Apples and a Different Kind of Honey
Every year, I set out apples and honey on our holiday table even though I don’t like traditional bee honey. This year, I have a solution.
When the Synagogue Doesn't Feel Like Home
I'm uncomfortable entering unfamiliar synagogues - solely because I am mixed race, and people assume that I am not Jewish.
What I Learned From Researching My Family Tree
My interest in Jewish genealogy goes back to 1992, but it was a librarian at my local public library who put me on the path to research my family history.
Selichot: Warm-Up to the High Holiday Season
Ushering in the High Holiday season, Selichot – which falls this year on Saturday night, September 24th – is the warm-up stretch that precedes the spiritual workout we give our souls during the Days of Awe.
Apple and Honey Jello Shots
For a fun Rosh HaShanah treat, try these jello shots with, vodka, honey-flavored whiskey, or without alcohol. You can make the cute apple wedges as described below, or simply in small plastic shot cups, garnished with a slice of apple and pomegranate seeds.
This Lemon Cake Recipe Exposed a Family Secret
After a Shabbat dinner in my home for three Germans, one of them shared a lemon cake recipe and the incredible story of how it uncovered a long-held family secret.
Shabbat Shelanu: Creating a Family Education Program for Today’s Families
Expanding our family education program wasn’t our original plan. However, we realized that we were only emphasizing family involvement in the lead up to B’nai Mitzvah, so we decided to seek long-term impact by expanding and aligning our program with the needs of our families.
The Torah In Haiku: Emor
Chapter 23 of Leviticus begins ... "And G-d spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, the feasts of Adonai, which you shall proclaim to be holy gatherings, these are my feasts." The 44 verses of this chapter outline the schedule, and some of the rituals, for Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
9 Easy Seder Activities You Haven't Thought of Yet
Confronting Death is an Important Part of Life
If on Yom Kippur we rehearse our own death, then on Tishah B’Av (observed last month), we begin the annual process of preparing for death. The seven-week period from Tishah B’Av to Rosh HaShanah provides an opportunity to cultivate our souls, to reestablish our relationship with God, and to reconcile with ourselves and others. We transform the potentially passive experience of judgment into an active process of self-awareness, acceptance, engagement, and transformation.