By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer After little more than two weeks at Beth Jacob Congregation, Rabbi Martin W. Shorr is no longer an employee of the synagogue. In an Aug. 26 letter to congregants, Beth Jacob President Dr. Herman I. Abromowitz wrote, “we were unable to finalize a

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer The High Holy Days are a marathon for those who lead the musical components of the longest worship services of the year. At Dayton’s two Reform congregations, that spiritual and physical endurance test is now in the hands of members. Rosh Hashanah, the

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer Hillel Academy, the Dayton area’s Jewish day school, began its year with 13 new students from 11 families for a total of 38 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through six. When Hillel’s board hired Co-Principals Dan and Dr. Kathy Mecoli to reboot the

With Charlotte Golden, The Dayton Jewish Observer Three pieces by Dr. Eric L. Friedland — Sanders Judaic Professor Emeritus at Antioch College, United Theological Seminary, the University of Dayton, and Wright State University — recently came out in print, just two weeks apart. Two appear in the anthology Welcome to

Cast off the old to put on the new By Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel I’d like to share one of my favorite short stories with you. It is based on the custom that when one Jewish person sees another Jewish person with something new, such as a new piece

A survivor reflects By Samuel Heider, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Rosh Hashanah is celebrated throughout the Jewish world as the Jewish New Year. I was born in Poland in a small village by the name of Biejkow. I was the son of Jewish farmers. For me, Rosh Hashanah

A look at the Holy Book series The Jewish Family Identity forum By Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer The New York Times locates its featured articles on the right, above the fold. If “Let’s eat grandma” is written as “Let’s eat, grandma,” grandma’s role shifts. The T-shirt message,

By Eileen Goltz, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer So how much food is too much to serve for a yontif meal? Do we really need to have soup, salad, and an appetizer along with main and side dishes and dessert for a meal at 2 when we know we’re

  Look for The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy each month in The Observer and at this site

The Jewish Internet with Mark Mietkiewicz Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Passover has matzah. Purim has hamantashen. Even Shavuot has blintzes. But what about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah? No special foods may spring to mind. The seventh and final day of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabbah, which comes