Bread Kugel with Dried Fruit and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Combines many of the flavors and foods found in Spain and Portugal with the classic technique for making a bread kugel.
Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Use leftover hamantaschen filling in this delicious poppy seed cake!
Haman's Ears
This recipe is a variation of fried Italian dough, which was commonly prepared in Italian kitchens, but had no association with Purim. It is a perfect example of one ethnic holiday custom infiltrating general society.
Savory Persian Herb and Cheese Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen, the traditional triangular Ashkenazic Purim pastries, are typically a sweet treat. This recipe takes a savory approach, using spring herbs, a Persian favorite, to honor Esther and Mordechai’s heritage, as well as the season.
Deluxe Buckwheat Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling
This dessert pairs a delicate nut flavor with raspberry preserve filling.
A Unique Tu BiShvat for Israel's Trees
Jewish communities around the world marked the "new year for the trees" last week with tree planting ceremonies and seders that celebrate Israel's seven species (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates if you are keeping track!).
Halloween: It's All About the Candy!
It was not until I joined my synagogue’s religious education committee that I learned that many American Jews do not celebrate Halloween. From the time I could trick-or-treat, I knew the basics of Halloween: There were witches and goblins, I went trick-or-treating and got candy, and later in life, we collected money for UNICEF. As far as I was concerned, religion had nothing to do with Halloween.
At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.
Those Who Plant Will Reap: A Tu BiShvat Lesson
Tu BiShvat is a reminder that we spend our lives planting seeds. Time and effort are needed for our efforts to bear fruit. Wait patiently. One day, like the seed, we will be blessed.
It’s Hard to be a Jew at Christmas, But Even Harder on Tu BiSh’vat
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it can be difficult to be Jewish at Christmas time. It has seeped into North American cultural consciousness so thoroughly that South Park even wrote a song about it, complete with trademark expletives.