Sukkot: Festival of Voting Booths
Building Sukkot for Ourselves and Others
Practicing Audacious Hospitality on Sukkot
I cherish the holiday of Sukkot. It beautifully encapsulates the quintessential magic of this bountiful time of year.
Fragility and Strength: A Litany of Hope for Sukkot
The sukkah is a symbol of fragility. We build the temporary structure each year and know that it is only meant to last for the week-long holiday. It sways in the breeze. The raindrops land inside. The animals nibble at our decor. We know it could come crashing down on us.
Dwelling in Safety on Sukkot: A Prayer for Refugees
We pray to you
Creator of the Universe,
who causes the winds to blow
and the seas to rage…
For the weary and the heart shattered
refugees
escaping violence and bloodshed and war
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.
Rethinking the Holy Days
I’ve come to the conclusion we need to change the date of Simchat Torah. Our Jewish festivals must be re-envisioned as inspirational community gatherings of joyful spiritual Jewish celebration. Every single festival needs to be a time of great community involvement and meaning.
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?
Check Out Our Sukkah Gallery!
Galilee Diary: Summertime
Once again this year, on the Saturday night before Yom Kippur, we went off of daylight saving time (referred to here as “summer time”), over a month before the rest of the world.