One Mitzvah a
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80 years since liberation focus of Yom Hashoah program
Liberation — 80 Years Later is the theme of this year's Greater Dayton Yom Hashoah Remembrance, with programs for children, teens, and adults on Sunday afternoon, April 27 at Beth Abraham Synagogue, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.
Second-generation survivor Helen Halcomb and other children of survivors will facilitate a dialogue with teenagers from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. All area teenagers are invited to participate.
Elaine Buckler, whose late father, Paul Buckler, liberated Dachau concentration camp with the 7th Army's 42nd Infantry Division, will be the guest speaker for the 4 p.m. memorial service.
Winners of this year's Max and Lydia May Holocaust Art and Writing Contests will also be recognized at the event.
Concurrent with the service, PJ Library and PJ Our Way will host a session for young children, How to be a Mensch, with
Max and Lydia May Holocaust Art and Writing Contest entries will be on display between 3:15 and 4 p.m. and after the service. RSVP for all events at jewishdayton.org/events.
Beth Abraham targeted with swatting threat
People arriving for Beth Abraham Synagogue's Shabbat morning services March 15 were met with a visible police presence from Oakwood's Public Safety Department because of a swatting threat against the congregation.
Swatting calls aim to cause disruption and trigger a largescale police response.
According to Oakwood Public Safety's incident report, the Regional Dispatch Center transferred a call to Oakwood's dispatch center at 5:16 p.m., Friday, March 14. A male voice told Oakwood's dispatcher he would go to Beth Abraham Synagogue with 17 pipe bombs
and explode them "when they open, tomorrow."
An Oakwood Public Safety lieutenant and two officers then searched the exterior of the locked and closed synagogue and found nothing suspicious. The department determined that "due to the specific nature of the location, the threat must be viewed as credible."
With Oakwood Public Safety staff and Jewish Federation Security Director John Davis — who coordinates security for the Dayton area's Jewish organizations — the Dayton Police Department Regional Bomb Squad conducted a sweep of the synagogue with a bomb canine
before it opened for services. According to Oakwood Public Safety's incident report, regional dispatch was unable to trace the unlisted phone number. Oakwood Public Safety's investigation in partnership with Davis and Secure Community Network, the safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America, is underway.
SCN is the Jewish community’s official liaison with federal law enforcement and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on safety and security matters related to the Jewish community. — Marshall Weiss a story, craft, mitzvah activity, and snack.
Elaine Buckler Paul Buckler
One Mitzvah a Day
Presidents Dinner keynote Mandana Dayani champions gratitude for pro-Israel voices.
By Ayala Or-El
Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)
Since January, members of Congress and elected officials have received thousands of thank-you messages from the Jewish community, even amid a surge in complaints about issues that frustrate constituents.
It's part of Jewish American activist Mandana Dayani's new project, One Mitzvah a Day, which she launched Jan. 15. It’s a text-based platform with a simple, meaningful call-toaction delivered every morning to users.
She encourages the community to send voice messages and emails to political leaders, campus figures, or business leaders who have shown strong support for Israel or the Jewish community.
Dayani will keynote the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton's Presidents Dinner, May 18. Her initiative focuses on expressing gratitude to those who take a stand against antisemi-
tism and support Israel. The actions are bipartisan and impactful — designed to build bridges and create lasting change.
Dayani, who lives in Los Angeles, recalled a recent visit to Washington, D.C.
“I was talking to one of my friends, who is a congressman and he told me, ‘Mandana, you know, we can all be as proIsrael as we want, but every time we say something, we get
Jewish Federation’s Presidents Dinner with Mandana Dayani, 5 p.m., Sunday, May 18 at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Tickets are $125 each. Kashrut will be observed. Participants will be asked to make their pledges to the 2025 Jewish Federation Annual Campaign. RSVP by May 12 to jewishdayton.org/events.
flooded with phone calls from people saying really horrible things — and we rarely ever get a thank-you.’”
That conversation sparked the idea for One Mitzvah a Day.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how to mobilize more people and build a bigger infrastructure,” Dayani said.
“I think that since Oct. 7, we’ve seen people taking down bad actors, but I haven’t seen a whole lot dedicated to building up good actors.”
She hopes everyone in the U.S. Jewish community will take part in building up those
Continued on Page Four
Would you believe this is our 30th Passover issue? How people receive their news — if they read news at all — has changed in ways that were inconceivable in 1996. A key job of local Jewish media outlets then was to print national and international Jewish news and news from Israel in our pages. Local readers probably wouldn't see these stories elsewhere, unless they subscribed to numerous national Jewish publications and English editions of Israeli newspapers and magazines. The online world was still in its infancy. Few, if any readers turn to our print edition now for the national/international stories you can instantly access via social media and its influencers. Today, in this age of anxiety, The Observer has much more local and regional Jewish news to cover than ever before. And it's our honor to do so. You'll find it in these pages, at daytonjewishobserver.org, and at facebook.com/TheDaytonJewishObserver.
Mandana Dayani and her family fled Iran for the U.S. when she was 6.
Bark Mitzvah Boy
Dayani
Continued from Page Three
who have shown support for Israel and Jewish Americans.
In the first two weeks of the project, 5,000 thank-you messages were delivered, including ones from influencers such as Jonah Platt, Noa Tishby, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Steve Leder, and Ginnifer Goodwin.
“We are reaching out to synagogues, women’s action groups, and student groups. We’ve asked people to share it in their family chats and encourage their relatives to sign up,” Dayani said.
“The more, the merrier. The more people we bring to this platform, the greater our opportunity to shift toward a localized approach over the long term.”
Dayani was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. with her family after the revolution, as religious refugees.
As someone who fled a dictatorship, she deeply appreciates the freedom she and her family had found.
Dayani also hosts The Dissenters, a podcast focused on engaging and empowering American citizens in their democracy.
Most recently, just before former President Joe Biden left the White House, he appointed her to serve on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council Board of Trustees.
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Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss mweiss@jfgd.net 937-610-1555
Contributors
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Observer Advisor Martin Gottlieb
Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
Dan Sweeny President
Marni Flagel President Elect Meredith Levinson Secretary Neil Friedman Treasurer Ben Mazer VP Personnel
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Mary Rita Weissman Immed. Past Pres. Cathy Gardner CEO
17 branches and website offer loanable laptops, public desktop computers, wireless hotspots, streaming services, adaptive technology, and more. Learn more at DaytonMetroLibrary.org or by calling the Ask Me Desk at 937.463.2665.
“I was 6 years old when I came here. I think I’ve always been aware of how lucky I was to leave. There were so many others like me who couldn’t. That sense of gratitude, truly understanding what injustice feels like and recognizing how profound liberty and freedom in this country are, I never took any of that for granted.”
The 42-year-old activist earned her law degree from the USC Gould School of Law. She's worked as a corporate attorney, a talent agent representing fashion stylist Rachel Zoe, the chief brand officer of an online real estate marketplace, and the president of Archewell — the media and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
“I love leaning into the joy of activism — it’s the common thread in everything I’ve built and done so far,” she said.
One Mitzvah a Day makes it easy for people to participate, requiring less than three minutes of their time. Each morning, participants receive a text message with a URL that generates an email or provides a script for a phone call to an elected official, business leader, or other figure deserving of gratitude.
Dayani also hosts The Dissenters, a podcast focused on engaging and empowering American citizens in their democracy.
“In the future, we hope to create more localized initiatives,” Dayani said. “For instance, if Nova survivors are speaking at a statehouse against antisemitism, we can rally people to stand in solidarity with them. That would be a powerful way to translate online engagement into meaningful, in-person activism.”
The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 29, No. 7. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459.
Views expressed by columnists, in readers’ letters, and in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff or layleaders of The Dayton Jewish Observer or the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Acceptance of advertising neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut.
The Dayton Jewish Observer Mission Statement
To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by providing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests.
Goals
• To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication.
• To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish community.
• To build community across institutional, organizational and denominational lines.
During her tenure at Archewell, she played a significant role in the couple’s business dealings with Spotify and Netflix.
Her true passion, however, has always been activism. In 2018, she cofounded I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing voter registration and turnout, which garnered over 1 billion unique digital impressions.
The feedback since launching the project, she says, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People were ecstatic—they were eager to take action. For so long, people have asked me, ‘What can we do to help? How can we make a difference?’ When we gave them this opportunity, they jumped at it. They love the energy and the feeling that they’re making an impact in just a few minutes a day.”
• To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community including support of Federation agencies, its annual campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs.
• To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.
Jojo Korsh Photography
In 2018, Dayani cofounded I Am a Voter, a nonpartisan organization to increase voter registration and turnout. It's garnered over 1 billion unique digital impressions.
Israel at 77 dinner & concert
The Hashayara ensemble from Israel's Galilee will perform and Cincinnati-based Israeli chef Tsvika Silberberg will prepare a kosher Israeli dinner for Celebrate Israel at 77, Thursday, May 1 at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education.
Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. followed by Israelis who will talk about their lives there, and the concert.
An activity for children including dessert will begin at 6:45 p.m.
Hashayara comprises musicians and educators with Dror Israel, which brings educationalemotional support programs to Israelis.
Its 1,300 educators impact 150,000 people each year in 16 communities on Israel's social and economic periphery. Dror Israel's educators live at 14 educators' kibbutzim where they serve their communities.
Dror Israel oversees a youth movement; schools for youths at risk; Jewish-Arab programs to establish common ground; educational workshops on leadership, values, and social justice; and national social justice initiatives.
The JCC presents Celebrate Israel at 77 in partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, PJ Library, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel.
The Boonshoft CJCE is located at 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville.
The cost is $15 per person, $36 per family. Register by April 25 at jewishdayton.org/ events.
Hashayara
Chef Tsvika Silberberg
Hillel Academy Jewish day school will reintroduce middle school grades, admit qualified non-Jewish students beginning next academic year
'We will always prioritize Jewish children at Hillel.'
By Marshall Weiss The Observer
With parents urging Hillel Academy to reintroduce middle school grades for its current students amid an overall decline in enrollment, the Jewish day school will admit qualified non-Jewish students to all grades and will expand to seventh grade with the 2025-26 school year. Hillel also plans to add eighth grade with the 2026-27 school year.
Anna Smith, Hillel Academy's principal, hopes these moves will strengthen not only the school, but the Jewish and general communities.
"We're opening our doors to admission for people of different faiths and backgrounds who are interested in a Jewish faith-based values education," she says.
"The Dayton Jewish community is a finite number, and we want to make sure that Hillel is available to anybody in the Jewish community who
wants to be here. We're able to offer an incredible education to a slightly broader audience as well as generating a greater trust and understanding among non-Jewish people about what Judaism is."
Smith says Hillel has 30 students enrolled this school year from kindergarten through sixth grade. Without the new changes, she estimates enrollment would comprise 24 students for 2025-26. With the addition of seventh grade and expanding enrollment beyond the Jewish community, she anticipates another five to 10 students will attend Hillel for 2025-26.
kindergarten through fourth grade.
Hillel came closest to its goal of increasing enrollment to 50 students — the maximum capacity for its site on the third floor of Beth Abraham Synagogue at Sugar Camp in Oakwood — in 2022-23, with 47 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
"Covid boosted the enrollment because we were able to stay open," Smith adds.
'We've been open more than 60 years. We want to stay open another 60 years.'
Hillel's student population peaked in the early 1990s with 190 students — nearly 50 in its high school. But because of a shrinking Jewish community, declining enrollment, and budgetary constraints, Hillel discontinued its high school grades in 1999 and 2000.
By 2011, Hillel's enrollment had dropped to 22 students in
Ohio's 2023 expansion of EdChoice Scholarship student vouchers hasn't led to new student enrollment, she says, but has reduced Hillel's financial aid load with each family that takes advantage of the program.
"We're able to make it more affordable for more."
When non-Jewish students attend Hillel, Smith says, they will experience the same Jewish and secular education as Jewish students.
"They will take Hebrew, they will take Judaics, they will participate in prayer, and have
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no different expectations than any other student."
Hillel President Andy Schwartz says non-Jewish parents have requested to enroll their children at Hillel for years.
"They might not be Jewish, but they would like to have that experience for their kids: people who have appreciated their Jewish education at the JCC Preschool and would want to continue that at Hillel."
Smith and Schwartz emphasize that Hillel will have guardrails in place to ensure the Jewish character of the school.
"Jewish students, Jewish families are the priority for Hillel students at all times," Schwartz says. "We will always prioritize Jewish children for a Jewish education at Hillel."
Smith says she's consulted with several Jewish day schools that accept non-Jewish students, and with Prizmah, the network for Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America, to establish new policies, which will include zero tolerance for proselytizing on the part of students or their families at the school.
As a Jewish day school, Smith says, Hillel maintains its ability to admit or not admit students on the basis of religion.
Prizmah's senior director of school services, Amy Wasser, tells The Observer she's aware of at least 30 Jewish day schools in the United States that have enrollment open to non-Jewish students.
Some have made the change recently; others, such as Tampa's, go back more than 30 years. The main reason, Wasser says, is to grow enrollment, "which does not usually pan out in big numbers."
Sometimes, Wasser explains, it's to meet the needs of nonJewish students within a day school framework. Other times it's to allow children of nonJewish faculty and staff to attend, "to make tuition benefits more equitable."
Wasser says U.S. Jewish day schools with non-Jewish enrollment are all non-Orthodox.
In Ohio, Jewish day schools open to non-Jews are The Lippman School in Akron, Mandel Jewish Day School in Cleveland, Columbus Jewish Day School, and Akiva Academy in Youngstown.
Of these, Youngstown has a Jewish population smaller than Dayton's, estimated at 1,500 people, according to the Cleveland Jewish News
"There will be limited spaces in each class available for nonJewish students," Schwartz says. "That's to make sure each class is not out of balance. It would never be the case that Jewish students would be turned away because there are current spots taken by someone who is not.
"And then you wouldn't want to have one Jewish student in a classroom with four, five, or six non-Jewish kids."
The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton estimates the Jewish population of the Dayton area at about 4,000, 2,700 of which have been identified.
For more information about admissions to Hillel Academy, contact Meryl Hattenbach at 937-277-8966 or mhattenbach@ daytonhillel.org.
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Hillel Academy Principal Anna Smith Hillel Academy President Andy Schwartz
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Cincinnati rabbi disinvited from rally against Nazis over support for Israel
Rabbi Ari Jun, a self-described liberal Zionist, has advocated for the Palestinians.
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When Rabbi Ari Jun learned that faith leaders were invited to speak at a rally in Cincinnati against neo-Nazis and White supremacy, he quickly responded that he would be there.
As the former director of the local Jewish Community Relations Council who recently took the helm of a progressive Reform synagogue, Jun has experience responding to antisemitism and a passion for social justice.
But a week later, he was told he was off the docket. The reason: He is a Zionist.
“Some of your values do not truly align with the values this protest is trying to represent,” Laini Smith, an organizer of
the rally held March 2 in the city’s Washington Park, told him via text message.
Billie Pittman, another organizer with Queen City United, a progressive group, spelled it out even more clearly: “Rabbi Ari Jun is a well-known Zionist, and while this event is intended to oppose Nazis and White supremacy, allowing Zionists to participate undermines the original goal of the demonstration.”
Pittman also posted on the event’s Facebook page: “We are in the works of having another speaker from the Jewish community.”
The about-face by Queen City United comes as progressive Jews around the United States and beyond continue to struggle with how they fit into the political communities they
called home prior to the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 2023. Many progressive Jews have reported feeling excluded by litmus tests — often implicit, but sometimes explicit — that require them to denounce Israel’s very existence in order to be welcomed in political spaces. Jun offers a case study in these dynamics. A graduate of the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, he previously served as educator and assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Or in the Dayton area and as director of Dayton's Jewish Community Relations Council. When he assumed the
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Rabbi Ari Jun
role of senior rabbi at Temple Sholom in January, Jun said he was eager to rebuild interfaith relations and continue the synagogue’s long-standing tradition of social justice.
He has also been a vocal critic of the Israeli government and its right-wing U.S. supporters, even challenging some centrist orthodoxies in the immediate wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“If our empathy extends only to Israelis and Jews...we play into Hamas’ hands,” he wrote on his blog in November 2023 in advance of the Jewish community rally in Washington, D.C. that drew an estimated 300,000 people. In February, he wrote in an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer that President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan is “nothing short of the dictionary definition of ethnic cleansing.” He has also drawn scorn from some nonJewish progressives, for example from the Cincinnati Socialists last year, for his attitudes about Israel and Zionism. Those attitudes put him in the American Jewish mainstream. According to a 2021 Pew Research study, 80% of U.S. Jews say caring about Israel is an essential or important part of what being Jewish means to them. Nearly 60% said they personally feel an emotional attachment to Israel. Last year, the American Jewish Committee Survey of American Jewish Opinion found that 85% of U.S. Jews think it’s important
THE REGION
for the United States to support Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7.
“I would call myself a liberal Zionist,” said Jun. “I am attacked by people to the right of me in the Jewish community for being insufficiently allegiant to Israel, and I am attacked by progressives for having any association with Israel. I don’t consider all anti-Zionism to be antisemitism, but I do know there is a dramatic overlap between the two.”
The rally’s organizers did not publicly announce that they had disinvited Jun. As the news emerged, critics and supporters of his exclusion posted a flood of comments on the event’s Facebook page.
“This is a shameful march that’s a complete lie. I am a progressive, but progressives can’t stand for equality when you exclude Jews,” wrote Rabbi Sammy Kanter, director of Jewish learning at the local JCC. “Excluding a minority group is not a rally against hate, but rather breeds more!”
Mohammad Ahmad, who leads a pro-Palestinian group in Northern Kentucky, praised the decision to disinvite Jun.
“As a Palestinian, I want to thank the brave organizers of this event for taking a clear stance against Zionism and all forms of White supremacy in the Tri-State area. Bravo and well done,” he wrote.
“Zionism is unequivocally racism and Zionism is, without a shadow of doubt, an ultranationalist, fascist, and far-right
ethno-supremacist ideology that has inflicted so much harm not just on Palestinians in Palestine, but on so many other marginalized groups, including right here in Cincinnati.”
The organizers, too, weighed in on the Facebook page. Smith wrote they believe that “standing up against White supremacy, neo-Nazism, and other forms of oppression requires us to critically engage with the full scope of ideologies and actions that perpetuate harm,” and that they believe hate has no place in Cincinnati.
The decision to not invite Jun "was not based on his Jewish identity, but rather on a fundamental divergence in values,” Smith wrote. “Our event is rooted in a commitment to challenging White supremacy, ethnic cleansing, and the ongoing harm against marginalized communities.”
Previously, according to private messages between Jun and Smith that Jun shared, his plan was to speak about the threat of White supremacy, which Smith said “would be perfect.”
Jun had even told his congregants that to “counter Nazism,” they would need to show up in spaces where they may feel uncomfortable. Since his dismissal by organizers, he said he feels differently.
“It’s one thing to go to a rally expecting different people with disagreeing viewpoints to show up as their full selves, and for that to create discomfort and to live with that discomfort,” Jun said. “It’s another thing for us as a Jewish community to be told, ‘You cannot show up as your full selves.’”
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Bill expanding ‘ethnic intimidation,’ defining antisemitism in Ohio reemerges at Statehouse
By Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal
An Ohio Senate Republican has reintroduced a bill to expand criminal charges of “ethnic intimidation” and define antisemitism in state law, aligning the definition with a previous executive order by Gov. Mike DeWine.
State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, brought Ohio Senate Bill 87 to the Senate Judiciary Committee March 5. He said one of the drivers for the bill was the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, after which, he said, “a concerning wave of extremist demonstrations” on Ohio college campuses included “disturbing displays of aggression and intolerance.”
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With antisemitism “seemingly on the rise” particularly at “pro-Gaza” protests on college campuses, Johnson said he wants Ohio law to include an expansion of the charge of ethnic intimidation when combined with other charges.
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and rioting committed by reason of race, color, religion, or national origin of another person or group.”
A charge of riot can be leveled when five or more people “participate in a course of disorderly conduct” for the purpose of committing a misdemeanor offense. It can also be charged to a group of five or more people accused of intimidating a public official or employee “into taking or refraining from official action, or with the purpose to hinder, impede or obstruct a function of government,” according to the bill.
“Ethnic intimidation is already against the law here in Ohio and can be added as an additional charge for violations such as aggravated menacing, menacing, criminal damaging, or endangering and criminal mischief,” Johnson told the committee. “This legislation would expand that charge to also include aggravated rioting
Rioting can also be charged when a group is accused of trying to “hinder, impede or obstruct the orderly process of administration or instruction at an educational institution.” If someone is charged with a riot offense, the charge of ethnic intimidation would be a fifthdegree felony. A charge of aggravated riot would bring an ethnic intimidation charge considered second, third, or fourth-degree felony “depending on the circumstances of the offense,” according to an analysis by the Legislative Service Commission.
A bill on which S.B. 87 is based was brought by Johnson in the last General Assembly, and it
The Ohio Statehouse
Jake Zuckerman, OCJ
received both praise and criticism in committee hearings.
Those who stood against the bill called it “un-American” and said it conflated “legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies with hatred.”
Critics like the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Ohio Chapter Executive Director Faten Odeh said the previous bill would dampen dissent and could have placed the government “in the role of silencing political opposition.”
Opponents also questioned how words used at protests will be interpreted, and who will decide what is considered illegal.
THE REGION
“An executive order is a handy thing, executive orders are easier to change than things that are actually placed in law,” Johnson said when asked March 5 why the bill is needed if DeWine’s executive order already exists.
“Who will interpret my words,” asked Patricia Marida in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in December. “How far can I go in criticizing the state of Israel? How might I be pointed out, sanctioned, or even targeted by those who disagree with me?”
Along with expanding the criminal offense of ethnic intimidation, the bill codifies a definition of antisemitism “for the purpose of investigations and proceedings by state agencies.”
The definition is taken from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance — the same definition used in a 2022 executive order by DeWine. It encourages state agencies to use it for agency investigations, including those at higher education institutions.
“I think this is a weighty enough situation that it needs to be in law.”
Under the definition, antisemitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Supporters of the bill in its previous form included Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the group Ohio Jewish Communities, whose president and CEO, Howie Beigelman, said the alliance’s definition would help authorities determine whether incidents rise to the level of “actual antisemitism.”
a crime or other action covered by a school or work policy.”
The anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace is opposed to the Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, saying it “conflates criticism of the state of Israel with antisemitism” and warning about the legislation “possibly tying it to enforcement mechanisms like firing critics of Israel from organizations, and schools getting government funding.”
In introducing the new bill, Johnson said it is “explicitly stated that this legislation shall not be construed to diminish or infringe on any right protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution or Ohio Constitution.”
“The freedom of speech and public demonstrations are ingrained in our American way of life,” Johnson told the committee. “It is crucial for such protests to adhere to the principles of respect, empathy, and constructive dialogue between all perspectives.”
While the previous bill passed the Ohio Senate, it didn’t make the cut as the General Assembly term drew to a close at the end of 2024.
Beigelman said he was confident the bill would still allow First Amendment rights to continue, only jumping in “when that hatred morphs into
Johnson also said the bill hit some “unexpected roadblocks from House leadership” that kept it from moving forward, though he didn’t specify what those roadblocks were.
State Sen. Terry Johnson
Ohio Jewish Communities President/CEO Howie Beigelman
Anti-Israel protesters try to disrupt talk by former Israeli PM Bennett
By Lillie Askari Columbus Jewish News
A visit by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at an event March 5 at The Ohio State University Hillel in Columbus was met with anti-Israel protests outside the building, according to Nathaniel Grossman, director of external relations for Ohio State Hillel.
More than 280 people gathered at Hillel at 46 E. 16th Ave. to hear Bennett speak, encouraging students to visit Israel early and often.
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He said “the usual” loud chants could be heard, including “Free Palestine” and “Intifada.”
A Facebook video shows protesters in the alley outside oOSU Hillel, where officers from the Columbus Division of Police and campus police were present.
Grossman added that Bennett said Jewish identity should be a source of joy and pride for Jews all over the world, and that everyone has a role to play in Israel’s security and future.
Bennett engaged in a Q&A with about 30 student leaders after the event.
“We were aware of demonstrators outside our building,” Grossman said. “They made noise and they chanted, but what I think is really important to know is that our event went as scheduled and uninterrupted.”
“We just really want to say thank you to our security partners for helping keep everyone safe,” Grossman said. Kelly Fishman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Cleveland serving Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania, said the ADL supports people’s right to protest unless the protesters harass, intimidate, or threaten others.
“(Protests) should never make someone feel threatened based on their identity,” she said. “We want our students to be able to vocalize how they’re feeling about world events that encourage conscientious conversation and not threats or intimidation.”
Fishman said it’s important to be able to sit down and share differences and different perspectives, “because there’s an opportunity to say, ‘here’s how we’re feeling, how can we stand together where everyone feels safe and supported?’”
Benjamin Johnson, assistant vice president of media and public relations at Ohio State, said in an email statement, “The safety of students, faculty and staff is our top priority. Ohio State’s public safety and
April 14
April 19 Sunday, April 20
at approx. 11 AM
Dinsmore
Screenshot of Facebook video showing protesters in the alley outside OSU Hillel while former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett gave a talk inside the Hillel building, March 5.
Naftali Bennett
THE REGION
student life teams were in contact with Hillel before the event to consult on safety planning and offer other assistance as part of our normal support processes. Ohio State also coordinated with Columbus Police so that both university and city police were prepared to offer support. Hillel is adjacent to campus but not on campus, so CPD was the primary police agency. Police from both agencies were present throughout the event to ensure the safety of those in attendance.”
The Ohio State Hillel has been the site of other protests since the Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attacks by Hamas on Israel.
On March 27, 2024, three masked protesters stood outside the OSU Hillel with a banner calling Israel a “genocidal state,” but they left after a Hillel officer spoke with them.
In November 2023, two women trespassed onto the Hillel property, entered the building, shouted, and tore down Israeli flags.
Charges, except for trespass, were dropped after the women had dialogue sessions with representatives and members of Hillel.
On Nov. 10, 2023, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered additional law enforcement to OSU’s campus after two students were assaulted in antisemitic attacks.
Weeks after selling NYC building, Hebrew Union College sells part of LA campus to USC
By Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTA
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is selling part of its Los Angeles campus to the nearby University of Southern California, in the latest in a series of cost-cutting moves for a legacy Jewish institution facing years of declining enrollment and financial stress.
Announced Feb. 26, the agreement between HUC and USC will fund a major renovation of the Jack H. Skirball Campus and boost HUC’s endowment. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
HUC students, faculty and staff will continue to occupy the campus’ west wing, but the majority of the property will belong to USC.
The two academic institutions have been neighbors since HUC opened its Los Angeles campus in 1954 and partners in joint academic programs since 1972.
The downsizing in Los Angeles is part of a larger strategy that has also affected two other U.S. campuses of the Reform movement’s academic and leadership training institution, in New York and Cincinnati.
“The decision to reinvest in the Los Angeles campus…accomplishes the college’s goal of aligning its real estate footprint with academic program and operational needs across all its campuses,” HUC said in its announcement.
The sale comes weeks after HUC announced it was selling its downtown Manhattan campus for about $75 million to New York University and relocating to a smaller $32 million building on the Upper West Side.
Recent years have also seen the Cincinnati campus lose its rabbinical program and graduate programs in Jewish studies as part of the restructuring plan.
The Reform movement is not the
only Jewish denomination downsizing its educational real estate in Los Angeles amid enrollment declines.
American Jewish University, one of Conservative Judaism’s two major educational centers, last year completed a deal to sell its hilltop campus after announcing plans to relocate its rabbinical school to a leased space in an urban Jewish neighborhood.
Renovation plans for the HUC campus are still being shaped with input from a community-led task force. Leading the renovation work is Israeliborn, California-raised architect Hagy Blezberg.
The HUC sale puts the institution in a better position to fulfill its mission of educating future rabbis and Jewish communal leaders, according to Rabbi Joshua Garroway, the dean of HUC in Los Angeles.
“This sale allows us to invest in our future here in Los Angeles and make much-needed renovations and improvements to the Jack H. Skirball Campus — as we continue to evolve alongside our community and expand access to Jewish leadership education,” Garroway said in a statement.
HUC's Los Angeles campus dates to 1954.
Franklin & Renee Rubin
Handel & Family
Voting open in election for World Zionist Congress, with future of Israel at stake
Election allows any American Jew who agrees to Zionist principles to vote for body with influence over Israeli immigration, land use, and religious freedom.
By Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTA
Voting opened March 10 in an election that gives American Jews a rare chance to directly shape Israel’s future.
Marvin & Susan Mason
wish the Dayton Jewish community a very
The U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress will help determine the balance of power in the legislative authority of a Zionist organization founded by Theodore Herzl 128 years ago.
Influence over $5 billion in funding for Jewish causes is at stake, as is authority over quasigovernmental institutions such as the Jewish Agency, which plays a central role in immigration to Israel, and the Jewish
National Fund, which owns 13% of Israeli land.
Any Jewish adult living in the United States can vote between now and May 4 as long as they accept a set of Zionist principles and pay a $5 registration fee.
At the heart of this year’s election is a fierce ideological battle between liberal and right-wing Orthodox factions, each seeking to shape the future of Zionist institutions and their financial priorities at a pivotal time in Israel’s history.
The results will impact key issues such as religious pluralism, funding for Jewish education, settlement expansion, and Israel-Diaspora relations.
“This election is about nothing less than the soul of the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Josh Weinberg, who heads the campaign for the Reform movement’s liberal slate of candidates.
“There are multiple competing visions over what it means to have a Jewish state and essentially to be Jewish. We can help decide some of those things through a democratic process.”
Weinberg’s Vote Reform slate is one of 21 lists vying to capture the 152 seats allocated to American Jewry in the
incoming congress, a significant increase over the 15 slates that participated in the last election, five years ago.
Whoever wins will serve alongside 173 representatives selected by Jewish communities across the rest of the Diaspora as well as 200 representatives from Israel, who are chosen by Israeli political parties, according to their share of seats in parliament.
Representing the largest denomination of American Jewry, the Reform slate won a plurality of American votes last time, but it was the surge of Orthodox lists that defined the 2020 election.
The success of Mizrachi, a longstanding slate backed by the institutions of Modern Orthodoxy, and Eretz Hakodesh, a brand new Haredi Orthodox list, helped tip the balance at
the congress, giving a slight majority for the first time to the right-wing bloc.
Campaigning again this time, Eretz Hakodesh hopes to build on its record.
“We invite all who share our values and beliefs to join us and witness the remarkable impact we have made in recent years,” the slate said in a statement after declining an interview request.
Many of the nine new slates in this election are running on platforms similar to that of Eretz Hakodesh, whether by espousing Orthodox religious values or prosettlement politics — or both. One of the factors distinguishing these slates is their demographic focus. Am Yisrael Chai, for example, seeks to represent college students and young professionals. The Israeli American Council slate, which is affiliated with the eponymous advocacy group, caters to Israeli expats, and Beyachad is for Russianspeaking Jews.
The left has its own slate of Israeli ex-pats, AID Coalition, which is made up of people who support the Israeli protest movement that’s been challenging the government of Benjamin Netanyahu with massive weekly street demonstrations in recent years. ANU: A New
Susan & David Joffe
Perry & Renata Lubens
Yamu_Jay/Pixabay
Union, meanwhile, is a new left-wing slate focused on the youth vote.
Jews in the United States lean left as a whole, but that’s no guarantee of representation in the congress because only a small fraction of them vote. Of nearly 6 million American Jewish adults, only 125,000 voted in the 2020 election, which was a massive increase over the 56,000 votes cast in 2015. The highest rate of participation ever came in 1987, when about 211,000 voters cast their ballots.
Yizhar Hess, vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization, casts the issue of low turnout as a shanda, or shame, that threatens the pluralism that Zionism was founded on. He’s hoping he can raise awareness about the election over the next few months by speaking to congregations and other types of gatherings.
“If the congress is called ‘the parliament of the Jewish people’ it should reflect the makeup of world Jewry,” he said. “That’s why I am investing many hours every day in order to convince the Jews of the diaspora to make their voice heard.”
Women of the Wall leader to give talk in Dayton to champion liberal World Zionist Congress votes
Beth Abraham Synagogue, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel will host Women of the Wall Vice Chairwoman Tammy Gottlieb for a speech to encourage local Conservative and Reform Jews to vote in the U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress.
She'll present the talk, Voices of Strength: An Evening of Unity and Action, after a kosher Israeli dinner at 6 p.m, Tuesday, April 22 at Beth Abraham. The Dayton Jewish Chorale will also perform as part of the program.
Gottlieb, who lives in Jerusalem, is also a World Zionist Organization executive board member representing the Conservative movement's Mercaz USA.
Dayton is one of 10 stops on her U.S. speaking tour after Passover on behalf of Mercaz.
"The important thing is to get people to vote, because I think the Jewish people don't know enough about these elections," she tells The Observer via Zoom.
"And we are good friends
with the Reform movement. We work with them a lot because our ideologies are similar."
Jews in the United States, Gottlieb explains, receive about a third of all World Zionist Organization votes.
Israel's third of the vote reflects the makeup of the Knesset. The final third comprises the remainder of the Jewish Diaspora.
"So the Israeli government does have a big impact on how, what the World Zionist Congress will look like, but it's not the only impact," she says. "And the Reform and the Conservative movements — that are the majority of the Jewish people in the United States — are represented in big numbers in the congress."
Her goal, she says, is to ensure that U.S. Jewish representation stays true to the size of the Conservative and Reform movements here.
According to Pew Research Center's Jewish Americans in 2020 survey, 9% of U.S. adult
Jews identify as Orthodox, 17% as Conservative, 37% as Reform, 4% as another branch of Judaism, and 32% as having no particular branch.
Gottlieb says voting in the Diaspora beyond the United States begins after voting here concludes.
"By the beginning of September, we'll know what happened. And the Israeli government is mirrored from the government that exists at the beginning of September."
The congress will convene in
Jerusalem in October.
Gottlieb grew up in Rehovot in a Conservative Jewish family, a rarity in Israel.
"The movement is growing now, but no thanks to the Israeli government. I grew up fighting for equal rights for liberal Jews in Israel.
"The World Zionist Congress is an arena that might influence these agendas of maintaining a Jewish people that is liberal and moral and all voices of all Jews, which is something that doesn't happen enough in the state of Israel. We have this arena that looks at us as one people. It's the framework that puts all Jewish people together. And there aren't many places like that, that looks at the Jewish people as one."
Beth Abraham is located at 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. The program, including dinner, is free; reservations are required by April 17 to the synagogue, 937-293-9520 or contact@bethabrahamdayton. org. — Marshall Weiss
NO ONE SAVES MORE LIVES IN ISRAEL IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
There are many ways to support Israel and its people, but none is more transformative than a gift to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Your gift to MDA isn’t just changing lives — it’s literally saving them — providing critical care and hospital transport for everyone from victims of heart attacks to rocket attacks. Donate today at MagenDavidAdom.org or call 866.632.2763.
Women of the Wall Vice Chair Tammy Gottlieb
OPINION
Hope — and home — in Isra el
Reps with Jewish Community Relations Council connect with Sister City, Partnership2Gether region colleagues
By Jeff Blumer
On Feb. 18, I set off toward Israel for a journey that would include a significant amount of time in two areas with long-standing, important connections to Dayton. The first was the Dayton Sister City of Holon, known as the City of Children, just south of Tel Aviv; the second was the Western Galilee, Dayton's Partnership2Gether region.
The Jewish Agency’s Partnership2Gether program connects Dayton and 16 other Jewish communities across the central United States with Budapest, Hungary and Israel’s Western Galilee.
As the Jewish Community Relations Council director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, I handle our P2G programming. Two Dayton JCRC Advisory Board members, Meryl Goldman and Jennifer Holman, joined me in Israel for 18 site visits and 44 meetings over 10 days.
Our hosts, guides, and travel companions from Holon, Lidor and Rachel, led us on a full day in the Gaza Envelope, visits to the Nova festival site, the city of Sderot, and several kibbutzim that suffered unimaginably on Oct. 7, 2023. We also visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv the day following the return of the bodies of the Bibas children.
We learned about the cultural, business, educational, and philanthropic aspects of Holon — a city of nearly 200,000 people — with a visit to its amazing Children’s Museum, Media Force company, Holon Institute of Technology, and the Legacy Heritage Children’s Home.
We began our first full day in Holon with a meeting in Mayor Shay Keinan’s office, the 43-year-old who was elected in 2024 following a 30-year previous administration.
The instant connection and heartfelt welcome of everyone in the municipality set the tone for our entire time in Israel. Each person we met seemed thrilled to have us there; they were interested in our perspectives and excited to show us what they do, who they are, and mostly how they serve their citizens.
Shabbat dinner at the home of Deputy Mayor Haim Zabrello was a highlight of our time in Holon. We had toured and seen much of the area and shared our experiences about Save A Child’s Heart, which provides free, lifesaving heart surgery to children, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.
The Dialogue in the Dark educational program taught us what it's like to lose your eyesight. We learned about the technological innovations and challenges Holon's 14 high schools navigate.
When we decided to make this trip happen, it was based around a highly subsidized, four-day P2G solidarity mission to the Western Galilee.
I knew then that we would need a transition between our experience in Holon and the South and our time in the North. Family friends Idit and Ofer Manosevitch provided this transition at their home, about halfway to our next destination of Nahariya, in the wonderful town of Zikhron Ya'akov, about 22 miles south of Haifa. We were able to process some of our experiences, do some laundry, and enjoy a homecooked meal together.
Over our next few days in the North, we visited a community center that was hit in a deadly drone attack. We mourned with families who had lost loved ones from attacks near their homes. We experienced Shlomi’s Glasses, a virtual reality program to help us understand what it was like for the Nova festival attendees who were taken hostage.
An undeniable bond
By Meryl Goldman
Israel felt just as much like home on this trip as it did on my first visit. I expected to feel a little scared this time, but I felt a deep sense of peace instead.
Even so, the pain and hope of the last 500 days could be felt in every conversation with Israelis, every meeting and every discussion, and reflected on the hostage posters seen on each corner.
Nothing embodied this more than the home where we ate Shabbat dinner, directly across from the landing spot of a recent rocket. The potential devastation was palpable, but still, the feeling of safety remained.
the vehicle and the beautiful rainbow over the sea that was seen all over social media on the other.
There is nothing you can do to steel yourself against the pain when the war permeates everything. There is no option to unplug from it as we can here in America.
Another time on the way to a meeting, we saw Israelis standing silently to honor the Bibas family as they finally returned home out of one side of
So, what do you think?
The war is an everpresent reality that hangs in the air and washes over you relentlessly, even when you need a break. But for as much as it hurts, there is also a silent comfort in knowing you are never alone with it. We mourned together as a people, Israelis and Diaspora Jews no more, but a big family, hand in hand in solidarity. When I walked down the street crying on the day of the Bibas funeral, no one asked me what was wrong. No
Continued on Page 34
One of the most impactful moments for me came after the mayor of Akko, Amichai Ben Shloosh, welcomed us as guests at the moving Bibas family memorial service on the steps of city hall. I tried once again — as I had many times during this trip — to express the honor I felt to be included along with all Israelis in this opportunity to stand with them in this meaningful moment.
My words were interrupted by the expression of gratitude that our delegation was willing to visit, to listen, and try to understand what Israelis are going through. The only request I heard was that we share our stories when we were back in Dayton, and that we return when we can and encourage others in our community to do the same.
P2G plans to host its next summit Oct. 21-24. I look forward to participating in this, and to bringing an even larger Dayton delegation.
Jeff Blumer is director of Dayton's Jewish Community Relations Council. For the next PechaKucha Night, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 24 at the Dayton Art Institute, he'll present Remembrance and Resilience. The date of this PechaKucha coincides with Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
One united Jewish family
By Jennifer Holman
If I were to sum up the trip to Israel in one word, it would be hope. From the moment you land at Ben Gurion to the moment you depart, you are reminded that our Jewish family members are in captivity. The war and pain hang in the air in a palpable way.
But so does hope! Every day, there is hope of freedom for those held captive.
There is hope that peace is on the horizon. And in the words of Israel's 2025 Eurovision song selection, hope that a New Day Will Rise In Holon, hope was at the Holon In-
stitute of Technology. When the IDF didn't have adequate armor, the students designed new lightweight armor for soldiers and their service dogs.
In the South, hope was in the people returning to their homes and the workers in their fields.
Hope was found in the beauty of the memorials left for those we lost.
In the North, hope was in the Galilee Medical Center. You can look into Lebanon from the windows, but this hospital developed the standard for practicing emergency medicine underground during missile strikes.
Continued on Page 34
Jennifer Holman and other P2K mission participants paint U.S., Israeli, and Hungarian flags on a mobile rocket shelter provided with funds from Peoria's P2K program.
Holon Mayor Shay Keinan (L) presents a Haggadah to Dayton JCRC Dir. Jeff Blumer for Dayton's Jewish Federation as tour guide Lidor Walman looks on.
Meryl Goldman in Holon. Photos
April 2025
80 YEARS LATER a Liberator’s Daughter Tells His Story
Children, teens, adults. Please join us!
UPCOMING EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 7:30 - 10PM JCC Culture Club at The Loft Theatre
SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2 - 4PM CABS – Mimi Zieman, Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 3 - 5PM Yom Hashoah Observance
Connect with us! Check out our events. For more information, check out our calendar at jewishdayton.org
Sunday, April 27
Starting At 3PM at Beth Abraham Synagogue 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood, 45409
4PM: Community Yom Hashoah Memorial Service
Presentation of contest winners will be followed by guest speaker, Elaine Buckler, who will share the story of her father, Paul Buckler, who participated in the liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp on April 29, 1945.
Max and Lydia May Holocaust Art & Writing Contest will be on display from 3 – 4PM and following the program.
FOR YOUTH
3:15 – 3:45PM: Teen Program Second Generation Perspectives
Facilitator Helen Halcomb guides a dialogue with teens and adult children of Holocaust survivors. Contest participants and teens in our community are invited.
4PM: PJ Library & PJ Our Way Program
How To Be a Mensch
Join us for a story, craft, mitzvah activity and snack. We will discuss how people of all ages can make a diference! Ages 5-12.
RSVP at jewishdayton.org/events. Questions about the PJ Library program? Please contact Kate Elder at kelder@jfgd.net. For all other questions, please contact Je Blumer at jblumer@jfgd.net.
Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. www.jewishdayton.org. Presented by the Yom Hashoah Committee, the Holocaust Education Committee, and the Max & Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Art & Writing Contest.
Join us for Yom Ha'atzmaut Thursday, May 1
6 – 8PM at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Drive, Centerville, 45459
Join us for an AUTHENTIC KOSHER ISRAELI MEAL prepared by Cincinnati-based Israeli chef Tsvika Silberberg.
6PM: Dinner will begin – doors open at 5:45PM
6:45PM: Two special guests will speak about life in Israel followed by HASHAYARA – A Musical Celebration of Israel's Spirit.
6:45PM: A separate children's dessert activity will be held
7PM: HASHAYARA performance
$15 per person, $36 per family. Space is limited. Reservations are required by Friday, April 25. Vegetarian option available. Please visit jewishdayton.org/events for more information, menu, and to register.
JCC In partnership with: Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Hadassah, Hillel Academy, Jewish War Veterans, PJ Library, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel
MARCH & APRIL EVENTS
Sunday, March 30 at 7PM via Zoom — enjoy from the comfort of your home!
No Cost
Philip Eil, Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the “Pill Mill Killer”
Prescription for Pain by Philip Eil is a gripping true crime exploration of Dr. Paul Volkman, who once had a promising career as a physician but is now serving four consecutive life terms in prison for his “pill mill” scheme. Through investigative journalism and poignant storytelling, Eil uncovers the human cost of this enterprise, highlighting the lives a ected and the systemic failures that have allowed it to flourish. This book provides a critical examination of a pressing public health issue, o ering insight into the complexities and challenges of addressing opioid addiction in contemporary society.
To purchase tickets for in-person events or to register for free events, please visit jewishdayton.org/events or call 937-610-1555
Community Center
“EXPEDITION TO EVEREST”
Sunday, April 6 at 2PM
Woodbourne Library
6060 Far Hills Avenue, Centerville, 45459
No Cost
Books available for purchase and book signing at event
Mimi Zieman, Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure
The daughter of a Holocaust survivor and immigrant mother, Zieman was once an aspiring dancer. She spent a childhood with demanding parents who did not understand her choices and what’s more, disapproved of them. Her adventures took her to a kibbutz in Israel as well as a Rocky Mountain climbing camp. Fast forward a number of years, and she is in her third year of medical school. Zieman is asked to accompany mountain climbers as they attempt to access a new route to the most dangerous side of Mount Everest. They do this without a sherpa or su cient oxygen. This riveting story will hold you spellbound as you navigate the journey with her.
In Partnership with Washington-Centerville Public Library and Women’s Philanthropy
BEGINNERS MAH JONGG LESSONS
Tuesday, July 1, 8, & 15, 5:30 - 6:30PM at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Drive, Centerville, 45459
The JCC is o ering Beginners Mah Jongg Lessons for people who have never played or think they are beginners!
Cost: $36 - Includes a 2025 Mah Jongg card set and the book: A Beginner’s Guide to American Mah Jongg: How to Play the Game & Win. Please Register by June 1 at jewishdayton.org/events.
Questions? Contact Stacy Emo at semo @jfgd.net or call 937-610-5513
April 2025
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES
Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials
FEDERATION
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON ENDOWMENT FUND
In memory of Betty Alter
Margy and Otis Hurst
PJ LIBRARY FUND
In memory of Marc Katz
In honor of Adam Weprin’s Bar Mitzvah
Marcia and Edward Kress
JEWISH CEMETERIES OF GREATER DAYTON
In memory of Marc Katz
Wendy Lipp and Family
Donna and Marshall Weiss
Janice and Bob Kohn
Susie and Eddie Katz
Beverly A. Louis
JOE BETTMAN MEMORIAL
TZADIK AWARD
In memory of Marc Katz
Elaine Bettman
JOAN AND PETER WELLS AND REBECCA LINVILLE FAMILY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUND
In memory of Marc Katz
In honor of Sylvia Heyman’s birthday
Joan and Peter Wells
FILM FESTIVAL
In memory of Marc Katz
Jane and Gary Hochstein
Cathy Gardner
Did you know you can honor a friend or family member through a Legacy, Tribute or Memorial?
A donation to one of the Jewish Foundation's many endowment funds benefit our Jewish community while honoring a loved one. For more information, please contact Janese R. Sweeny, Esq. CFRE, at 937-401-1542.
LOOKING FOR A GREAT PRESCHOOL
EXPERIENCE
FOR YOUR CHILD?
The Jewish Community Center Preschool may be the place for you.
Our school provides:
• An eclectic curriculum that meets and exceeds The Ohio Learning and Developmental Standards.
• A warm and nurturing environment with low student/teacher ratios. Trained teachers that surpass required OCCRRA training hours. We are part of the SHEVA Learning Community, which is based on the Reggio Emilia Philosophy.
Specialty instruction including movement, music, and art. Transportation to and from PVS & PVN for kindergarteners.
Jewish Community Center Preschool enrollment is now open.
Please reach out to our director, Katie Lagasse, with questions or to schedule a tour at klagasse@jfgd.net or 937-610-1794.
Limited spaces are available in various classrooms.
JCC Preschool
JCC
Classes
Beth Jacob Classes: w. Rabbi Agar on Zoom. Tuesdays, 7 p.m.: Torah Tuesdays. Thursdays, 7 p.m.: Thursdays of Thought. Register, 937-2742149. bethjacobcong.org/bethjacob-happenings.
Chabad Classes: Tuesdays, noon: Lunch & Learn. Call for locations. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.: Talmud in person & Zoom. Call for Zoom link. Four Mondays beginning April 28, 7 p.m.: JLI-Colorful Profiles. At Chabad. chabaddayton.com. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
Temple Beth Or Classes: Sundays, 10 a.m.: Adult Hebrew Sat., April 5, 19, 10 a.m.: Apocryphal Study in person & Zoom. templebethor.com/ events. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400.
Temple Israel Classes: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.: Weekly Torah Commentary w. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz, in person & Zoom. Saturdays, 9:15 a.m.: Virtual Torah Study on Zoom. For Torah Study Zoom info., email Fran Rickenbach, franwr@gmail.com. Tues., April 1, 8, 22, 29, noon: Talmud in person & Zoom. Fri., April 4, 11 a.m.: Living w. Loss w. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz. Thurs., April 10, 3:30 p.m.: Living w. Ambiguous Loss w. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz. tidayton. org/calendar. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. RSVP to 937-4960050.
Family
Temple Israel Prayer & Play: Fri., April 18, 5:30 p.m. Infants–2nd grade. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050.
Adults
Temple Israel Sacred Stitching: Tues., April 1, 15, 29, 11 a.m. For info., email Alexandria King, garyuzzking@hotmail. com. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050.
Screening of Sabbath Queen: Tues., April 8, 7:30 p.m. $12.50. The Neon, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. in partnership w. the JCC & Out Here Dayton Film Fest. neonmovies.com.
Temple Israel Ryterband Lecture Series: Sun., April 27, 9:45 a.m. $7 incl. brunch. Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, From My Side of the Bima. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-4960550.
Men
Chabad Bagels, Lox & Tefillin: Sun., April 6, 9:30 a.m. 13+. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oak-
CALENDAR
wood. 937-643-0770.
JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series
Full schedule on Page 19.
Community
Chabad 1st Pesach Seder: Sat., April 12, 7:30 p.m. $36 adult, $25 child. RSVP at chabaddayton.com/events. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
Temple Beth Or 2nd Seder: Sun., April 13, 6:30 p.m. $40 adult, $20 child (Pay as you are able). RSVP at templebethor. com or 937-435-3400. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp.
Yom Hashoah Observance: Sun., April 27. 3 p.m.: Art & Writing display. 3:15 p.m.: Teen program. 4 p.m.: PJ Library & PJ Our Way program. 4 p.m.: Memorial service. RSVP at jewishdayton.org/events. At Beth Abraham Synagogue, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. Yom Ha’atzmaut Dinner Celebration: Thurs., May 1, 6 p.m. $15 person, $36 family. RSVP by April 25 at jewishdayton.org/ events. For info. contact Marc Jacob, mjacob@jfgd.net. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. 937-610-1555.
Mon-Thu: 10:30 am-10 pm Fri-Sat: 10:30 am-10:30 pm Sun: 11:30 a.m-10 pm
Pasha Grill
New Passover kids' books
By Penny Schwartz, JTA
My
Matzah
Ann Diament Koffsky
Apples & Honey Press; baby to 2
Young kids will be delighted to share a young koala’s excitement as the toddler searches its house for the afikomen — the piece of matzah that Papa Koala hid as part of the Seder. The eager joey searches everywhere — and even turns upside-down — but needs a little help from Papa to find the missing matzah. The colorful board book brims with Ann Diament Koffsky’s buoyant illustrations.
Zayde Babysits before Passover
Jane Sutton; illustrated by
Kate Chappell
Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4-8
Ruthie is excited because her grandfather, whom she calls Zaydie, is going to babysit all day, while her mother and Bubbie prepare for that night’s Passover Seder. This lively, brightly illustrated story is full of zany fun, ending with the family Seder, when Ruthie proudly recites the Four Questions.
Happy Passover, Edie Rose!
Cis Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4-9
Mia lives with her family in a big-city apartment. Every year, she looks forward to celebrating the Passover Seder at the home of Edie Rose, a vivacious woman who invites her neighbors from all backgrounds for the festive ceremonial meal.
When Edie Rose breaks her arm baking macaroons, Mia is determined to surprise her by bringing the Seder to her. All the neighbors pitch in with homemade Passover foods. The heartwarming, cross-generational, multicultural story highlights the Seder’s theme of welcoming all.
Passover on Everest
Rachelle Burk; illustrated by Craig Orback Intergalactic Afikomen; ages 5-10
When Nikki Bart was a young girl on a family vacation in Israel, she and her mother hiked to the top of Masada, the ancient hilltop fortress overlooking the Dead Sea.
way, Nikki tells their Tibetan Buddhist guides that she would miss being with her family for the holiday. In this beautifully illustrated story, inspired by the Barts’ actual hike, readers enjoy Nikki’s journey and the surprise Seder the Sherpas prepare for her and her multicultural climbing companions.
Ellis Island Passover
Marissa Moss Creston Books; ages 5-10
ages 5-8
When a huge log falls across a major Israeli highway on the eve of Passover, the traffic jam threatens to upend the Seder plans for scores of families. Despite the best efforts of a clever boy named Benji and other stranded travelers, the massive palm is immovable.
Joy Preble; illustrated by Valeria
A few years later, the mother-daughter team set out on a more challenging climb, to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It is just before the start of Passover and along the
After being sent to her room for misbehaving, a 7-year-old girl is not in the mood to celebrate Passover. But when her favorite uncle walks in the door, he spirits away her sadness as he recounts his childhood immigrant story to America when he spent a very unusual week at Ellis Island. His inspiring story deepens the girl’s appreciation of Passover and she happily joins her family for their Seder.
Roadside Seder
Determined to have a Seder, Benji transforms the log into a Passover table and asks others, including his Ethiopian Israeli grandmother, to share the foods they have packed in their cars.
Naama Lahav’s animated illustrations convey the Seder’s spirit, as Benji realizes it takes a community to solve a problem.
The Curious Case of the Missing Pot Roast: A Passover Mystery
Anna Levine; illustrated by Naama Lahav Apples & Honey Press;
Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh; illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt Green Bean Books; ages 4-7 The Four Questions are no match for an inquisitive boy who is always tossing out clever questions and riddles. In this lighthearted story, the highenergy sleuth is determined to find out why his mother trims off the ends of the pot roast she cooks for their Seder.
He dashes through their apartment building to his grandmother and greatgrandmother, who solves the
Continued on Page 23
CONGREGATIONS
Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative
Rabbi Aubrey L. Glazer
Fridays, 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.
305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 937-293-9520. bethabrahamdayton.org
Beth Jacob Congregation
Modern Orthodox Rabbi Leibel Agar Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Evening minyans upon request. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 937-274-2149. bethjacobcong.org
Temple Anshe Emeth Reform
Rabbinic Intern Jonathan Benzion Sat., April 19, 10 a.m. 320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Contact Steve Shuchat, 937-7262116, ansheemeth@gmail.com. ansheemeth.org
Temple Beth Or Reform
Rabbi Judy Chessin
Asst. Rabbi/Educator Ben Azriel Fridays, 6:15 p.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400. templebethor.com
Temple Beth Sholom Reform
Rabbi Haviva Horvitz 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown. 513-422-8313. templebethsholom.net
Temple Israel Reform
Senior Rabbi Karen BodneyHalasz. Rabbi/Educator Tina Sobo Fri., April 4, 6 p.m. Fridays, April 11, 18, 25, 6:30 p.m. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050. tidayton.org
Temple Sholom Reform
Rabbi Cary Kozberg Fridays, 6 p.m. 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 937-399-1231. templesholomoh.com
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Chabad of Greater Dayton
Rabbi Nochum Mangel
Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 937-643-0770. chabaddayton.com
Yellow Springs Havurah Independent Antioch College Rockford Chapel. 1st & 3rd Saturday each month. Contact Len Kramer, 937-5724840 or len2654@gmail.com.
What is the point of
By Rabbi Leibel Agar
Beth Jacob Congregation
Ah, the first day of spring. The sun is shining brightly, a warm breeze gently blows through the trees, branches sway lazily. A few birds chirp their delightful song of renewal and rebirth.
And yet, along with spring’s serenity, a more restless time is coming in many Jewish households. It is not a time of wind
Perspectives
and rain, but rather a flurry of activity. To Jews, the first day of spring means one very important thing: it means Pesach is coming, and coming awfully fast.
Pesach is called the Festival of Freedom, but I honestly cannot think of a busier, more commanding time of the year. The house is cleaned from top to bottom, then from bottom to top, and then, just for good measure, from inside out, from outside in, and from six ways to Sunday.
chametz dishes need to be packed away. With all the tasks to accomplish, it might make you wonder why we call this holiday the Festival of Freedom.
Even when God talks to Moses about freeing the Israelites, especially when telling Moses what to say in front of Pharaoh, there is always a caveat to the freedom: the caveat of “so that they may serve Me.”
freedom?
difference: The labor of someone who is truly free will actually matter! As an example, imagine a large shed filled with bricks. One person labors by simply counting the bricks, another person labors by taking the bricks out of the shed and using them to make a house. Both people labored, but the one who builds the house actually has something to show for his/her labor.
It seems that, rather than being freed, we are merely trading one master for another. If freedom means nothing more than more work (such as preparing for a holiday which requires more prep work than all the other holidays combined), what is the point of freedom?
The labor of someone who is truly free will actually matter
In order to answer this very important question, we must look at the true nature of freedom from the Torah’s perspective, i.e., we must understand what it means to be truly free.
We faced a similar situation when we were enslaved to Pharaoh. Our rabbis of blessed memory teach us that one of the ways the Egyptians made slavery especially bitter was by having us build the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses on soft ground.
Every so often, parts of the buildings would sink into the ground, wasting all the time and effort we put into construction. On the other hand, when we labored for God, we were able to construct magnificent edifices: the Tabernacle, the First and Second Holy Temples, and so on.
Provisions for the holiday— wine, matzah, vegetables, eggs, potatoes, maror — and a slew of other things — must be purchased. Pesach dishes need to be taken out and the
Kids' books
Continued from Page 22
True freedom is not the cessation of work; quite the opposite in fact. A person who is enslaved and a person who is truly free will both labor, but with one very important
mystery. When he recites the Four Questions, he feels a deep connection with his multi-generational family, gathered around the festive table.
Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder
Richard Michelson; illustrated by E.B. Lewis Crown Books; ages 4-8
In the spring of 2009, President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to attend a Passover Seder at the White House, bringing together the American Jewish community and the country’s first Black president.
In addition to First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, other guests included a trio of Jewish White House staffers who had put together an impromptu Seder the year before while campaigning with Obama.
The award-winning team of Michelson — who’s Jewish — and Lewis, an African American, bring to life this fascinating story of how that Seder inspired a president.
As we prepare for Pesach 5785, may God bless our labor to be the labor of someone who is truly free and grant us the understanding and appreciation of this true form of freedom.
One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe
Dara Horn; illustrated by Theo Ellsworth Norton Books for Young Readers; ages 8 and up
In this wildly imagined, time-travel graphic novel, a family’s Seder drags on for six long months, a plight recalled by the teenage son, the story’s protagonist.
The weary family is stuck in time because the teen’s toddler sister tossed aside the afikomen — the hidden piece of matzah that must be eaten before the Seder can end. The action takes off when a talking goat appears at the door — a nod to Chad Gadya, the traditional song sung at the end of the Seder.
The wise-cracking goat escorts the teen on a journey to search for the afikomen, traveling back through layers of Seders past, to the original biblical Exodus night.
The teen returns to his family’s Seder — afikomen in hand — with renewed appreciation for the endurance of the Jewish people.
Horn, the author of five novels for adults and the nonfiction essay collection People Love Dead Jews, is a three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Ellsworth’s work has been included in the Best American Comics anthologies.
Shabbat, April 4: 7:46 p.m.
Shabbat, April 11: 7:53 p.m.
Erev Pesach April 12: 8:54 p.m.
1st Eve Pesach, April 13 8:55 p.m.
Shabbat & 7th Eve Pesach April 18: 8 p.m.
8th Eve Pesach, April 19 9:01 p.m.
Shabbat, April 25: 8:07 p.m.
April 5: Vayikra (Lev. 1:1-5:26)
April 12: Tzav (Lev. 6:1-8:36)
April 26: Shemini (Lev. 9:1-11:47) Candle Lightings
Pesach Passover April 13-20 15-22 Nisan
Eight-day festival celebrating the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Leavened bread products are not eaten.
Yom Hashoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day April 23 • 25 Nisan (Observed) Marked by memorials for those who perished in the Holocaust.
Yom Hazikaron
Israel Memorial Day April 30 • 2 Iyar (Observed) Memorial Day for all who died serving Israel. Concludes with a siren blast as stars appear and Independence Day begins.
Yom Ha’atzmaut
Israel Independence Day May 1 • 3 Iyar (Observed) Celebrated by Jews around the world. Israel celebrates with parades, singing, dancing, and fireworks.
Rabbi Leibel Agar
The perfect-for-Pesach Yiddish Meatloaf
By Sonya Sanford, The Nosher
Nicknamed “Yiddish meatloaf,” klops is an egg-filled meatloaf that likely originated in Austria, but became popular with Polish Jews and throughout Eastern Europe.
Prior to World War I, Vienna was known for its lavish cuisine and layered dishes. Klops – with its striking hardboiled egg center – was commonly served in restaurants, as well as in homes.
While it may look fancy, klops is prepared with simple ingredients: ground meat like beef or veal, onions, egg and matzah meal (or, during most of the year, bread crumbs). It's a true old world dish: meaty, hearty and very filling.
ized onions on top after the klops comes out of the oven, and others prefer ketchup or tomato sauce as a glaze while it cooks. I’m partial to a ketchup topping, with its tangy bright note and glossy finish; but if you’re a traditionalist, omit it.
As comforting as it is to eat meatloaf of any kind, there’s something undeniably impressive about slicing into klops, and revealing a happy golden yolk peeking through the center of each serving.
You’ll find recipes for this meatloaf in Jewish culinary classics like Claudia Roden’s Book of Jewish Food and Gil Marks’ The World of Jewish Cooking Klops can be whipped up quickly, but the trickiest bit is nestling the hard boiled eggs into the center, making sure each one is carefully covered with the ground meat mixture before baking.
Some like to add a layer of caramel-
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Serves six to eight.
3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 lbs. lean ground beef (90/10)
1 medium onion
3–4 cloves garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
⅓ cup matzah meal
1½ tsp. kosher salt (reduce to 1 tsp.
if using table salt)
½ tsp. black pepper
For the glaze (optional):
¼ cup ketchup
Hard-boil three eggs and peel them.
(Can be made up to one day in advance and stored in the fridge.)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment. If you do not have this size loaf pan, you can form the meat into a loaf directly onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Prepare the vegetables. Very finely mince your onion by pulsing it in a food processor, or grating it on the mediumhole of a box grater (you can also use a knife to finely dice your onion, but for flavor it’s ideal to use a processor or grater.) In a food processor or using a microplane, finely chop or grate your garlic. Finely chop your parsley.
In a large bowl, add the ground beef, minced onion, and garlic, chopped parsley, matzah meal, salt, pepper, and
egg. Using clean hands, mix the meatloaf mixture until wellcombined, but be careful not to overwork the mixture to avoid toughness.
Assemble the klops by placing a third of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan. Place the eggs upright into the pan, spacing them evenly apart. Add the remaining meat mixture to the pan, and make sure the top of each egg is covered. If forming onto a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan, place a third of the meat into a 9-by5-inch rectangular shape, place the eggs on top upright, and form the remaining mixture around the eggs into a loaf; making sure the tops of each egg are covered by the meat.
Place in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. If using a ketchup glaze, brush it onto the top of the loaf and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
If you’re skipping the glaze, check the temperature of the klops after one hour, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until it reaches 160 degrees.
Once cooked, let the klops rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes: Klops can be made one day ahead and stored in the fridge. It can be served cold, or it can be reheated wrapped in foil at 350 degrees until warmed through.
Sonya Sanford
Klops likely originated in Austria but became popular with Polish Jews.
The BEST Matzah Lasagna
This easy take on a Passover classic is sure to become a family favorite.
By Sonya Sanford, The Nosher
Every family has its distinct way of preparing matzah lasagna. So, what makes this matzah lasagna different from all the other "matzagnas"?
This recipe simplifies as many steps as possible with prepared ingredients, while leaving you room to customize it. There are a few musts to maximize flavor. Basil and thyme added to the ricotta mixture offer a fresh, punchy, herbaceous note, and the sharp cheddar combined with mozzarella heightens the savoriness and depth.
It may seem like you’re adding a huge amount of ricotta, but trust the process because matzah is more drying than a noodle and requires a heftier amount of filling.
Sometimes, I also like to add in a layer of sautéed spinach or mushroom for a dose of fiber and nutrition.
Total time: one hour. Serves six to eight.
6–7 sheets matzah
3½ cups (1 jar/25 oz.) marinara or your favorite tomato sauce
2 (16 oz.) containers whole-milk ricotta
1 cup chopped basil + more for garnish
4–5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems, about 2 tsp.
1 large egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper, or to taste
5 cups (16 oz.) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
1½ cups (5 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the ricotta, chopped basil, thyme, egg, salt and pepper to a bowl, and mix until just combined.
Assemble the lasagna in a 9-by-13 casserole dish that is at least 2.5-by-3
deep. Start by adding one cup of the marinara to the bottom of the dish. Layer two sheets of matzah on the bottom, break as needed to fit them into a single layer. Top the matzah with two cups of the ricotta mixture (half of the mixture), and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Evenly top the ricotta with two cups of shredded mozzarella and half a cup of shredded cheddar.
Repeat the process by dolloping one cup of sauce over the shredded cheese. Top the sauce with two sheets of matzah, the remaining two cups of the ricotta mixture, followed by two cups of shredded mozzarella, and half a cup of shredded cheddar.
For the last layer, top the cheese layer with two sheets of matzah, then finish it off with the remaining tomato sauce (if you enjoy a saucier lasagna, you can add an additional cup of tomato sauce over the top before you finish it off with the shredded cheeses). Add the remaining one cup of mozzarella and half cup of cheddar. Finally, sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
Cover the lasagna with foil, and bake for 30 minutes covered.
Uncover the lasagna and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly on top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving so that the lasagna can set and hold its shape.
Notes: This recipe requires one full jar of marinara, but if you like a saucier lasagna, add an additional cup (or a small 8 oz. jar) of tomato sauce to the top of the lasagna.
To make the lasagna ahead, bake for 30 minutes covered, remove from the oven, and allow to fully cool. Refrigerate or freeze the lasagna. If refrigerated, reheat at 375 degrees for 15 minutes covered, and 15 uncovered; and if it’s frozen, reheat for 20 minutes covered, 20 to 25 minutes uncovered.
Celebrate the Freedom of Pesach with Chabad
Sunday, April 13 Monday, April 14
Morning Prayer Mincha & Maariv 10:00 am 8:00 pm
Saturday night, April 12 | 7:30pm
Shabbat, April 19
Morning Prayer Mincha & Maariv
Sunday, April 20
Morning Prayer Yizkor Mincha
9:30am 8:00 pm 9:30am ~11:00 am 7:30 pm
Enjoy the Seder with kosher wines, handmade Shemura Matza and a four-course dinner. Discover the Haggada and the timeless messages of Passover.
Traditional handmade shmurah matzah makes the seder authentic, so order your Matzah today! Do you need Seder items, or full Kosher for Pesach dinners? Get everything you need for Pesach at Chabad. Order online or call us! www.ChabadDayton.com/Seder or 937-643-0770 x3.
Any chametz left undisposed must be sold before Pesach. Use our online form to quickly delegate a rabbi to sell your chametz for you.
Sunday night, April 20 | 7:45pm
Following the custom of the Baal Shem Tov, Pesach concludes with a Feast of Moshiach. This festive meal complete with Matzah and, four cups of wine, begins before sunset. It is the perfect way to spiritually take leave of Pesach.
Sonya Sanford
TEMPLE ISRAEL’S
Second Seder
Israeli Krembo cake a decadent Seder dessert
What's not to love about rich chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and ganache? volume, reduce speed to medium and slowly pour the melted chocolate in. Increase the speed of the mixer again and mix until chocolate is combined. The mixture will lose some of its volume.
By Vered Guttman, The Nosher Passover kashrut laws are always challenging, and the biggest is finding a good kosher-for-Passover cake. If you need the cake to be pareve (dairy free), that’s even harder.
So when a Passover cake made of layers of chocolate cake and whipped cream first appeared in an Israeli newspaper in the 1980s, it was immediately adopted by many home cooks, my mother included.
Krembo originated in 19th-century Denmark. A cookie topped with marshmallow cream dipped in chocolate, it's a popular winter treat in Israel.
Total time: 6 hours 15 minutes. Serves 12.
For the chocolate cake:
5 large eggs, at room temperature
6 Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can be pareve or vegan chocolate)
For the cream topping:
3 ½ cups heavy cream, very cold (or pareve whipping cream substitute, see notes)
2.8 oz. (8 Tbsp.) instant vanilla pudding powder (kosher for Passover) grated zest of one lemon
For the chocolate ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can be pareve or vegan chocolate)
¼ cup heavy cream (or pareve whipping cream substitute, see notes)
2 Tbsp. butter (or pareve/vegan butter substitute)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.
Put eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for one minute on medium speed. With mixer running, slowly add the sugar in a steady stream, then add the salt. Increase the speed to high and whip for eight minutes until the eggs quadruple their volume.
In the meantime, melt the chocolate on bain-marie or in 20-second intervals in the microwave, mixing between intervals.
When eggs have quadrupled in
Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cake feels soft but not runny in the center. Transfer to a cooling rack.
After 10 minutes, use a knife to release the cake from the sides of the pan (do not open the pan, keep the cake inside). Put a clear cake strip around the cake to make for a cleaner presentation (optional) and transfer the cake to the fridge for 30 minutes.
Put the cold heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. With mixer running on low, slowly add the vanilla pudding powder to the cream. Stop the mixer to scrape the powder from the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn mixer speed to high and mix for a couple of minutes or until the mixture creates soft peaks. Make sure not to over whip, the mixture should still be soft. It will get firmer in the fridge over time.
Remove bowl from mixer, add lemon zest and fold it in. Use a spatula to transfer the cream to the cake pan on top of the chocolate cake and smooth the top. Transfer to the fridge for one hour.
To make the ganache, put all the ingredients in a bain-marie or in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-second intervals, mixing between intervals.
Take the cake out of the fridge and slowly pour the chocolate ganache all over the top. Use an icing spatula to spread the ganache evenly all over the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and transfer to the fridge for at least four hours to set.
Notes: This cake can be made pareve by using a pareve heavy cream substitute, such as Rich’s Rich Whip, pareve or vegan chocolate, and vegan butter. It’s one of the rare cases where these substitutes work well.
For the eggs to whip nicely, they should be at room temperature. Use a clear cake strip (or cake collar) for a more elegant presentation. The cake keeps in the fridge for up to five days. Serve cold.
Vered
Beth Jacob Jewish Women Inspiring Jewish Women
Beth Jacob's Fifth Jewish Women Inspiring Jewish Women luncheon will be held at 11 a.m., Sunday, May 4 featuring the Hon. Susan J. Dlott, Carol Graff, Linda Ohlmann Kahn, Meredith Moss Levinson, Bonnie Beaman Rice, and Mindi Dorfman-Wynne. The cost is $26. Beth Jacob is located at 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Township. RSVP by April 25 to bethjacob1@aol.com or 937-274-2149.
Sarah Shmoel has been named executive director of the Hillel at Miami University in Oxford. Originally from Cincinnati, Sarah is a graduate of Ohio University, where she was a student intern with Hillel. She's served with Tel Aviv University's Hillel as part of an internship program and then began her career with Cincinnati Hillel. Sarah received her master's degree in student affairs in higher education from Miami University and has also worked at Rockwern Academy in Cincinnati.
Gilbert (L) and Eli Carr
Eli Carr and Avi Gilbert, friends since they met at the JCC Preschool, were awarded first place in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making at the state level competition for Ohio DECA. The two 11th graders will represent Centerville High School and Ohio DECA at the International DECA Career Development Conference in Orlando, April 25-30. DECA provides leadership and academic opportunities for high school students interested in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Cheering them on are parents Carey and Greg Carr, and Rachel Haug Gilbert and Dr. Heath Gilbert. Rachel tells us she also participated in DECA at Centerville High School.
Hillel Academy sixth-grader Arthur Jenkins, son of Gayle and Avi Jenkins, placed fourth in the Wright State University Regional Spelling Bee, March 7. This year's spelling bee lasted 33 rounds, attracting 41 students from Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble counties.
Send your Mazel Tov announcements to mweiss@jfgd.net.
Far Hills Ave
Best wishes to all for a Happy Passover Dena Briskin
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Lawrence Wagenfeld & Family
Wishing all of Dayton a Happy Passover
Brenda Rinzler
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Alan & Becky Elovitz
A sweet and joyous Passover
Beverly Farnbacher
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Saundra Mendelson & Shelah Mendelson
Happy Passover
Bonnie Mendelson & Family
John & Carol Sheehan
Sarah Shmoel
Avi
Arthur Jenkins
The Hon. Susan J. Dlott
Carol Graff
Linda Ohlmann Kahn
Mindi DorfmanWynne
Bonnie Beaman Rice
Meredith Moss Levinson
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Bruce & Debbie Feldman
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Warm Passover greetings from
Wishing all of Dayton a Happy Passover
Have a Sweet Pesach
Temple Anshe Emeth,
Warm Passover greetings from
&
Wishing all of Dayton a Happy Passover
Debby, Bob, Alicia, Ted & William Goldenberg Happy Passover
A sweet and joyous Passover
Best wishes to all for a Happy Passover
& Vicky Heuman
Marni Flagel & Family A sweet and joyous Passover
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Julie & Adam Waldman, Noah, Zoe & Oscar
Best wishes to all for a Happy Passover
&
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
Susan & Nathaniel Ritter
Best wishes to all for a Happy Passover
A sweet and joyous Passover
Steve, Shara, Rachel & Natalie Taylor
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
A sweet and joyous Passover
Our warmest wishes for a joyous Passover
A sweet, mitzvot-filled Pesach to dear Dayton friends! ♥
&
The Levinson Family
Tom
Katherine Cruse
Bobbie & Jack Myers
The Folks at Buck Run Doors
Judge Susan Dlott
Robert
Adam & Tara Feiner
The Gruenberg Family
Phyllis A. Finkelstein
Cory
Sharon Lemmon
The Gaglione Family
Cindy
Marc Fox
Piqua
Judy Lipton
The varnished truth
Sacred Speech Series
While preparing to enter the Promised Land, Joshua sent two spies to reconnoiter the great walled city of Jericho, where they found lodging with the prostitute Rahab.
However, they had been reported as Israelite spies to the king, who dispatched royal officials to demand their surrender.
When the officials arrived, Rahab claimed that two unfamiliar men had indeed come by, but they left before the city gate closed and could probably be easily overtaken if the officers hurried.
Once the king’s men were gone, Rahab lowered the spies by rope outside the city wall to make their escape. Because of her heroic rescue, Rahab and all her extended family were spared during the Israelite conquest.
“There are 365 negative commandments in the Torah, a laundry list of forbidden attractions,” Rabbi Elisha Greenbaum notes.
But among all the definitive “you shall nots” is a singular and somewhat ambiguous directive to “distance yourself from falsehood.”
The traditional explanation of this mandate is to avoid any semblance of false speech and eschew all circumstances that might invite it, a perspective reinforced by wide-ranging Jewish texts.
However, truth in all circumstances is not the final word in Judaism.
The Parable of Kushta (Truth). The great Babylonian scholar Rava said he used to think there is no truth in the world.
But there was one sage who told him that, even if given all the treasures of the world, he would not deviate from speaking the truth.
The sage then recounted the following story: "I once went to a place called Kushta, where the people did not lie and no one ever died before their time. I married there and had two sons. One day my wife was busy washing her hair when a
neighbor came and knocked at the door. Thinking it improper to reveal my wife’s private activity, I said to the visitor, 'She is not here.' Shortly thereafter my two sons died. When the people of the town learned what had happened, they begged me, 'Leave our town, and do not incite death against us.’”
In the mythical city of Kushta, truth is absolute and every degree of falsehood, regardless of the reason, leads to dire consequences.
But what about in the earthly realm?
Could the ambiguous command “distance yourself from falsehood” emphasize foremost the obligation to strive for truth and also allow for varnishing the truth?
Judaism acknowledges there are circumstances when it is permissible or even commendable to alter the truth, a leniency permitted only within strict guardrails.
It cannot negatively affect anyone else or lead to personal gain. It may only be done when no other means are available and, even then, outright lying should be avoided by modifying the truth or telling a halftruth.
Habitually altering the truth is forbidden. And it may only
be done to accomplish a more important Torah-defined value.
To protect from harm. Rahab's falsehood saved others from harm, even death. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin recounts a comparable story about Dennis Prager. While in Morocco, Prager and his group of Jewish teens were attacked by a band of antisemitic Moroccans.
Fluent in French, Prager pointed to a nearby tree and improvised, “I am a friend of King Hassan. If anything happens to me, you will hang from that tree.” Thinking he was a diplomat, the attackers quickly dispersed and no one was harmed.”
The situation needn’t be so extreme, however. Writer Mordechai Lewis offers the example that, when visiting the sick, it is permissible to make up a funny or fictional story, like how you got lost on the way to the hospital, to bring cheer and hasten healing.”
To prevent unnecessary hurt or embarrassment. When other people’s feelings are involved and only pain will come from speaking the truth, then the truth must be altered.
In the classic Talmudic example, Hillel taught that a bride is to be praised as beautiful and gracious, even if she isn't particularly so.
The Talmud also relates a tale of two prominent rabbis traveling to Sikhra who happened to meet another renowned rabbi leaving that
very city. Thinking the prominent men had come specially to greet him, the lone rabbi expressed his delight, but when told otherwise he became upset. In such a case, the Talmud concludes, it is not necessary to correct the mistake.
To preserve modesty and humility. The Hebrew word tzniut suggests both modesty and humility, a quiet ego that takes up its appropriate space while allowing space for others.
The Talmud tells of an incident in which many men clamored to marry a very beautiful, important woman. To dissuade them, she confessed that she was already betrothed.
Recognizing there was always more to learn, the sages of the Talmud would deliberately underplay their knowledge, saying they hadn’t studied a particular topic even if they had.
To pursue peace. Even God
is said to have changed the truth to promote peace.
Overhearing the divine announcement that she would give birth to a son, Sarah laughed, saying, “Now that I’ve lost the ability, am I to have enjoyment — with my husband so old?”
However, God modified her words when speaking with Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’”
Similarly, Aaron the High Priest would tell falsehoods to each opponent among quarreling spouses or friends to encourage them to forgive each other.
"To the extent that a person lives with truth is the extent one identifies with God,” Rabbi Abraham Twerski wrote. “Any falsehood distances a person from God.”
Varnishing the truth may be permitted, but it should be limited and rare.
The Place of All Possibility by Adina Allen. Torah is filled with artistic creativity. Moreover, author Rabbi Allen asserts, the Torah text is designed to inspire artistic and spiritual creativity, even in the nonartistic. This engaging guidebook is like a personal workshop in Jewish texts, practical exercises to inspire creativity, artistic exploration, and personal transformation.
The Singer and the Scientist by Lisa Rose. In 1937, both the world-renowned African American singer Marian Anderson and the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein were familiar with being treated as outsiders. Their paths crossed after a packed performance in Princeton, N.J., when Anderson was refused hotel accommodations and Einstein came to her rescue. This non-fiction picture book for elementary ages weaves Jewish values of courage, justice, respect, and more, throughout the story of the unlikely friendship between these two historical figures.
Candace R. Kwiatek
Arts&Culture
Self-discovery a lifelong journey for 2nd generation survivor, mountain climber, physician
By Talia Doninger Special to The Observer
Dr. Mimi Zieman scaled the slopes of Mount Everest carrying the weight of her backpack — and her legacy as the child of a Holocaust survivor.
In 1988, as a 25-year-old medical student, she served as the expedition doctor for a team of five who tackled a new, unaided route on Mount Everest’s East Face in Tibet.
Chag Sameach
the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence wishes Jewish community members and friends Chag Sameach during this time of celebration.
At the time, fewer than 200 had summited the mountain. “It was such a powerful moment when I realized that I was on the same mountains I had only read about in books," she says. "They became a symbol for me, representing not just my personal struggles but the vastness of my heritage.”
Her memoir, Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure, chronicles Zieman's transformation from a young woman grappling with self-doubt to a seasoned climber conquering the world’s most famous peak.
It reflects how our bodies, our identities, and our choices shape who we become.
Zieman's April 6 talk in Centerville closes out this year's JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series.
She grew up in New York City in the 1970s and says she struggled to reconcile her Jewish upbringing with the world around her.
Her father, Isaac Zieman, had assumed five identities to survive the Holocaust. He navigated war-torn Europe in search of safety. He was the only member of his immediate family to live.
“In Jewish school, we learned, ‘If I am only for myself, what am I?’ We were to honor those killed by improving the world, a defining sense of duty,” she writes in the book. “But being named after three murdered relatives was a heavy load.”
'Being named after three murdered relatives was a heavy load.'
Jewish ritual and connection, however, grounded her during moments of isolation while in the mountains.
Zieman says one of the most profound moments came during her first trip to the Himalayas — on Passover — when she looked up at the moon and felt a spiritual presence.
“I was walking toward freedom as they had. Freedom from my 'shoulds.' And at the same time, I was
The JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series, in partnership with Washington-Centerville Public Library, presents author Mimi Zieman at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 6 at Woodbourne Library, 6060 Far Hills Ave., Centerville. Register for the free program at jewishdayton.org/events.
firmly rooted in my origins like the massive tree beside me,” she writes.
The second Passover in the book comes three years later, on Mount Everest, where she celebrates with the rest of her team. Zieman held an impromptu Seder with sea toast crackers, a hard-boiled egg, potatoes, and dates.
“Here my Jewish practice was far from a box, but rather an opening that made me feel closer to my teammates, connected to my family, and more accepted for who I was.”
Later on, she discovered that Chasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov encouraged prayer in solitude, particularly in nature, a practice known as hitbodedut
She quotes him in her book: “When a person meditates in the fields, all the grasses join in his prayer and increase its effectiveness and power.”
As a former dancer, Zieman had already learned the importance of the body’s power in overcoming obstacles.
“I had to learn to just let my body do the movements without thinking about them. I could always dance better if I surrendered to my body and let go of my head.”
That trust in her body served her years later on Everest, where split-second decisions could mean life or death.
But before she set foot on the mountain, her desire to help others guided her to medicine. An OB/ GYN, she lives in Atlanta and focuses her practice on women's health advocacy.
“I couldn’t imagine anything more interesting than studying our bodies to gain a deeper understanding of human nature," Zieman writes. "But I wouldn’t let go of the mountains.”
Self-discovery, she says, is a lifelong journey, essential for personal growth. “Many of us, including myself, have asked ourselves these hard questions: Who do I want to be in my life? What’s my purpose? What career do I want to have? What kind of partner do I want?”
She likens the path of our lives to dashed lines on a map. “Born in New York City to Sabina and Isaac, I had no input in that map. Yet they led me, somehow, to listen for opportunities, and to consider opportunities as possibilities.”
Mimi Zieman
Sabbath Queen doc about boundary-breaking rabbi
Arts&Culture
By Jodi Rudoren, Forward
There is a moment smack in the middle of the sprawling, subversive new documentary Sabbath Queen where the film’s subject, Rabbi Amichai LauLavie, explodes with anger. It is 2014, during the last major Israel-Hamas war, and he is at a protest holding a sign that says “Stand with Israel/Mourn with Gaza” when a woman calls him a mamzer, Hebrew for bastard.
“Mamzer?” the Israeli-born LauLavie responds with a native accent and equally authentic outrage. “My father’s a Holocaust survivor.”
“You don’t belong, carrying a sign like that,” the woman fairly spits.
“And I’m a bastard?” he counters in genuine disbelief.
“Yes, you are,” she insists. “That’s what you are. You should have died with them.”
The film, 21 years in the making, began as a biopic of the Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, a drag character Lau-Lavie embodied for years, who dispenses wisdom through a thick Eastern European accent and thicker false eyelashes.
It morphed into a meditation on intermarriage along with Lau-Lavie, a descendant of a 1,000-year dynasty of Orthodox rabbis who surprised everybody by not just deciding to become a rabbi himself but doing so at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary.
And then, like so many things, it changed again after Oct. 7, to be about war and peace but mostly about what it was always fundamentally about — and what so many Jewish conversations these days are about: boundaries.
“There must be boundaries in what we call the Jewish home,” Lau-Lavie’s brother, Rabbi Benny Lau, says at one
The Neon, in partnership with the JCC and Out Here Dayton Film Fest, will screen Sabbath Queen at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8. After the screening, local Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steve Bognar will moderate a Q&A with the film's director, Sandi DuBowski. Tickets are $12.50 and are available at neonmovies.com. The Neon is located at 130 E. 5th St., Dayton.
point in the film.
“We’re pushing a lot of boundaries here, so there’s plenty to worry about in terms of backlash,” Lau-Lavie himself says a few beats later.
“We want to grow because of people like Amichai,” Rabbi Dan Nevins, thendean of the Jewish Theological Seminary, says near the end. “And yet, we also believe that there’s something to be said for having boundaries to Jewish identity.”
To describe Lau-Lavie, 55, as a boundary-breaker would be something of an understatement.
This is a man who grew up in Israel’s black-hatted precincts and while his uncle was serving as the Jewish state’s chief rabbi, found a spiritual home in the countercultural/queer consciousness movement Radical Faeries.
• A performance artist who started Lab/Shul, the “everybody-friendly, God-optional, experiential community for sacred Jewish gatherings” in Manhattan. The bio-dad of three kids parented by two women, one of whom is now married to a transgender man.
• A Conservative rabbi who ditched the movement a year after his ordination with a manifesto using Talmudic texts to justify marriages between Jews and non-Jews who meaningfully engage in Jewish life.
• A ceasefire promoter in a knitted kipah who has visited Israel seven times since Oct. 7, once for the wedding of a soldier-nephew who that very morning came off the battlefield in Gaza.
“I hold the pain of my Israeli family,” he says in the 105-minute film’s closing montage, which intertwines images of Israel hostage posters and of Gaza’s destroyed neighborhoods. “And our trauma and need for safety does not justify Israel starving and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the continued occupation. This horror must stop.”
Originally, Lau-Lavie used the word but, not and. As in, “I hold the pain of my Israeli family, but our trauma...does not justify..."
After screening the film with his Continued on Page 32
The Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, Amichai Lau-Lavie’s drag persona, was a staple of Pride parades and Purim parties in Israel and the U.S. for years.
Simcha Leib Productions
pictured:Victor Nigro photo credit:Jesper Beckholt
Sabbath Queen
Continued from Page 31
brother Benny — who himself is quite a boundary-breaker, creating rabbinic leadership roles for women in Israel’s Modern Orthodoxy — he decided it needed to be “and.”
“If there’s anything that people take from the film, I hope it’s the power of ‘and,’” Lau-Lavie said after a screening last June at the Tribeca Film Festival, where Sabbath Queen had its world premiere. “What does it mean to stand with and with — with my people, and with all people. There is a messy middle. Let’s meet there.”
The film is directed by Sandi DuBowski, whose groundbreaking 2001 documentary Trembling Before G-d chronicled the journeys of queer Orthodox Jews. DuBowski asked Lau-Lavie to be part of Trembling, but as he recalls it, Lau-Lavie told him: “I don’t do collage; I want my own movie.”
Sabbath Queen turns out to be something of a collage. It is a movie about drag and queerness — and a movie about the Holocaust. There are scenes of radically reinvented Jewish rituals — and scenes of Lau-Lavie, his brother, and father wrapping tefillin in an centuries-old synagogue in Poland. Radical Faery raves. The Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross submerging herself in the Dead Sea to unleash the shechinah, or female essence of the divine. Mixed marriages. But also: Lau-Lavie’s Orthodox bar mitzvah, the image of his
rabbi-grandfather who was killed along with his Polish congregants in Buchenwald, hanging on his living room wall.
Hostage posters and devastation in Gaza. And, not “but.”
DuBowski told me he shot 1,800 hours of footage and collected 1,100 hours of archival video, plus “an enormous number of photos.” I asked how he knew when it was done.
“I guess we became very open to just making the movie what it needed to be, and not putting an end date on it,” he said. “Just being patient, and letting the story really unfold and listening deeply and carefully.”
Perhaps the most powerful element of the film is the way it echoes across time, space, and reincarnations of Jewish identity. Lau-Lavie is part of an unbroken chain of 38 generations of rabbis, rooted in the time of Rashi.
Early in the film, he tells the story of how his grandfather Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau, chief rabbi of the Polish city of Piotkrow, went with its 40,000 Jews to Treblinka even though he had a visa and could have escaped.
“My grandfather led his congregation into the gas chamber and he read the Kaddish with them and he read the Shema with them,” Lau-Lavie says. “You know, that’s what a rabbi does. A rabbi doesn’t leave his congregation.”
An hour later, he uses the same words to explain why he decided to
resign from the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, over its prohibition on members officiating at intermarriages.
“I think I’m doing the right thing,” he says. “A hundred years from now, maybe we will look back and know if this was a choice that validates continuity or just responds to this moment and disrupts continuity too radically. I don’t know. We won’t know. But a rabbi doesn’t leave his congregation.”
The intermarriage debate is about navigating the boundaries of Jewish belonging: Lau-Lavie and other progressive Jews have chosen to embrace non-Jewish spouses as part of the community.
Now, it is the war in Gaza that is
challenging boundaries with a new slew of litmus tests.
Pro-Israel Jews demand, “Do you condemn Hamas?” and call members of anti-Zionist groups like Jewish Voice for Peace “kapos” or worse.
Leftists meanwhile insist on describing Israel as engaged in genocide and banning all who support its right to exist from certain spaces.
Lau-Lavie has taken to wearing purple — a color he described as “regal” — to represent his both/and philosophy.
“Purple is the color that might save America,” he told me. “We feel there is a place where we meet each other in the middle, where our eyes meet each other.”
I asked if his message is that there should be no boundaries — or where he would set them.
“Part of where the boundaries matter is not the what, but the how, like the language people use,” he said. “The boundaries are when someone shouts at me ‘Kill the Jews’ or when someone shouts at me ‘Palestinians have no right to live’ and ‘fa---t’ or ‘mamzer.’
“I get it. I’ve lost my temper and I do it often and I try not to,” he continued. “But that’s one boundary. Not so much what we say but how we say it.”
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie reading Torah.
Simcha Leib Productions
Jerome Kenneth (Ken) Elbaum passed on March 23. Ken was born in 1930, in Glen Cove, N.Y. to Max and Molly Elbaum. He had two sisters, Beatrice (Bea) Miller and Sylvia Richman, who predeceased him. He is survived by Lenora (Libby), his wife of 57 years. He is also survived by two sons, Daniel and Jonathan; daughter, Martha; and by three grandchildren, Emma and Lily Elbaum and Charlotte Williamson. In addition, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Rosalind Gray and brother-inlaw, Fred Richman. He graduated from the University of Missouri at Rolla with a degree in metallurgical engineering and completed work towards his master's degree at Purdue University and Ohio State. He worked as a civilian and retired from a 25-year career at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He loved golf, skiing, sailing, wood working, and travel. He was a longtime member of the congregation of Temple Israel in Dayton. Ken was known for his quick wit, booming laugh, and skill at word games. He was the family Scrabble champion. He often asserted questionable “facts.” When asked about their veracity, his reply was, “If you don't know, I'm sure.” Interment was at Temple Israel cemetery. Please consider a donation to Temple Israel, Beth Jacob, Jewish Family Services, or the charity of your choice.
OBITUARIES
She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Harris; her parents, Jerome and Beatrice (Schmerin) Levine; her sister, Carol (Levine) McBride; and grandson, Joshua Levine. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery.
Lois married her husband, Herb Harris, on Oct. 20, 1957. They moved to Dayton, where they raised their children, Julie and Bill. Lois worked for years as the office manager for the medical practice of her good friend, Dr. Charlie Knoll. Several years after Herb passed away in 2000, Lois renewed her friendship with Thamby. Lois and Thamby spent winters together in North Fort Myers, Fla., starting in 2010. They cherished their time together for the past 17 years. Renowned for her ingenuity, sense of humor, and intellect, she will be missed by all who knew her.
The family suggests a contribution to Temple Judea, 4311 Hood Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410, or Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton, OH, 45405.
in the law and went on to have a formidable career spanning many decades, ending only a month before his passing. Early in his practice, he litigated high-profile environmental cases, helping block harmful pesticide and herbicide spraying. Later, he established himself as a skilled, compassionate medical malpractice and personal injury attorney who worked tirelessly on behalf of his clients. He was known for the warm relationships he formed with them, along with the defense bar, the plaintiffs' bar, and countless medical professionals. Larry was inducted into the acclaimed American College of Trial Lawyers in 2010, became a distinguished adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, and was nominated to Super Lawyers.
One of his favorite places was the ocean waters of Hawaii, where he snorkeled alongside pods of turtles and schools of fish. At home in Oregon, he enjoyed playing with his beloved O scale trains and coached dozens of kids’ teams in baseball and soccer, making a point of drafting players who needed extra help with their skills. With each bit of progress his children made, with every hit and successful kick, Larry shared in their joy, and he carried those memories for the rest of his days.
Glickler, Director Dayton’s ONLY Jewish Funeral Director 1849 Salem Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45406-4927 937-278-4287 lgfuneralhome@gmail.com
Lois Helaine (Levine) Harris, formerly of Dayton, died on March 1 in West Palm Beach, Fla. at the age of 86. She was born on July 23, 1938, in Bay City, Mich. She is survived by her son William (Julie) Harris and her daughter Julie (David) Buckner, seven grandchildren: Caitlin Harris, Andrew (Debra Cohen) Levine, Christian (Stephanie) Buckner, Jillian (Charles Giffin) Harris, Cameron (Nichole Rakoczy) Harris, Adam (Brooke) Buckner, and Alec Buckner; and eight great-grandchildren: Theodore Harris, Lucas Buckner, Olivia Buckner, Calvin Harris, Elizabeth Buckner, Joshua Levine-Cohen, Charles Buckner, and Margo Buckner. She also was survived by friend and companion Kuddythamby “Thamby” Sinnathamby.
Larry N. Sokol, 78 of Lake Oswego, Ore., died suddenly in his beloved home of 50 years on Feb. 1. For his wideranging network of close family, friends, and esteemed colleagues, the loss of him is deeply felt. “He never let anyone out of his orbit once they entered,” his partner Martha Spinhirne reflected. Born Sept. 28, 1946 in Dayton to Mr. and Mrs. Boris Sokol, Larry went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he joined the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity and graduated in 1964. Later, while attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law, at a party, on a whim, Larry booked a plane ride that same night to Portland, Ore. After landing, he purchased professional attire and then brought a freshly hand-typed resume to Salem, where a series of judges rejected him for courtship positions, including the then-chief, who crumpled the document and tossed it at him. Fortunately, he smoothed out the paper and headed downstairs, where he peeked into the office of the Hon. Herbert Schwab, chief justice for the Oregon Court of Appeals. As it happened, the two shared a love of tennis, which proved helpful; a few weeks later, Larry learned he’d been hired. In 1971, Larry earned his J.D. He discovered his true calling Continued on Page 34
For all who loved him, it’s difficult to imagine a world without Larry’s geniality and humor. In the opening scene of his favorite book, The Wind in the Willows, with spring arriving, Mole cleans furiously until compelled, finally, to clamber out of his underground home. “Up we go!” The tiny creature declares, who then “scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrolled” until he “found himself in the warm grass of the great meadow.” Better for having known Larry, we must tunnel upward, carrying his goodness with us, making our way toward the light, just as he would want it. Up we go.
Larry is survived by his partner, Martha Spinhirne; children, Maxwell Sokol and Addie Hahn; grandsons, Oslo and Ansel Hahn; son-in-law Andrew Hahn; sister Nora Newsock; brother-in-law Bob Newsock; niece Amy Newsock, and nephew-in-law Adam Oakley. Memorial donations may be made to the AntiDefamation League, Clackamas County Little League, and St. Jude Hospital.
A DOUBLE MITZVAH.
• anks to a generous anonymous donor, your gi — or additional gi — to Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton will be matched, dollar for dollar.
• It’s a double mitzvah: the cemeteries of Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, and Temple Israel will combine into a single nonpro t. is ensures their sanctity in perpetuity, and strengthens each congregation’s nancial security.
• Contact Kate Elder at kelder@jfgd.net now for details and to make your pledge.
Continued from Page 33
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jeanne Betty Weiner at the age of 104 on Dec. 22. When we say that Jeanne Betty lived one of the fullest lives we can imagine, it's tempting to attribute that simply to her longevity. It's not everyday you hear about someone passing at the age of 104 and think they might have gone too soon. But the fullness of Jeanne Betty's existence was far more than her century of life on the planet. It was the joy, optimism, and love that she brought to every room she walked into, and every person she met, who she would always greet with her customary, “How do you do?”
Born in Dayton on April 7, 1920 to Pauline and Lester Rothenberg, Jeanne Betty was fully suited to the family of entertainers who brought her up. From childhood, she had a knack for making people around her feel both welcome and important. She attended Northwestern University in Chicago, a town she always felt a deep affection for, and studied television at a time when the medium was just barely off the ground. She would spend her life as a performer, whether it was starring in commercials and her own TV show, playing leads in summer stock productions, singing with the popular vocal group The Daytones, or simply regaling friends and family with stories that captured her era.
It was during the Second World War when Jeanne Betty met the man she would marry, when her family hosted a party and invited a few army officers. Someone told Jeanne Betty that there was “a handsome young lieutenant playing piano downstairs.” When Jeanne Betty approached the pianist, he stood up to greet her and said, “Sing something for me.” Jeanne Betty married Sidney Weiner in 1944. They were married for 67 years.
But what Jeanne Betty was most committed to, the North Star she always pointed toward, was family. And that family wasn't just her own. No matter how distant the relative, or how long ago the friendship, she would make an effort to let people know they were remembered, and still held a place in her heart. She was enormously proud of the work she did in pulling together the funds and resources to feed over 3,000 of Dayton's homeless annually at Elder-Beerman's Thanksgiving, and she was known by children
throughout the city as Mother Goose, a role she played in Dayton's annual Kinder Concerts. She also coproduced the Dayton Holiday Festival, which ran annually over three months in Dayton, and she put on numerous performances with her husband Sid and daughters Wendy and Lori to benefit organizations in Dayton and Southwest Florida.
Jeanne Betty had a deep love of both her hometown of Dayton and her adopted home of Sarasota, Fla. For decades, she and Sidney would divide their time between the two, becoming fixtures in both communities. After Sidney's passing in 2011, Jeanne Betty remained a vibrant presence in Sarasota, and would frequently travel to visit family members well into her late 90s.
In 2022, Jeanne Betty took on one of her most extraordinary challenges—moving to a new country at the age of 102. Her daughter Wendy asked her, “Mom, do you think you have one more big adventure left in you?” Jeanne Betty's response would be little surprise to anyone who knew her: “Boy, do I!” That summer, she moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she would live the rest of her life. As with everywhere else she went, she became a fixture of the community, and people would regularly greet her and kiss her on the cheek during her daily visits to Parque Juarez.
Words do little justice to the kind of brilliant life force and extraordinary goodwill Jeanne Betty brought to the world. Simply being in her presence made you feel better about yourself. Our sense of loss at her departure is matched only by the profound gratitude we all share at having such a beautiful soul in our lives.
Jeanne Betty is survived by her daughter Wendy Bichel (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico); her sons Randall Weiner (Boulder, Colo.) and Tony Weiner (Eureka, Calif.); her grandchildren Alex Bichel (Miami); Nicholas Fox (Worcester, Mass.); Alexandra Fox (Los Angeles); Aaron Weiner (Salt Lake City); and Elijah Weiner (Chicago); as well as her great-grandchildren, Sabrina and Marcus Bichel (Miami).
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, April 6 at 11 a.m. at Beth Abraham Cemetery Chapel, 1817 W. Schantz Ave., Kettering.
Notes to the family may be sent to Randall Weiner, Randall@weinercording.com, for distribution. Jeanne Betty would want donations sent to your favorite charity, but you may recall her popular song, written for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and performed with her husband Sid: That Guy Should Give More.
Meryl Goldman
Continued from Page 16
one needed to. Instead, I saw other people who looked and felt just the same. The bond was undeniable and that’s what family is to me. A group that knows that even in sadness, you’re in it together.
Jennifer Holman
Continued from Page 16
Hope was found in the Druze community, willing to give all to stand with Israel — and they have.
The widow of a soldier murdered on Oct. 7, 2023 displayed her hope when she started a nonprofit in her husband's name to support those in need in their community.
The war and the captives were everywhere, but so was hope. Now, we all have the assignment to do something. Anything for tikvah, hope — our hope in Israel, our hope for tomorrow, and our hope as one united international Jewish family.
We're here for you. Help us continue.
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Mandana is a Jewish immigrant from Iran who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two daughters. She credits her experience immigrating to the United States as a religious refugee as one of the most formative inspirations behind her activism. She is a vocal supporter of Jewish pride and combatting antisemitism.
She is a human rights activist, business leader, creator and cofounder of I am a voter., and founder of The Democracy Heroes, national, nonpartisan civic engagement organizations. Most recently, she was president of Archewell, the production, audio, and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Prior to Archewell, she spent 15 years building and scaling brands across tech, fashion, media, and entertainment. Mandana is a globally celebrated brand and marketing expert and regularly appears on Morning Joe on MSNBC.
Mandana Dayani