
Hope — and home — in Israel
Reps with Jewish Community Relations Council connect with Sister City, Partnership2Gether region colleagues. Three reflections. An honor to stand with Israelis by Jeff Blumer On Feb. 18, I set off toward Israel for a journey that would include a significant amount of time in two areas with long-standing, important

Israel at 77 dinner & concert May 1
The Hashayara ensemble from Israel’s Galilee will perform and Cincinnati-based Israeli chef Tsvika Silberberg will prepare a kosher Israeli dinner for Celebrate Israel at 77, Thursday, May 1 at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. followed by Israelis

What is the point of freedom?
By Rabbi Leibel Agar, Beth Jacob Congregation Ah, the first day of spring. The sun is shining brightly, a warm breeze gently blows through the trees, branches sway lazily. A few birds chirp their delightful song of renewal and rebirth. And yet, along with spring’s serenity, a more restless time

Self-discovery a lifelong journey for 2nd generation survivor, mountain climber, physician
By Talia Doninger, Special to The Observer Dr. Mimi Zieman scaled the slopes of Mount Everest carrying the weight of her backpack — and her legacy as the child of a Holocaust survivor. In 1988, as a 25-year-old medical student, she served as the expedition doctor for a team of

The varnished truth
Sacred Speech Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer While preparing to enter the Promised Land, Joshua sent two spies to reconnoiter the great walled city of Jericho, where they found lodging with the prostitute Rahab. However, they had been reported as Israelite spies to

Mazel Tov!
Beth Jacob’s Fifth Jewish Women Inspiring Jewish Women luncheon will be held at 11 a.m., Sunday, May 4 featuring the Hon. Susan J. Dlott, Carol Graff, Linda Ohlmann Kahn, Meredith Moss Levinson, Bonnie Beaman Rice, and Mindi Dorfman-Wynne. Sarah Shmoel has been named executive director of the Hillel at

Cincinnati rabbi disinvited from rally against Nazis over support for Israel
Rabbi Ari Jun, a self-described liberal Zionist, has advocated for the Palestinians. By Sam Fisher and Lonny Goldsmith, cincyjewfolk.com When Rabbi Ari Jun learned that faith leaders were invited to speak at a rally in Cincinnati against neo-Nazis and White supremacy, he quickly responded that he would be there. As

Bark Mitzvah Boy
Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site! To read the complete April 2025 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Obituaries
Jerome Kenneth (Ken) Elbaum passed on March 23. Ken was born in 1930, in Glen Cove, N.Y. to Max and Molly Elbaum. He had two sisters, Beatrice (Bea) Miller and Sylvia Richman, who predeceased him. He is survived by Lenora (Libby), his wife of 57 years. He is also survived

Survivors who wrestled with their conversions to Christianity form basis of UD assistant professor’s first book
By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer University of Dayton Religious Studies Assistant Prof. Abraham Rubin’s first book release brought him to New York for a Feb. 3 lecture at the Center for Jewish History sponsored by the Leo Baeck Institute for the Study of German-Jewish History and Culture. In