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
Cooking for Hanukkah
A brief history of the food traditions of Hanukkah from across the Diaspora.
Oy Tannenbaum!
It was over brunch on our fourth date when I told him, "This can't go anywhere...I’m Jewish and you’re not." After years of Jewish camp, Hebrew school and lectures from my parents, I was fairly certain that the eleventh commandment was “Thou shalt meet a nice Jewish boy, get married and have beau
Al HaNissim (For the Miracles)
One of the Hanukkah songs we sing begins with the words, al hanissim (for the miracles), and thanks God for all the miracles performed for our fathers, in those days, in this season (the last referring to the Hanukkah season).
Planting and Parenting: The Lessons of Tu BiShvat
Here is the quintessential Jewish question: How do we emulate God? We are told that we were created by God. We are told that we have a divine spark within us.
A Sustainable Hanukkah
“A great miracle happened there,” we say, as we spin the Hanukkah dreidel each year while eating latkes fried in oil. But what was “the miracle” of Hanukkah? Our tradition recounts more than one.
The Three Lies We Tell About Hanukkah
There probably is no holiday on the Jewish calendar that has been redefined more than Hanukkah. In each age, this holiday has been transformed to suit the issues and concerns of its time.
Eight Great Sci-Tech Experiences to Celebrate Hanukkah!
At URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, a Reform Jewish summer camp outside Boston, Jewish campers spend their summer exploring robotics, video game design, environmental science, digital media, and other fun activities.
Rejoice, for I Have Faith
There is a well-known Talmudic debate (Shabbat 21b) between rabbis Shamai and Hillel about the correct way to light the Hanukkah candles.