Habari Gani? How My Family is Melding Kwanzaa and Hanukkah Customs
Fun Activities for the Four Questions: Why? Oh, Why?
Hanukkah Reconsidered: A Split in the Jewish Soul
I grew up loving this holiday – until I learned the dark side and felt like a kid discovering that there’s no Santa Claus. It turns out Hanukkah is, in part, a tale of Jew vs. Jew.
Four More Passover Questions for the Whole Family
Reclaiming the Public Square with Hanukkah Lights
According to Rashi, we light Hanukkah candles to “publicize the miracle.” What exactly is the miracle we’re publicizing – and what’s the best way for us to do so today?
Emor: Words for the Next Generation
When the Rabbis divided the Torah into its 54 parashiyot (portions), they generally arranged for each portion to begin with a unique or otherwise significant word that would in some way summarize major themes of the entire section.
Dor L'Dor, From Generation to Generation
I originally wrote and have used this piece over the past two year for the dor l'dor (from generation to generation) component of b'nai mitzvah ceremonies.
Teach (and Practice) a New Jewish Value Each Night of Hanukkah
Some of My Favorite Seder Guests
More than 68 percent of Jewish Americans over the age of 18, according to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2012, celebrate a Passover seder.
Priests, Men, and Women
How have men and women today inherited the roles and activities of the ancient priests? We can find some interesting theories about this in Parashat Emor, in Talmud and Mishnah, and in later commentaries and prayers.