Fragility and Strength: A Litany of Hope for Sukkot
The sukkah is a symbol of fragility. We build the temporary structure each year and know that it is only meant to last for the week-long holiday. It sways in the breeze. The raindrops land inside. The animals nibble at our decor. We know it could come crashing down on us.
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Tu BiShvat: Happy Birthday, You Beautiful Trees!
My commute to work every morning is not typical. I drive through the Roaring Fork Valley with majestic, now snow-covered, mountains on my left and my right. The sky is often a clear, bright blue, and the sun glimmers off the powdery snow that shifts in the wind. I am the cantor at the Aspen Jewish Congregation, and I certainly feel blessed to live and work in such a beautiful place. This quote from Isaiah is particularly fitting for this part of the country, as the people here are very in touch with the nature around them - often finding their spiritual center while skiing a run or hiking in the hills.
Early Hanukkah in 2013: Jewish Calendar Fun
Whenever I'm asked if the Jewish holidays are coming early or late this year, I promptly answer that they'll be coming on time. And that's partially true. Rosh Hashanah will always arrive on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei just as Hanukkah will always begin on the 25th of Kislev.
In Honor of Tu BiShvat, Some Facts About Trees
Tu BiShvat, the birthday of the trees (or the new year of the trees) is a minor Jewish holiday.
Chatting With Jesus in the Sukkah
During Sukkot, we customarily invite famous people from the past to be guests in the sukkah. This year, I would like to invite Jesus as my guest.
Sukkot in Jerusalem: A Precarious Balance
Jerusalem is home to a unique type of sukkah: precarious and cantilevered, they hang off the sides of buildings – and between the two Jerusalems, one above, one below.
When the Student is the Teacher: Lessons From a Stack of Old Letters
When a close family friend died, an old stack of our letters reminded me how I had been a teacher to him, even as he had been one to me.
11 Incredible Sukkot You'll Love
As Jews the world over construct their own sukkahs - temporary, walled, outdoors structures with a view of the sky - we've rounded up a few especially impressive versions.
Shelter for all: The Reform Movement mobilizes around the Dream Act
Sukkot, the celebration of bounty and harvest, is the plural of the word sukkah.