Crystal Hill

Crystal Hill (she/her/hers) is a copy writer/editor for the Union for Reform Judaism. She holds an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literature from Northern Illinois University, with a Certificate of Graduate Study in Professional Writing. She lives with her husband, son, and cat in the Greater Chicagoland Area.

an image of a person staring at the stars in the sky

Arts and Culture

Siman Tov U’Mazal Tov: Astrology and Judaism

Crystal Hill

March 9, 2023

Judaism's relationship with astrology is one that has many twists and turns. Jewish interest in the zodiac can be traced back to the time of the Babylonian exile, which is evidenced by the fact that many of the Hebrew names of the constellations are actually Hebraicized versions of the original Assyrian names.

an image of a jewelry box with different pieces of jewelry in it

Conversion

Discovering My Family’s Hidden Treasure

Crystal Hill

February 15, 2023

My grandmother once told me about her father's family, and we bonded over learning about one of our most famous ancestors, Mary, Queen of Scots. Years later, I did some genealogical research while on maternity leave to keep my mind sharp and give me something to focus on outside the realm of taking care of a newborn.

Hanukkah

Community and Tzedakah at Hanukkah: An Interview with Authors Joelle Reizes and Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler

Crystal Hill

December 8, 2022

One of the biggest challenges parents can face during Hanukkah is helping their children see that it is a distinct holiday, rather than just a "Jewish Christmas." We sat down with co-authors Joelle Reizes (she/her) and Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler (he/him) to talk about all things Hanukkah.

an image of a dish called neulas encanonadas: a pastry confection in the shape of cigars

Hanukkah

Beyond Sufganiyot and Latkes: 6 Delicious Recipes to Add Some Sephardic Flavor to Your Table

Ellie Rudee

Crystal Hill

December 7, 2022

As Hanukkah is deeply entwined with food, especially fried food, we've found some delicious Sephardic recipes to add to your celebration, sourced with permission from Hélène Jawhara Piñer's cookbook, Sephardi: Cooking the History.

Waning crescent moon on black background

Secular Holidays

4 Spooky Mystical Jewish Figures

Crystal Hill

October 24, 2022

Even though Halloween began as a pagan holiday, it now brings spooky fun to children and adults of all backgrounds, including many Jews who view it more as a traditional holiday than a religious holiday.