Jewish Holidays
In the beginning of 1948, in preparation for the announcement on the establishment of the State of Israel, one of the questions the Zionist movement leadership dealt with had to do with what song would be chosen as the national anthem. One of the suggestions that was brought up was Psalm 126, which speaks about the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, and in so doing, emphasizes the connection of the young state to the Tanach, the Jewish people’s ancient history and to Jewish tradition. This Psalm, which opens the Birkat HaMazon prayer on Shabbat and holidays, begins with these... Read More
The prophet Isaiah, having witnessed the destruction of his homeland, ancient Israel, famously offered the world a compelling vision of peace: And they shall beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war…. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. -- Isaiah 2:4, 11:6,7) Isaiah continually seeks to remind his beleaguered people not to lose faith. The mission statement of the Jewish people to be a “light to the nations” (Isa.42:6... Read More
As solemn memory turned to glorious celebration, I stood on the balcony of my friend’s apartment in Rehavia, a neighborhood in Jerusalem. We listened to the partiers on the streets around us and craned our necks to spot the fireworks in the distance. It was Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s birthday, a day of loud music and barbeque parties. We had just mourned those who fell in war and terrorist attacks on Yom HaZikaron, and as night deepened, our tears, and the country’s tears, were turning into joy. We collectively moved from loss to festivity. It was also the very end of my first year of... Read More
This week Jews around the world will celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day. Here are five ways you can celebrate the holiday with young children. Read picture books about Israel to learn about Israeli culture, famous places, what to expect when visiting. Ella’s Trip to Israel, Good Night Israel, and It’s Israel’s Birthday are among many books available. Play with toys that are blue and white. For example, ask kids to pick out all the blue and white blocks or Legos from a set and use those to build a tower or a wall. Bounce, kick, roll, and play with blue and white... Read More
Jerusalem’s large outdoor market – Machane Yehuda – serves as my calendar for the cycle of holidays in the Jewish and Israeli year. As I write this piece, in the days following Passover, the shuk starts to reveal Israel’s summer bounty: piles of dark green avocados, mountains of thorny purple artichokes, magenta plums, and burgundy cherries all start parading through the market. But here in Israel nothing announces summer as boldly as the seemingly sudden appearance of barbecues in the shuk and in the supermarket. And these barbecues come in a variety of shapes and sizes: permanent... Read More
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