Displaying 1 - 10 of 71
At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.
Those Who Plant Will Reap: A Tu BiShvat Lesson
Tu BiShvat is a reminder that we spend our lives planting seeds. Time and effort are needed for our efforts to bear fruit. Wait patiently. One day, like the seed, we will be blessed.
How Shabbat is Like a Snowstorm
This morning I met again with my usual cohort of Jewish clergy who study sacred texts together each week in the coffee shop.
"A Kosher Christmas" - Yes, Really!
There's a new Christmukkah book in town, and this one's getting big play in the secular world as well as the Jewish one. The New York Times recently reviewed author Joshua Eli Plaut's A Kosher Christmas, about Jewish traditions on Christmas and how Hanukkah became known to some as "the Jewish Christmas."
The Wonders of Klal Yisrael, Jewish Peoplehood
“We kindle these lights to commemorate the miracles and the wonders”
הנרות הללו אנו מדליקין על הניסים והנפלאות
Creating an Interfaith Extended Family: How to Be A Good In-Law
When I lead Jewish grandparenting discussion groups, the topic of creating an extended interfaith family often arises.
A Cappella, Gangnam Style, & More: A Hanukkah Video Round-Up
If there's one thing Jews love, it's Jewish twists on pop culture trends - and holidays are the perfect time for them! We've rounded up a few of our favorite Hanukkah videos from across the web for your Festival of Lights listening pleasure. What are your favorites?
Rise up Maccabean Style for Rights of the Disabled
The sages of the Talmud had a debate about how we are to light the Chanukah menorah: Should we begin with eight candles and remove one each night, or begin with one and add through the holiday?
Hanukkah: More Than Just Presents?
This weekend, we will gather together with family or friends (or, if you’re on the RAC staff, with 215 high school students at L’Taken) around the Chanukah lights, spin the dreidel, eat latkes and sufganyot and engage in the great “applesauce or sour cream” debate.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament: A Perfect Gift for the Holidays!
It was not so long ago that Jews assiduously avoided reading the New Testament or even saying the name of Jesus. The publication last year of the Jewish Annotated New Testament (available through Oxford and Amazon), described recently by one scholar as a “paradigm shift,” testifies that we have entered a new era in Jewish engagement with the New Testament. Not only has it become a legitimate subject of Jewish study, providing both insights into the history of Judaism during its formative era and an effective vehicle for promoting Jewish-Christian relations, but also there now exists a cadre of Jewish New Testament scholars with the abilities to tackle the task.