Displaying 1 - 10 of 24
Vetting Vashti: A Megillah-Inspired Missive
We write to you on behalf of an Iranian asylum seeker by the name of Vashti. The circumstances under which she has become a “displaced person” are as follows.
grogger
Hebrew Spelling
רַעֲשָׁן
Alternate Spelling
grager
"Noisemaker" (Hebrew); used to drown out Haman's name during the M'gillah reading on Purim.
hamantaschen
Hebrew Spelling
אֹזֶן הָמָן
Alternate Spelling
hamantashen
Triangle-shaped pastries commonly filled with apricot jam or poppyseed spread (or other fillings) and eaten on Purim; the shape represents Haman's hat or ears
An Adult Look at the Less-Than-Savory Truths of Purim
There’s also a dark side to the Purim story, and I think it’s time we let the grownups in on some truths.
The Purim-Spiel: A Wild and Crazy Tradition
Once a year, on Purim, Jews have a license to deviate from the rules and norms, easing the pressures of living as a minority determined to keep alive our religious traditions.
Every Tu BiShvat Is a Second Chance
Tu BiShvat, the precursor to Earth Day, should make us alert to our air, water, animals, and foliage – and all that we’re doing to destroy them.
Tu BiShvat: How Israel Has Planted New Seeds in the Jewish Soul
The way we celebrate Tu BiShvat has changed over the years – a case-in-point of how Jewish life and observance has been transformed in our day, due in no small part thanks to the successes of the State of Israel.
Galilee Diary: Rainy day
Moving from the Midwest to the Mideast involved looking at rainy days in a new way. It took me a number of years to internalize the concept that rainy days are not an inconvenience, but rather a blessing.
Galilee Diary: Why is This Night Different?
"Tu" (the Hebrew abbreviation of 15th) in the month of Shvat was set (Hillel's opinion generally overrules Shammai's) as the beginning of the tithable year for tree fruit: Calculating the tithe on fruit starts again for fruit that sets after that date.
Happy Tu BiShvat: Environmental Responsibility in the Berkshires
During the wintertime, I try to drive up to the Berkshires as much as possible. As an assistant director at URJ Crane Lake Camp, I don’t get so much time to enjoy all that the Berkshires has to offer during the summer