Stories of Jewish Dayton

Many stories of Jewish Dayton's past have faded over time. Others, painful to recall, may have been intentionally buried. All are sure to surprise new generations. The Jews of Dayton drank wine during Prohibition, debated Zionism, fought the Klan, and joined the battle for civil rights in the trenches. Balancing tradition and modernity across eras, they navigated the American dream and faced challenges often strikingly similar to those we face today.

Marshall Weiss -- founding editor and publisher of the Dayton Jewish Observer and project director of Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History -- reaches back nearly two centuries to unearth forgotten episodes of Jewish history in Ohio's Miami Valley.