By Rabbi Leibel Agar, Beth Jacob Congregation Spring has always been my favorite time of the year, even when I was a young child. I grew up in upstate New York and the winters were always pretty nasty-biting cold, with ice and snow more often than not. Even after moving

By Rabbi Leibel Agar, Beth Jacob Congregation To me, the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) have always been a time of both introspection and celebration. The dual nature of the season seems to stir something inside us. It redirects our thinking, causing us to look inside our own souls with

By Marshall Weiss, The Observer Beth Jacob Congregation announced Oct. 11 that it has hired Rabbi Leibel Agar on a part-time basis, and that he and his wife, Anita, moved to Dayton earlier that week. A native of Albany, N.Y., Agar arrived here from Staten Island, N.Y. for a one-year

Beth Jacob Congregation will honor the memory of Jack Edelman and Joe Hollander at a tribute dinner on Sunday, June 24 at 5 p.m. at the synagogue, located at 7020 N. Main St. in Harrison Township. Edelman, of Richmond, Ind., died Oct. 24 at age 92. A longtime member of

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Two note cards are pinned to the bulletin board next to Barry Serotkin’s desk.  One reads, “Stay Calm. Carry On.” The other has one word: “Think.” Barry says he posted those messages “just as reminders that we should show everybody the proper respect.”