Children of the Bible series By Candace R. Kwiatek Of all the biblical children, Joseph has the messiest, most stuffed scrapbook album. A scrap of ornamented tunic. A dreamer’s doodles. Mug shots and princely portraits. His life’s story, a novella told in great detail, is a series of reversals: favored

By Candace R. Kwiatek Children of the Bible Series In the widely acclaimed musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, lyricist Tim Rice enumerates a well-known series of biblical children, ending with: “Jacob, Jacob and sons, Benjamin and Judah, which leaves only one, Joseph – Jacob’s favorite son…” As you

Children of the Bible Series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Open our family’s Friday evening photo album and you would see dinner at the dining room table with a tablecloth and candles. Wine and blessings. Two challot. Birkat hamazon — the blessing after

Children of the Bible Series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Pick up a children’s Bible storybook and you’re likely to see the characters depicted as youngsters — Isaac toddling up the mountain to the altar, Joseph taunting his brothers with a coat of

Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer, January 2011 Sinai. Its impact on the course of human experience has never been equaled. For a year, this column has focused on exploring Aseret haDibrot, The Ten Sayings of Jewish tradition known more generally as the Ten

Children of the Bible Series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer I recently read the acclaimed biography The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. Like two photo albums set side by side, it alternately traces the lives of two African-American

The Ten Commandments: A series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer, December 2010 In one of my favorite family stories, my husband managed to tame the “greed monster.” We were carting our young children through the grocery store, to their usual chants of “I

Children of the Bible Series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “Hold it right there!” Adam says to Eve. “Say cheese…OK, got it.” “Well, Adam,” Eve says, looking at the snapshot, “the fields in the background look great, but it’s not the best shot

Children of the Bible: A New Series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Open a family photo album and you’re likely to find myriad snapshots of children waving food-filled spoons, chasing runaway kittens, climbing slide ladders, and wearing grown-ups’ shoes. If you look closely,

The Ten Commandments: A series Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer, November 2010 In the Talmud we learn that “The signature of God is truth. (BT Shabbat 55a).” Since the Torah teaches we are created in God’s image, shouldn’t we aspire to be known