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Around the High Holidays, we may find ourselves remembering loved ones who have died, feeling the emptiness at the holiday table or in the pews during services.

I began dreaming about an alternative High Holiday experience – a musical journey that would tap into ancient liturgical themes and refract them through the lens of hip-hop. Kind of like Rosh HaShanah: The Remix.

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.

This year, the High Holidays fall a month and a half before midterm elections, providing an opportunity for our community to reflect on the past year and make decisions about our future.

What do dates, pomegranates, apples, spinach, squash, pumpkin, beets, scallions, and maybe even, the cheek meat of a fish have to do with Rosh HaShanah? 

After decades of celebrating Rosh HaShanah, I learned something new this year: The holiday is riddled with Hebrew puns, particularly those involving goodies like beets and dates. 

Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov was new to her congregation in Wilmington, NC, when she faced an unprecedented challenge: a Category 4 hurricane during the Days of Awe.

Who shall live, and who shall die? During this season, it is a topic to which we give much thought.