon, JNS.org In the Book of Esther 4:14, Mordechai encourages his niece, Queen Esther, to use her influence with King Ahashverus. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place,

With Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer Holocaust survivors Gert and Bob Kahn are extremely proud that after 27 years of extensive research, time, and effort, Bob’s memoir, The Hard Road of Dreams: Remembering Not to Forget, has been published by Braughler Books. Bob wrote the book because their

By Gabe Friedman, JTA Saul Kaye never wanted to be a “Jewish blues” player. In his opinion, the Jewish music he had heard growing up in Northern California’s Bay Area ranged from “really bad to horrible.” In 2009, he was touring as a rock musician, playing hundreds of shows a

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

Marilyn P. Lebowitz (nee Levine), age 92,of Dayton, passed away Feb. 12 at The Sanctuary at Wilmington Place after a short illness. Mrs. Lebowitz was the owner of The Elegant Bag for more than 20 years, retired from The Secret Ingredient and was a longtime member of Temple Israel. She