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Creating New Rituals and Tradition for the School Year and the New Year
For children, traditions and rituals are significant; they provide predictability, support, and familiarity, while bringing families together and creating unity and a sense of belonging.
What’s Different about High Holidays Challah?
In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah taught, “If there is no bread, there is no Torah; and if there is no Torah, there is no bread.” I love these words. They echo in my mind when I partake in two of my favorite almost daily activities, the study of Torah and the baking bread. On the holidays, these two passions intersect, as they have for generations of Jews, when I shape challah. The traditional shapes for challot (plural) can be Torah study on our very festival tables.
10 Terrific High Holiday Books for Kids
Stories are a great way to help children and young adults prepare for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Here are 10 High Holiday-themed books to share with the kids in your life.
Preparing for the Days of Awe
During the year I spent studying in Jerusalem as a rabbinic student, it was impossible to escape the upcoming High Holy Days.
How to Use the URJ Reflection Tool
We recently introduced the URJ Reflection Project, a tool for the High Holidays that can be found at reflect.reformjudaism.org. Here, we share suggestions of how to use its many ideas with your congregation.
A Parent's Must-Have Guide to Handling the High Holidays
The High Holidays bring a special kind of panic upon Jewish families. Here's your guide to helping them go more smoothly.
What is the Jewish symbolism of the pomegranate?
The pomegranate is one of the Seven Species mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as being native to the Land of Israel.
7 Things to Know About Selichot
S’lichot, penitential prayers said before the High Holidays, offer us opportunities for personal reflection and to seek forgiveness from those we wronged during the year.
Beyond Apples and Honey
In two online sessions, we explored the ideas, themes, spiritual challenges, and opportunities Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur present to us – both as individuals and as parents. We hope that these sessions inspire you to prepare to make the High Holidays worthwhile and meaningful.
What’s the Difference Between the Secular and Jewish New Year?
While there are significant differences between how we usher in and observe the secular and Jewish New Year, both are times of transition that offer us an opportunity for self-reflection. Here are the key differences.