Cooking for Hanukkah
A brief history of the food traditions of Hanukkah from across the Diaspora.
Oy Tannenbaum!
It was over brunch on our fourth date when I told him, "This can't go anywhere...I’m Jewish and you’re not." After years of Jewish camp, Hebrew school and lectures from my parents, I was fairly certain that the eleventh commandment was “Thou shalt meet a nice Jewish boy, get married and have beau
Al HaNissim (For the Miracles)
One of the Hanukkah songs we sing begins with the words, al hanissim (for the miracles), and thanks God for all the miracles performed for our fathers, in those days, in this season (the last referring to the Hanukkah season).
A Sustainable Hanukkah
“A great miracle happened there,” we say, as we spin the Hanukkah dreidel each year while eating latkes fried in oil. But what was “the miracle” of Hanukkah? Our tradition recounts more than one.
The Season of Healing
The High Holidays are a time of introspection and self-assessment in anticipation of repentance, forgiveness, thanksgiving and rejoicing. It is a season of healing.
Can my fiancé and I get married between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur?
Although Jewish weddings may take place on the days in between the Jewish High Holidays, it is generally discouraged because during that period, also known as the Days of Awe, we are focused on the solemn themes of the season.
Does a menorah have to have a specific design?
I want to make a menorah as a gift for a good friend of mine. If, due to design constraints, I cannot make the candle holders vertically uniform, would that be an issue?
A Brief History of the Kol Nidrei Prayer
For most North American Jews, the haunting melody of Kol Nidrei surely is the piece of liturgy that best represents Yom Kippur, prompting us to delve deep into our souls.
The Taste of Salt: A Poem for the Days of Awe
Read a new poem Stacey Robinson created for this High Holiday season.
For Israel: An Accounting of Our Souls
During the Days of Awe, we engage in a full accounting of our souls and our actions. Perhaps this process should be applied to our relationship with Israel as well.