Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site!     To read the complete April 2023 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Rick Fishman, age 65, passed away on Feb. 22. Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Libby and Norman, and his brother, Coleman. He resided at the former Covenant House, now Garden Court, from 1995 to the present. Ricky loved sports, people, and never knew a stranger. His smile

But number of children with area Jewish congregations down by 45.6% since 2015 By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Based on data from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, the identified Jewish households and population across the Miami Valley have hit plateaus after decades of shrinking. The Observer’s analysis

By Hannah Kasper Levinson Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer New exhibitions by three female artists are on display at The Contemporary Dayton through March 26. Uniting the works of Becky Suss, Carmen Winant, and Yael Bartana are their varied interpretations of feminism and Jewish heritage. Their art ranges from

By Rabbi Nochum Mangel Chabad of Greater Dayton An old Jewish joke describes all Jewish holidays in a few words: “They tried to kill us. They failed. Let’s eat.” Just as our enemies were not the same, the way they tried to kill us was different as well. Our enemies

The YWCA Dayton will honor Susan Gruenberg with its 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 25th annual Women of Influence Awards luncheon on March 9 at the Dayton Convention Center. Sue has volunteered with more than 35 nonprofits in the Dayton area including the Junior League, Daybreak, Ronald McDonald House,

Smith College Jewish Studies Prof. Joel S. Kaminsky and Hartford International University President Joel N. Lohr will lead the 43rd Annual Ryterband Symposium in Judaic Studies, Thursday, March 30 at United Theological Seminary. The symposium is co-sponsored by The University of Dayton, United Theological Seminary, and Wright State University. At

The Power of Stories Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer After Velvel didn’t return home from school, his parents discovered that he had been forcibly conscripted into the czar’s army where, for 25 years, he would also be pressured to accept baptism. Even if

An interview with UC Judaic Studies Chair Jenny Caplan about her new book By Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTA In the 2020 comedy “Shiva Baby,” a 20-something young woman shows up at a house of Jewish mourners and gently offers her condolences. When she finds her mother in the kitchen, they chat

To showcase Jewish life in the Miami Valley for those considering a move here, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton launched a three-minute video, Are there really Jews in Dayton?, on Feb. 9 at jewishdayton.org, YouTube, and social media sites. The video, directed by native Daytonian Stephen Levinson, features members