Turning To Spirituality Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer A Hebrew school student’s mother, an avowed atheist, once approached me to ask if I would teach her son about God. How amazing, I thought, that a non-believing parent still understood the importance of her

Turning to Spirituality Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Human beings are hardwired to recognize and tell stories, a fact first demonstrated scientifically in a notable 1944 study, An Experimental Study of Apparent Behavior by Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel. Participants were shown a

Turning to Spirituality, a new series Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “Let’s go on an adventure!” my grandchildren clamor, having picked up my daily refrain. Some days we’ve scouted out all the produce of a specific color in the market, picking one to take home

Back to Basics Series Jewish Family Education With Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer In 722 B.C.E., the Assyrians under Sargon II conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and scattered tens of thousands of their Israelite captives throughout the far-flung Neo-Assyrian Empire. Prevented from congregating or maintaining their ways,

Back To Basics Series Jewish Family Education With Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer While shopping at a local lingerie store, my friend J observed another patron slipping items into her oversize handbag as she went from display to display. J pointed at the woman and called out, “You

Back to Basics Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Two equally accomplished young women left their abusive marriages. One took her grandmother’s recipes and her Shabbat candlesticks while the other took an assortment of empty Gucci purses. If you had only hours to pack

Jewish Family Education Back To Basics Series with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer Fiercely independent, Dad was not one to let go easily. In his 80s, he was making three meals each day, caring for his own yard, and maintaining his own house. When he broke his leg

Back To Basics Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer “When I was a boy, we had in our lives adults who took pride in being adults,” writes commentator Dennis Prager. “To distinguish them from our peers, we called these adults ‘Mr.,’ ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Miss,’

Back to basics series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer While escorting a visiting Talmud scholar around a Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles, the local rabbi noted that his guest suddenly slowed to a snail’s pace, finally suggesting that they cross the street. The rabbi

Back To Basics Series Jewish Family Education with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The arrival of Christmas trees, store sales, and holiday music regularly launch a flurry of articles about the December Dilemma: How should Christmas intersect with the lives of American Jews? Author Jan Larkin writes, “My