How I Hosted a Huge Seder Without Cooking
Although my family started out with the smallest guest list in years last Passover, we ended up with the most well-attended seder we have ever hosted. Thanks to technology, tradition, and trust, we had more people at our seder table than ever before.
Why Praying at the Western Wall Matters to Jewish Women
I had come to Israel to join my friend Anat Hoffman, who is one the leaders of the Women of the Wall. The previous month, there had been a random decree that as women were coming in, they were not allowed to wear their prayer shawls, their tallits. I’ve been wearing a prayer shawl since I would say the late '70s, a long time. And it’s just considered a regular part of my ritual in prayer. In 1968, the Orthodox rabbinic created a mechitza, which is a separation between men and women at the Western Wall. And the understanding here in a very traditionally observant manner, in an orthodox manner, is that men are obligated to pray. Women are not. The Orthodox have deemed this site to be a synagogue.
We Stood Together at Sinai: We May Stand Together at the Kotel, Too
I grew up in a home with my single mother and two sisters. My mother had one sister, two nieces, and one nephew. When my mother died, our synagogue shipped in the men of the traveling shiva minyan to say Kaddish for her the night of her funeral.
Sharansky’s Kotel plan loses support from both sides
Following a court ruling in their favor, leaders of an organization pushing for women's prayer rights at the Western Wall have withdrawn their endorsement of Natan Sharansky’s compromise proposal to expand the egalitarian section there.
Geshmirta Matzah
Sephardic Almond Macaroons
These Sephardic cookies are chewy and pretty – and they’re delicious all year long, not just during Passover!
“Homeshuling” Under Quarantine: Fun Jewish Videos for Virtual Learning
Do you know about all the great Jewish educational videos available from our partners at BimBam? Here are a few ideas for “homeshuling” your kids during this time.
How to Make Immigration Justice Central to Your Passover Celebration
If we are to heed the call of freedom that Passover offers us, we must not close our eyes to the degradation currently taking place right outside our door.
It's OK to Mourn the Seder That Will Not Be
During this surreal period, many of us are trying hard to keep sadness and anxiety at bay, and that’s important. It's equally important, though, to remain connected to our feelings. Each of us is giving up so many things this year – and for me, the hardest thing to lose is our Passover seder.