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Rethinking the Holy Days

Rabbi Donald Kunstadt

I’ve come to the conclusion we need to change the date of Simchat Torah. Our Jewish festivals must be re-envisioned as inspirational community gatherings of joyful spiritual Jewish celebration. Every single festival needs to be a time of great community involvement and meaning.

an Israeli Falafel often eaten by Americans during Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut

Falafel (Chickpea Patties)

Falafel is sold on street corners in every city and town in Israel.

Israeli Shishlik (Grilled Skewered Meat)

Shishlik (Meat Kabobs)

The simple method of preparing meat on an open grill goes back to ancient biblical times.

Kichlach (cookies)

Derived from central Europe, the popular kichlach (Yiddish for "cookies") are to be found in many of the packages prepared by parents for their children serving in the Israeli military.

Graphic of a womans silhouette with a sunset overlaid

It's Elul: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the High Holidays

Kate Bigam Kaput

Elul, the Hebrew month that precedes the High Holidays, is traditionally a time of both rejoicing and somber reflection when we take stock of our spiritual selves and our lives. Elul rituals prepare us for the many acts of repentance and forgiveness that are hallmarks of the upcoming Days of Awe, starting with Rosh HaShanah.

Lag BaOmer: History

Lag BaOmer is a shorthand way of saying the 33rd day of the Omer. (The numerical value of the Hebrew letter lamed is 30, and the value of gimel is three; lamed and gimel together are pronounced “lahg.”) In addition to tracking the agricultural cycle, the Omer marks the seven-week period from Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, to Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Counting of the Omer: Blessings for Each Day

The period between Passover and Shavuot is called the “Counting of the Omer” (Sefirat Ha'omer).

Female hands dressed in orange holding onto prison bars

High Holiday Lessons from ‘Orange Is the New Black’

Audrey Merwin

Recuperating from a broken ankle this summer, I had time to catch up on my binge streaming. One of my current favorites is the popular Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, which began streaming its seventh and final season on July 26.

Hands holding up a white cutout of a speech bubble with a heart on it

Ask Yourself These "Audaciously Hospitable" Questions During Elul

C.E. Harrison

These questions are intended to honor all of us by helping to identify and acknowledge our missteps so that we may, ultimately, do better going forward. Additionally, celebrating our successes empowers us to move closer to the diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities we seek to build.

The author (holding guitar) and his husband (with shofar) at High Holiday services in Milan

Buon Anno, Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year: My Rosh HaShanah in Milan

Cantor Evan Kent

Although my husband, Don, and I have lived in Jerusalem for six years, I can’t tell you much about the High Holidays in Israel because we’ve been spending them in Milan.