The Jewish Family Identity Forum Rituals in Jewish life series By Candace R. Kwiatek In the midst of my annual whirlwind cleaning spree in preparation for Passover, I managed to pause for a few moments to reminisce over my decades-old wedding album. The momentary calm of the indoor bedeken (veiling)

Jewish Family Identity Forum Rituals in Jewish life series By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “How incredible is it that a teen leads the worship service for the whole congregation and everyone takes such pride and joy in it!” exclaimed a friend during my son’s Bar Mitzvah luncheon.

Rituals in Jewish life series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “Rad ha-yom, shemesh dom, kokhavim notz’tzim bamarom (Day is done, gone the sun, stars are twinkling in the sky)” begins the summer camp lullaby for lights-out. As my husband sang it for the

Jewish Family Identity Forum Rituals in Jewish life series By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer As I awaited the birth of my first grandchild with joyous anticipation, I came across an intriguing question posed by Esther Jungreis in her book The Committed Life: “We plan all the details

First in a series on rituals in Jewish life The Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer When I visit my father’s house, I have oatmeal for breakfast, just as he has done for years. On vacation in Florida, the first thing my husband and

The Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “A woman of valor, who can find? Her price is above rubies…” Known as Aishet Chayil, these and the subsequent lines of Proverbs comprise the traditional tribute recited by a husband to his wife on the eve

The Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The last in a series on Children of the Bible Cain and Abel. Isaac. Moses. The biblical children’s photo albums look much like those on our own shelves: filled with snapshots that capture only highlights and captions

Dayton Jewish Observer columnist Candace R. Kwiatek has received the Religion Newswriters Association’s Gerald A. Renner Enterprise second-place award for her 2010 series in The Observer on The Ten Commandments. The first-place recipient was Tony Carnes of A Journey Through NYC Religions website. The third-place recipient of this award was New

Jewish Family Identity Forum – Children of the Bible series By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Spanning an entire lifetime, as described in four of the five books of the Torah, Moses’ memory album captures his awe at the burning bush, his bold approaches to Pharaoh, and his

Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Introduction The First Commandment The Second Commandment The Third Commandment The Fourth Commandment The Fifth Commandment The Sixth Commandment The Seventh Commandment The Eighth Commandment The Ninth Commandment The Tenth Commandment Conclusion     Candace R. Kwiatek is