
Exodus 91 revisits Asher Naim’s work with Ethiopian Jews
By Joanne Palmer, The Jewish Standard When we’re children, we are taught — and naturally tend to believe — that good things happen smoothly, that goodness always is straightforward. We don’t learn about complications and doubts, much less about working through them, until much later. We are taught and believe

Temple Israel’s Jewish Cultural Festival June 11
Temple Israel’s Jewish Cultural Festival returns Sunday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food will be available for purchase from El Meson, Brock Masterson’s, and My Favorite Muffin. Also available will be treats from Graeter’s, Temple Israel’s bakery, and The Dayton Beer Co. Entertainment includes The Flying Klezmerians,

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 June 2023 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Obituaries
Marcie E. Mazer, age 70 of Dayton, passed away April 28 in Columbus. Marcie was a devoted mother and grandmother, a passionate supporter of the State of Israel, a dog-lover, an avid gardener, and a member of Beth Jacob Congregation. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marshall and

12-year-old’s head, heart are with her parents in Ukraine
By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Like so many middle schoolers, 12-year-old Polina hangs out with her friends, riding bikes after school and on the weekends. She and her friends constantly check on their chats to find out the latest news among their classmates. Unlike her friends, she keeps

Klezmer concerts May 7-8
Dayton’s Flying Klezmerians and Aaron Kula and Chaim Rubinov of the Boca Raton-based Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra will team up to perform two concerts, May 7 and 8. The JCC will present their performance of Jubano Jazz — a blend of Latin rhythms and klezmer tunes — at 2 p.m.,

Opinion: Ohio Senate Bill 83 will ban free speech, not defend it.
By Addison Caruso Ohio Senate Bill 83, which seeks to ban the discussion of “divisive concepts” in the classroom, has faced widespread opposition from students, professors, and citizens. The bill, introduced by State Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) in early 2023, follows a litany of legislation proposed and enacted in other

Weeping a ‘Tractate of Tears’ on the tablet of the heart as a (re)discovering of Torah from Passover to Feast of Weeks
By Rabbi Aubrey L. Glazer, Beth Abraham Synagogue “I cry, cry, cry Cry all day I cry all night I cry all day” — Cry all day (Schmilco, 2016) “…crying before compiling a holy book as insights into Torah are rivers & first one has to make rivers of tears”

Former longtime JCC Early Childhood director Audrey MacKenzie dies at 68
Audrey MacKenzie, who worked in the Jewish Community Center Early Childhood program for 20 years — 17 of them as its director — died April 5 following a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 68. A Chicago native, Audrey came to the JCC with 24 years of early childhood experience,

After 12 successful years, Hillel Academy Jewish day school co-principals to retire
When Hillel Academy hired husband and wife Dan and Kathy Mecoli in 2011 as its co-principals in the hopes that they could turn the Jewish day school around, Dan and Kathy agreed they’d try it for three years. Twelve years later, they’ve more than doubled its enrollment to about full