The second day of Rosh Hashanah: To be (in shul) or not to be

With its seemingly red-headed stepchild status outside the more traditional segments of the Jewish community, what is the significance of the second day of Rosh Hashanah, anyway?

When the ancient Israelites started celebrating the “head of the year” 2,000 years ago it was, in fact, a one-day holiday.

For two kinds of ‘survivors,’ filling in the gaps on family medical history

A crucial question that doctors routinely ask patients left Rifky Atkin speechless.

Diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer, Atkin was exploring treatment options when her surgeon asked, “Is there a family history of breast cancer in your family?”

The mother of four from Edison, N.J., stammered, “I don’t know and I’ll never know.”

Her parents survived Auschwitz as teenagers, she explained, but not their parents. Her four grandparents were killed in the death camp, taking with them all knowledge of the family medical history.

Forums attempt to answer questions about Gaza flotilla

Gali Baram, a counselor for public and academic affairs at the Israeli embassy, would have preferred speaking about the new Sabra hummus factory that recently opened in Richmond.

It's the largest in the world, Baram told a packed room of nearly 300 people at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia in Fairfax on Monday evening.

"But, unfortunately, this is not the case," she said about her talk. She was there, instead, to answer questions about the Israeli military seizure last week of a Gaza-bound ship, the Turkish Mavi Marmara, that left nine people dead and brought an onslaught of worldwide condemnation against Israel.

Young Jews urged to become stakeholders in Judaism

As a California college student, Eli Winkelman turned a passion for baking challah into a social action project by selling the breads and donating the funds to Darfur aid organizations.

Since leaving college in 2004, she has overseen the launch of 32 chapters of "Challah for Hunger," as executive director of the organization she started.

Yet learning the nuts and bolts of running a nonprofit has proven to be a learn-as-you-go sort of education for the 25-year-old. For guidance and jack-of-all-trade assistance, she frequently turns to Shawn Landres, the CEO and co-founder of Jumpstart, often described as a "thinkubator for sustainable Jewish innovation."

Kaddish at Arlington

As in years past, American flags will grace the graves at Arlington National Cemetery this Memorial Day, as the service of those buried there is honored and remembered.

At some of these graves, reciting Kaddish would also be an appropriate tribute.

To honor the Jewish servicemen and women buried in Arlington, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington organizes tours each May, Jewish American Heritage Month.

...the exact number of Jewish graves in the 624-acre cemetery is unclear. Prior to 1918, religious symbols were not allowed on headstones, nor were records kept of soldiers' religion. Today, it is estimated that there are more than 3,600 Jewish graves, possibly making it the largest Jewish cemetery in the U.S.

NoVa Yom Hashoah observance focuses on diplomats

Portraits and biographies of World War II diplomats lined the walls of Beth El Hebrew Congregation and a local string ensemble played haunting Holocaust-themed music as visitors gathered at the Alexandria synagogue on Sunday evening for the Northern Virginia Jewish communal Yom Hashoah commemoration.

Women form cross-cultural community in Takoma Park

While waiting in the parking lot of her children's school a few months ago, Takoma Park resident Jenny Ash-Maher's friend, Sara Mussie, asked if she wanted to participate in a new Neighbor Circle. Ash-Maher, a massage therapist, didn't hesitate with her answer.

"I said, 'Yes!' immediately," she recalls.

Ethiopian native Mussie, 46, who works for Impact Silver Spring, a local nonprofit that had been organizing Neighbor Circles for several years, was looking to bring together local Jewish, African and Latina women for the first time.

Ash-Maher, 43, and the 11 women who formed the Neighbor Circle -- all living near and around the intersection of Maple and Philadelphia avenues in Takoma Park -- met for six consecutive Monday evenings, ending last week. The African and Latina women originally hailed from Ethiopia, Eritrea, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.