Yom Kippur Blessings: For Starting Observance of the Day
On Yom Kippur, we share a holiday meal called seudat mafseket, the concluding meal before the fast begins. We begin the meal with haMotzi, the blessing over the challah
Sweet Potato-Spiced Sufganiyot (Gluten-Free)
Hanukkah Radish Salad Canapés
Chocolate Truffle "Gelt"
Although these filled truffles cannot be flattened like a coin, they can be individually wrapped in malleable gold foil to evoke the image of metallic coins.
Frituras de Malanga (Cuban Taro Fritters)
Malanga, or taro root, has a very mild flavor and is light and crisp when fried. Why not try Cuban fritters this year for Hanukkah?
The Shofar Blasts as a Metaphor for Life
If, as the Talmud tells us, the blasts of the shofar are meant to remind us of crying, (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 33A – specifically of Sisera’s mother – but that is another subject!), then I would offer the following.
Yom Kippur and the Gift of Forgiveness
Yom Kippur in Vietnam
Yom Kippur, 1965, I was a Navy medical officer stationed aboard a destroyer off the coast of Vietnam.
What Children Can Teach Us at Rosh HaShanah
A deep spiritual life is hard to find. While opportunities abound for spiritual connections (yoga, meditation, retreats and the like), for most of us it doesn’t come easy.