Not the Usual Barnes and Noble Minhag
Like so many of the things we've done in the last few months, the annual Yom Kippur afternoon jaunt of my father and me to Barnes and Noble following the morning service at temple was
Yom Kippur
Understanding Yom Kippur - Then and Now
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a concept I came to understand in my early adult years. But this was my understanding during my childhood:
When Soul and Sole Come Together
by Rabbi Elisa F. Koppel I’m not ashamed to admit it: I like shoes. I’m not quite obsessive about them, but I probably have more pairs of shoes than I need, and I’m always finding new ones – you know, the ones that would be perfect with that one outfit.
Haggadot of Pesach
What makes a Passover seder special? Maybe it’s the meal? Or is it the people we dine with? Perhaps it is the ancient songs that we join together in singing.
Passover and the Courage to Change
Earlier this year, I took part in a Shabbat service where women from Temple Sinai wrote personal, modern versions of the traditional prayers.
Passover - Family Rituals
The truth is, I never realized quite how many family rituals exist in my family's seder until last year when, for the first time in 24 years, I was not with them for Passover.
The Power of Pesach
Over 30 years ago, I read an article which reported a statistical study of Jewish observances.
Preparing for the Days of Awe
During the year I spent studying in Jerusalem as a rabbinic student, it was impossible to escape the upcoming High Holy Days.
The Passover Order
I did not grow up in a kosher home. In fact, I refer to the home in which I was raised as “glatt treiff.” My becoming a bar mitzvah in 1973 coincided with my mother’s personal liberation.