Tu BiSh’vat: Resources
In a few weeks we will be celebrating Tu BiSh’vat. There are numerous approaches you could take in planning your celebration.
Tu BiSh'vat: A Personal Reflection
While we have been having a relatively warm winter in the United States, it cannot compare to what winter is like in Israel. It is the rainy season there, the time of year that Israel greens up, with cooler temperatures and rain (which feels like a miracle every time I experience it) in bet
Chinese Chicken and Sacred Text: A Reform Jewish Response to Literalism
Until 2008, one of the most popular foods served in Beijing restaurants was known in English as “saliva chicken.” This was actually a literal translation of the dish’s traditional name in Mandarin—which could also be translated as “chicken that makes your mouth water.” In advance of that year’s O
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.
In Jerusalem, Tu BiShvat Offers a Welcome Respite from Winter
Coming a month and a half before the spring equinox and two months before Passover, Tu BiShvat provides a glimmer of springtime at a time when winter can often be at its cruelest.
Have I Failed as a Jewish Mother?
Judaism was so unfamiliar to my son that he was wary of my Hanukkah gift. I felt as though, at such a young age, he was choosing to shun my religion, to identify with Christianity. Of course, if he chooses to identify with either religion later in life, that decision will be his own – but for now, I need to at least give Judaism a fighting chance.
Who Should Teach About Hanukkah and What Should They Be Teaching?
Now that my daughter is in preschool, I've come to realize that hearing about cultural and religious practices directly from the practitioners only emphasizes our otherness.
How You Can Help Spread Light This Hanukkah
Hanukkah offers echoes from our tradition to be “a light among the nations,” suggesting that we, like the holiday’s candles, can bring warmth and vision to the world.
How My Menorah Became a Cherished Symbol of Life
We always lit two menorahs at Hanukkah: One used candles; the other was electric, with bright orange bulbs. That second one became a precious symbol of life and light.
Shine a Light: Advancing Progressive Values in Israel This Hanukkah
Although Jews have had access to the Western Wall since 1967, only some Jews feel ownership over this important site.