Galilee Diary: Booths
Spread over us the sukkah of Your peace. Blessed are You O Lord, who spreads out a sukkah of peace over us, over the entire people Israel, and over Jerusalem.
Rethinking the Holy Days
I’ve come to the conclusion we need to change the date of Simchat Torah. Our Jewish festivals must be re-envisioned as inspirational community gatherings of joyful spiritual Jewish celebration. Every single festival needs to be a time of great community involvement and meaning.
Building Sukkot for Ourselves and Others
Fragility and Strength: A Litany of Hope for Sukkot
The sukkah is a symbol of fragility. We build the temporary structure each year and know that it is only meant to last for the week-long holiday. It sways in the breeze. The raindrops land inside. The animals nibble at our decor. We know it could come crashing down on us.
Check Out Our Sukkah Gallery!
10 Jewish Reasons To Quit Smoking
Rosh HaShanah is over, and it’s time to start acting on your new year’s resolutions.
Standing Idly By as Our Neighbors Bleed
Like many Massachusetts families, the Boston Marathon is very much part of my family’s lives. Every year we gather to watch, volunteer, or run, as my wife and I did in 2008. Drawing thousands of diverse souls from all over the world, the event represents the best of American civil society.
Galilee Diary: Round and Round
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month there shall be the Feast of Sukkot to the Lord, seven days. The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work oat your occupations; seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to the Lord.
A Sukkah of Peace
I have had the pleasure of writing about some very unique holiday experiences that took place in my home when I was growing up.
10 Things Baseball and Judaism Have in Common
Last Shabbat, I fell asleep to the voice of Julie Silver singing the words “L’Dor V’Dor: From Generation to Generation” in my ear. I woke up to those same sounds on Saturday morning.