Jewish Family Identity Forum A look at the Holy Book series By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer One of the most basic skills of perception is the ability to differentiate an object or shape from its background, described as positive and negative space or figure-ground. You are likely

Jewish Family Identity Forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Shelley’s powerful sonnet Ozymandias describes the fragmented statue of a long-ago king abandoned in a barren desert. On its pedestal the sculptor had carved, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and

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)

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 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

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

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

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

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