January Holocaust commemoration By Rabbi Judy Chessin, Temple Beth Or & Chair, Dayton Synagogue Forum  January 2010 Rabbi Judy Chessin While we in the United States are accustomed to memorializing the Holocaust in the spring, between Passover and Israeli Independence Day, many of our European neighbors observe the International Holocaust

An article for Jewish mothers to show their sons By Steve Hofstetter, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer, January 2010 I have spent the better part of the last four years convincing my parents that I don’t need to marry a Jewish girl. Turns out I was wrong. It’s not

Custom of tenaim makes smashing comeback By Ozzie Nogg, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer, January 2010 Under the heading of Jewish wedding customs, one could say everything old is new again. Here’s proof. According to numerous how-to-plan-your-Jewish-wedding Web sites, modern couples have resurrected tenaim (a 12th-century Ashkenazi tradition) and

Difficult relatives By Toby Klein Greenwald, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer, January 2010 Once there was a bride who was upset because her sister-in-law didn’t congratulate her at her wedding. When she confronted her on the issue later, the sister-in-law said, by way of apology, “Really? I didn’t even

His girlfriend got the ring. So why no ring (or even a Tweet) to his mother? By Jeanette Friedman, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer, January 2010 NEW MILFORD, N.J. — With three daughters, it’s a new experience to become the mom of the groom. Especially such a groom. It

Religion, November 2009 By Rabbi Janice Garfunkel, Temple Sholom, Springfield December 2009 Rabbi Janice Garfunkel The meaning of Chanukah is: a) A commemoration of the first fight for religious freedom. b) That one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight days and nights, showing us that God does miracles. c) That

Zvi Bielski, Dec. 24, 2009 Liev Schreiber as Zus Bielski in Defiance Zvi Bielski, son of Zus Bielski — one of the three Bielski brothers who led a Jewish partisan brigade in Belorussia that saved more than 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust, the subject of the film Defiance — will be the guest

For all who are in need Jewish organizations provide for needs in the general community By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer, December 2009 If you walked into the lobby of Beth Abraham Synagogue in October or early November, the first thing you’d see would be two racks of used winter

Hirschfield interview By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer, December 2009 Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, co-president of New York-based Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, visited Dayton on Nov. 4 and 18 to lead sessions with students at United Theological Seminary. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield Hirschfield’s presentations mark the

How local organizations have navigated the recession By Marshall Weiss The Dayton Jewish Observer Doing more with less is a way of life in the nonprofit world. That was true before the greatest economic meltdown since the Great Depression hit, and the increased needs for help that came with it.