Bernice Berkenfield, age 96 of Kettering, passed away on Feb. 25 at The Suites at Walnut Creek, Kettering. “Barney” was born June 28, 1915 in Pittsburgh, Pa. to the late Benjamin and Rhea (Klineman) Steinberg. She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Morton R. Dworken of

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer There was hardly a place to stand when the funeral service for Ilya Golub began on Dec. 25 in the chapel at Beth Jacob Cemetery. Members of the Russian-Jewish community, friends, business associates and neighbors came to remember the hard working, gregarious Golub,

By Marshall Weiss, The Observer “Hashem makes everything we see and so we pray to Him, Hashem makes our hearts sing, And so we’ll dance and sing for Him.” Hillel Academy Jewish day school’s six kindergartners sang out these words, part of a song they wrote called Caterpillars, Birds &

By Ethel G. Hofman, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer When the wind is howling and it’s cold and wet outside, I love to curl up in a cozy armchair and read about food in far-off places. Then it’s into the kitchen to cook up one of the tempting recipes

Memoir of raising 4 biological & 5 adopted kids No Biking In The House Without A Helmet By Melissa Fay Greene • Farrar, Straus and Giroux • 354 pages • $26 Interview By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Former Daytonian Melissa Fay Greene is known for her accounts of

Musical about Southern Jewish family and maid during Civil Rights era at Loft Theatre By Jennie Szink, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Imagine being an 8-year-old who receives a large sum of money for Chanukah, only to lose it to your housekeeper — almost a second mother — because

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer From Sept. 7-13, 23 local business and government leaders participated on the Dayton region’s third Israel trade mission since 2008. The goal of the trip — coordinated by the two-year-old Montgomery County-Dayton Region Israel Trade Alliance — was to expand the breadth and

With Charlotte Golden, The Dayton Jewish Observer Josh Halpern, 18, will perform this month with the Polaris String Quartet on National Public Radio’s From The Top, a nationally-syndicated program that features young musicians across the country. The show is expected to air locally at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Cantor Joyce Dumtschin, who was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome in 2009, is scheduled to receive a stem cell transplant at James Cancer Hospital in Columbus on Sept. 27, the day before the eve of Rosh Hashanah. “Only 30 percent of people who need

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer For the first time in 57 years, Beth Jacob Synagogue will not have a Rabbi Fox on the bima. In a letter to the Traditional congregation’s members dated Aug. 22, synagogue President Dr. Herman I. Abromowitz announced that Beth Jacob’s board voted on