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What Goes on the Rosh HaShanah Seder Plate?
When we think of a seder, most of us probably think of Passover. We often associate the seder with the Haggadah, a festive ( chametz-free) dinner, and the ornate seder plate assorted with symbolic foods. However, Passover isn’t the only time of the Jewish year in which we can have a seder.
How Yoga's Wisdom Can Help Us Prepare for Elul
I often hear my yoga teachers' words when I embark on a new project or endeavor. Today, as we get ready to usher in the month of Elul, the preparatory month for the High Holidays, I keep thinking to myself: What is my intention?
T'shuvah: Returning to Our Truest Selves at the High Holidays
The central theme of the High Holiday season is t’shuvah (turn, response), an expression of hope that the way we are today need not be who we remain tomorrow.
7 Things to Know About Selichot
S’lichot, penitential prayers said before the High Holidays, offer us opportunities for personal reflection and to seek forgiveness from those we wronged during the year.
Taking a Hard Look at Our Relationships
The individual relationships we share are the backbone of creating a kehillah kedosha—a sacred community.
A Rosh HaShanah Family Activity: Make Your Own Bee Hotels
In this activity, we use a recycled toilet paper roll to make a home for bees.
This Elul, Do You Know Your Priorities in Life?
The Hebrew month of Elul begins soon. During this month preceding the High Holidays, many Jews take time to reflect on the past year and to take stock of their actions.
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
Tu BiShvat: History
Although the celebration of Tu BiShvat has a long and varied history, the theme most commonly ascribed to the holiday today is the environment.