What is a Sukkah?
A sukkah is a temporary, hut-like dwelling built during the holiday of Sukkot. (In fact, the word sukkot is the plural of sukkah.)
Why a Reform Rabbi Became an Uber Driver – and What It Taught Him
To prepare for the High Holidays this year, I did what any rabbi would do: I went undercover as an Uber driver.
How to Understand the Timelessness of Jewish Time
Although we may think time moves in a linear fashion, Jewish holidays insert themselves in unexpected moments and places, seemingly out-of-sync with our expectations.
How Reform Synagogues Welcomed Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum-Seekers This Sukkot
Congregations from coast to coast welcomed immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees to be guests in their sukkot and to share their stories. Here are a few reports from congregations that held these moving events.
Why I'm Wishing My Fellow Jews a "Happy Yom Kippur"
Given that Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, it makes sense that it can, and should, be joyful.
What Do We Really Mean When We Apologize?
Although we learn to say “I’m sorry” as young children, as we age, these words take on more meaning, perhaps reflecting true regret about our behavior or its impact.
How Can We Find Hope and Faith in the Face of Death?
Rabbi Stephen Karol's new book is based on his many years of helping congregants in mourning, which shaped and sharpened his perceptions of death and Jewish mourning tradition.
Kol Nidrei: A Poem
I heard Kol Nidrei on a violin tonight.
They should take all legal documents
and set them to music.
All vows –
This legal document
written in unholy language
a prenuptial agreement
for our inevitable failing.
This relationship with
4 New Sukkah Blessings To Try This Year
Marking holidays looks very different for most of us this year - a perfect time to try something completely new. Though we might need to wait another year before gathering together with groups for a Sukkot meal, here are a few new ideas to try now.
A Plea for Equality and Peace in Israel in a Children’s Sukkot Song
One iconic, modern Hebrew song about Sukkot is far more than a simple holiday song for children.