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

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 Martha Moody Jacobs, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Anyone who’s seen a child learn something new knows the thrill of an “aha” moment. And such moments need not take place in a classroom. Since taking over as co-administrators of Hillel Academy Jewish day school in summer 2011, longtime

Joyce Dumtschin, who served as cantor at Temple Beth Or from 1998 to 2011, died on Feb. 14 from pneumonia as a result of a weakened immune system from myelodysplastic syndrome. She was 56. Myelodysplastic syndrome is a form of cancer in which bone marrow doesn’t make enough healthy blood

By Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin, Chabad of Greater Dayton Millennia ago, the Sages gave Passover the name of Zeman Cheiruteinu, The Time of Our Freedom. The name is apt; we are celebrating our redemption from Egyptian servitude and our launching off into the wilderness, beyond the sway of any constraining human

Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Shelley’s powerful sonnet Ozymandias describes the fragmented statue of a long-ago king abandoned in a barren desert. On its pedestal the sculptor had carved, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and

By Ethel Hofman, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer If you’re looking for quick Passover recipes grounded in tradition but updated with a twist, try any of my favorites below. They all include fruity highlights and are sure to please friends and family. Apricot Cherry Charoset 1 cup dried apricots,

Purim is behind us. Passover lies ahead. And between them are several Shabboses, twice as many kiddushes and who knows how many other opportunities to raise a glass and say l’chayim. And to seriously overdo things. In reality, abuse doesn’t need an excuse. And the problem doesn’t stop at alcohol.

Bernard S. Apfel, age 89 of Trotwood, passed away on Jan. 24. He is survived by his sons Phillip and Raymond, his granddaughter Shannon, and grandson Jarid. He was preceded in death by his daughter Joannie (2002) and his wife Ida (2007). A World War II veteran, Mr. Apfel moved

Cincinnati Jewish retirement community’s elder abuse shelter service expands to Montgomery County One of only six centers of its kind in United States By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Six years ago, the first elder abuse shelter in the country opened at the Riverdale Hebrew Home in Bronx, N.Y.