Queen Esther's Jaffa Poppy Seed Tea Cake with Orange Brandy Sugar Glaze
For Purim, make this cake in miniature loaf pans and pack 2 or 3 of them in each Purim basket.
Almond and Sesame Seed Brittle
Lemon Poppy Seed No-Bake Energy Bars
These no-bake bars are a great way to pack some healthy snacks into your Purim goodie baskets!
Purim and M’gillat Esther
Purim is just around the corner. Your congregation is making plans for the celebration, whether those plans include a carnival or a spiel, there is a sense of excitement in the air. These festivities are rooted in the Bible, more specifically in M’gillat Esther.
Meaning in the Music of the Megillah
Every story has its music. The story of Esther, told on Purim, has music – the cantillation of the Megillah (scroll of Esther). But every piece of music also has its story. This essay will share some of the fascinating story behind how we chant parts of the Megillah.
Beyond the Purim-spiel: Creating Purim Memories at Home with your Mishpacha
In my household, Purim has been the holiday in which I have taken something “traditional” and turned in on its head!
More Than Words on a Page: Social Justice in our Prayer Books
When I left for college my freshman year, I was nervous about exploring a new Jewish community. However, I immediately felt at home as I walked into my university’s Hillel’s Conservative Friday night services and saw the Siddur Sim Shalom, the prayer book I had grown up with.
Being Holy - and Staying Alive
Acharei Mot, the first of this week's two parashiyot, begins on an unsettling note—a reminder of the death of Aaron's sons and the suggestion that such tragedies might occur again unless the priests take specified steps to prevent them
Just Like Me, They Long(ed) to Be Close to You
In this week's double parashah, Acharei Mot/K'doshim, there's a one-sentence reference to the mortal sin of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, who brought "alien fire" into the Mishkan, which we read about in Parashat Sh'mini two weeks ago (see Leviticus 10:1-7).
A Rambling Rose
As the great flood story begins, we learn that Noah was "a righteous man; in his generation he was above reproach" (Genesis 6:9) and we wonder what kind of compliment has Noah just been paid.