Displaying 1 - 10 of 72
Sylvester: To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate?
In North America, many Jews prepare for Rosh Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, by making to-do lists: acquiring seats for High Holiday services, inviting guests, purchasing a new fruit, and preparing chicken soup just like Bubbe used to make.
At New Year's, We Can Revisit Rosh HaShanah Goals... and Try Again
On Rosh HaShanah, Jews traditionally throw pieces of bread into the water as a symbolic gesture of casting away our sins. The first of January can be a time to see which sins have have stayed away and which returned from their watery grave.
7 Lucky Jewish Foods to Eat at the Start of the Secular New Year
Whether or not you believe in superstitions, it can be fun to put your own spin on them! Close out the secular year by putting a Jewish twist on traditional New Year’s foods.
Three Radical Facts About Martin Luther King Jr. and How to Honor His Full Legacy
On MLK Jr. Day, we often see a sanitized, nonconfrontational version of King that is far from the radical activist who was reviled during his time for his justice work.
Hanukkah Challah: How Baking Together Teaches Jewish Values and Life Skills
Challah has been a staple of our Friday night dinner table for years, and even more so during the pandemic. The rhythm of kneading dough every Friday helps us remember – Shabbat is coming, Shabbat is coming, Shabbat is coming.
Georgia Runoff: Youth Civic Engagement Campaign
Have a voice in the Georgia runoff election even if you can’t vote. Join the nonpartisan RAC Georgia Voter Project to learn new leadership skills, do grassroots community organizing, and get out the vote in this important election cycle.
Hanukkah: Customs and Rituals
Learn about the music, rituals, and food associated with the celebration of Hanukkah.
Ner Shel Tzedakah: Candle of Righteousness
Hanukkah can be a time for us to rededicate ourselves to the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repair of the world.
Tu BiShvat: Customs and Rituals
The Jewish mystics of the 17th century, the Kabbalists, created a special ritual—modeled after the Passover seder—to celebrate God's presence in nature. Today in modern Israel, Tu BiShvat has become a national holiday, a tree planting festivaTu BiShvat is not mentioned in the Torah. Scholars believe the holiday was originally an agricultural festival, corresponding to the beginning of spring in Israel. But a critical historical event helped Tu BiShvat evolve from a simple celebration of spring to a commemoration of our connection to the land of Israel. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and the exile that followed, many of the exiled Jews felt a need to bind themselves symbolically to their former homeland. Tu BiShvat served in part to fill that spiritual need. Jews used this time each year to eat a variety of fruits and nuts that could be obtained from Israel. The practice, a sort of physical association with the land, continued for many centuries.l for both Israelis and Jews throughout the world