SHABBAT SHIRAH

Friday, February 3 at 6:00PM the Dayton Jewish Chorale at Temple Israel for Shabbat Shirah – the Sabbath of Song! This musical Shabbat service celebrates the continued return of the Dayton Jewish Chorale. No reservations are required for the service. To stay for the potluck dinner following, RSVP by Feb. 1 to info@tidayton.org. Cost is $5/adult, $3/child ages 4-12, and free for children 3 and younger.

A native Daytonian now living in Bonita Springs, Fla., Nat Ritter lovingly calls his plots in Temple Israel’s cemetery the “only real estate I own in Dayton.”

When Nat’s first wife, Wendy, died in 2008, both he and Wendy’s family wanted her to be buried in Dayton, where they found the cemetery to be peaceful and serene. Along with that came a commitment that she wouldn’t be left alone.

But it was more than this commitment that motivated Nat to contribute to the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton campaign. With both of his parents buried in Beth Abraham’s cemetery, he felt it was his turn to care for the generations that came before him.

As a child of Holocaust survivors, Nat knew how precious his family was. Etched on the back of his parents’ tombstone is a remembrance “for all our family lost in the Holocaust.” “No one knows when they died or where they are buried. For my family, Dayton’s Jewish cemeteries act as their final resting place. We need to make sure that they are taken care of properly.”

Now married for 11 years to Susan, they feel “a strong connection to their Jewish friends and family in Dayton.” Even though they now live in Florida, they thoughtfully care for their Jewish heritage in Dayton.

Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton is an endowment organization created to maintain our three Jewish cemeteries in perpetuity. Please join us as we strive to maintain the sanctity, care, and integrity of these sacred burial grounds.