Every holiday season, as reliably as the first snowflake or the first burnt latke, I’m asked the same question: “Ellen, what should I get (fill in the name) for Hanukkah?” And every year, I channel my inner Maccabee and charge into the battlefield...

Aside from everything being pumpkin spice flavored, it’s hard to tell when the seasons change just by looking at our grocery store shelves. I can buy watermelons in February, apples in June, and strawberries in December if I wanted. Those out of season...

Rosh Hashanah, our Jewish New Year, is almost here and St. Louis is ready to celebrate with one of the simplest and sweetest rituals we have: apple picking. It doesn’t matter if you are a college student just getting to know this city, a parent searching...

(JTA) — In his historical account of the Roman siege of Jerusalem, Josephus describes how the Jews slowly succumbed to starvation. At the beginning of the siege, the Jewish faction known as the Zealots burned the grain reserves that had been stored...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. The conspiracy theory started, ironically, when an Orthodox rabbi stood in front of a display of Coca-Cola bottles and...

How do I know the Passover Project: A Musical Seder was a hit? The venue ran out of matzah ball soup. And tickets too. That was the scene Tuesday night, April 8, at City Winery in the Foundry, where more than 250 guests filled the room for the second...

Streit’s, the kosher food company that’s best known for its matzah, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.  And while many things have changed since the matzah bakery was first opened on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side in 1925...

As Passover approaches, families around the world prepare to gather for the traditional Seder meal. While many are familiar with the basic elements of the Haggadah — the ancient text that guides the Seder — there are some fascinating facts you might...

As someone who’s written about beer and whiskey for over a decade, I always get the same question around this time of year: Is beer kosher? But Jewish drinkers should be asking a more specific question—is beer "kosher" for Passover? Is beer OK...

In less than a week, “The Passover Project: A Musical Seder” is back—bigger, better and more soulful than ever. This one-of-a-kind celebration is happening Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at City Winery St. Louis at the Foundry...

James Sherman had every reason to believe he was staying put, right here in St. Louis. In February 1944, he passed his military exam but figured, at 32, married with two kids, he wasn’t going anywhere. Then came May 12—a date that would become a Sherman...

In March 1945, with World War II nearing its end and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s health failing, Vice President Harry S. Truman stepped up to deliver a Passover message to Jewish troops serving overseas. Roosevelt was just weeks from death. Truman,...