Jerome (Jerry) Irwin Sherman, age 76, passed away Sept. 12 after courageously battling a brief illness. His family and friends were with him until his last day and his family was by his side when he peacefully passed. Mr. Sherman was the beloved husband of Janet Shilling Sherman; dear father

Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Introduction The First Commandment The Second Commandment The Third Commandment The Fourth Commandment The Fifth Commandment The Sixth Commandment The Seventh Commandment The Eighth Commandment The Ninth Commandment The Tenth Commandment Conclusion     Candace R. Kwiatek is

An interview with pianist Menahem Pressler By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer My first attempt to interview Menahem Pressler was a 9 p.m. call to him at the Adamant Music School in Vermont after his day leading master classes and lessons. “Can you call back in an hour?” the

Jewish Genealogical Society volunteers safeguard family histories for current researchers, future generations By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Molly Blumer’s parents always kept up with their family history. “Then I married Jeff and became Jewish and was very interested in what happened to Jeff’s family in the Holocaust,” says

By Michele Alperin Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer The Zohar, Dr. Daniel Matt says, dares to be imaginative with the Torah, empowering individuals to interpret the story in totally new and individual ways. Most powerful are its views of God. “It is the divine energy that is animating all

By Uriel Heilman, JTA NEW YORK — It was an ominous hum. A dozen refrigerated trucks loaded with the body parts of victims of the 9/11 attacks filled a cavernous tent across the street from the Office of the City Medical Examiner, their low-pitched buzz an eerie soundtrack to the

Children of the Bible series By Candace R. Kwiatek Of all the biblical children, Joseph has the messiest, most stuffed scrapbook album. A scrap of ornamented tunic. A dreamer’s doodles. Mug shots and princely portraits. His life’s story, a novella told in great detail, is a series of reversals: favored

With Charlotte Golden Can we kvell! Annie Leah Greene has been awarded a full fellowship from the University of Chicago’s Near Eastern Languages and Civilization Department for her Ph.D. in Middle Eastern history. She recently earned her master’s degree with distinction in Near and Middle Eastern studies from the University

High Holy Days humor? Is this some kind of joke? Actually, yes. Rosh Hashanah ushers in the most solemn period of the Jewish calendar that culminates 10 days later on Yom Kippur. This is a serious time of introspection and cheshbon nefesh, a spiritual accounting. But Jews being Jews, there’s

By Julie Wiener According to one obsessed person who comments on my blog, I think gentile women are superior to Jewish women. Well, apparently so does “Avi Roseman,” the pen name of a 26-year-old single woman who has written and self-published  Secrets of Shiksa Appeal: 8 Steps to Attract Your