Apple-Filled Star Challah
Family and guests will ooh and aah over this beautiful Rosh HaShanah challah, which tastes as good as it looks!
How To Be The Perfect Weekend Guest
At my vacation home community, the conversation on the tennis court most Mondays centers on the same topic – weekend guests. Everyone has something to say about the guests who have left, those who are coming, and the ones still in residence.
Autism, Teens and Torah - Just Another Shabbat
One recent Shabbat, on the anniversary of his bar mitzvah, a young man with autism chanted Torah at our erev Shabbat service. I've been thinking about it since, and was genuinely moved by the whole experience.
Even the Cats Know it is Shabbat in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is overrun with stray cats. Most of the week, they hang out on sidewalks and hide under parked cars, but on Shabbat they lounge in the middle of the street, baking in their patches of sunlight, daring you to move them or for a car to disturb their well-deserved nap.
Holy Atheism! The Role of Faith in Judaism
As Yom Kippur, our only holiday which focuses on our relationship with God, fades behind us, I am reminded of a 2007 article I read in Newsweek.
Four Pieces of Good News About Religious Freedom
We often hear a lot about negative stories about religious freedom around the world.
The Seder of Welcoming Shabbat
Dr. Ron Wolfson, in his book, Shabbat: The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath, appropriately notes that while there are specific rituals that are part of every Shabbat, each Shabbat experience is different.
Sacrifice: A Poem for the Akedah
Genesis 22:1-24, the story of God testing Abraham by instructing him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah, is known as the Akedah.
Reflecting Back and Projecting Forward: A Look at the Music of Our Shabbat Services
Just as God's relationships with key characters in the Torah (e.g., Moses, our forefathers and foremothers) are unique, so are our relationships to Jewish music vastly different in the way we each respond, as sounds vibrate within us and echo through our souls.