Former Daytonian Shel Bassel, a sofer (ritual scribe) who lives in Jerusalem, will lead programs for local Jewish organizations when he returns to the Miami Valley in March. Bassel, who made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 1983, has written more than two dozen Torah scrolls, numerous megillahs, tefillin, and mezuzahs.

The JCC, in partnership with the Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, will co-host a virtual program with Steven Wasserman, son of the late Ronnie Wasserman Harlan, at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 16 via Zoom and Facebook Live as part of the Cincinnati center’s weekly Holocaust Speaker Series. Wasserman

Through a grant from the Association for Jewish Studies, University of Dayton English Prof. Miriamne Krummel will present a staged reading of Hyam Maccoby’s The Disputation at 3 p.m., Thursday, March 10 at the Downtown Dayton Metro Library. Maccoby, a Jewish British scholar and playwright, wrote the play as an

The Power of Stories Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer When growing up, Rabbi Eliyahu Safran writes, a friend often came to his home after school. They would do their homework, entertain themselves for a bit, and then have supper. Before leaving the table

With Bark Mitzvah Boy, The Dayton Jewish Observer Carol Graff is one of the League of Women Voters’ three 2022 Dangerous Dames of Dayton to be honored March 8 at NCR Country Club. A two-time mayor of Beavercreek, Carol has served on the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Greene County

Rethinking the South American alfajores cookie for Purim. By Leanne Shor, The Nosher Alfajores are a decadent sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche, a caramel-like spread made from condensed milk. Most people associate alfajores with Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru; they were brought to the New World by the Spanish

Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Dayton Jewish Observer and at this site.     To read the complete March 2022 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.

Patricia “Pat” Frankel Bloom died peacefully in Atlanta on Feb. 10 at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Pat was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Irving. She is survived by their children Jonathan (Aurora) Bloom of Columbus, Ohio, and Judy (Jonathan Minnen)

By Marshall Weiss, The Observer Through a grant from the Association for Jewish Studies, University of Dayton English Prof. Miriamne Krummel will present staged readings of two 20th-century plays that dig deep into virulent medieval Jew hatred in England and Spain. Beth Abraham Synagogue will be the venue for the

By Jim Nathanson Ed Shames died Dec. 3. He was 99 years old, the last surviving officer of Easy Company, the World War II combat unit (E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division) made famous by Stephen Ambrose’s 1992 book Band of Brothers and the 2001 HBO miniseries