The Book of Esther, also known as the Megillah, is the story commemorating the saving of the Jewish people from Haman in the ancient Persian Empire. Esther was a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora who finds favor with the king,...

If you are a person who values attention to detail in the clothes that you wear, then Parshat Tetzaveh is the portion for you. In this week’s portion, we find an elaborate description of what Aaron, Moses’ brother, is commanded to wear when he...

Purim starts at sundown March 6, which means it’s time to get your best costumes ready, rehearse for the spiel, and of course, plan what to put in your mishloach manot, Purim gift baskets. Aside from being among the two most fun Hebrew words to...

Two of the four mitzvot that are traditionally fulfilled during Purim involve food: giving out mishloah manot (gifts of food), and enjoying a festive meal in the afternoon known as the Seudat Purim. There are several foods that are often associated...

The carnivalesque Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates a tale of Jewish survival in the face of near genocide masterminded by the megalomaniac villain of the piece, Haman. The holiday is celebrated with a public reading of the Purim story as well as costumes, plays, carnivals, feasting,...

Looking for Purim events in St. Louis? Here are several events held by local synagogues and Jewish organizations, organized by day. Purim, celebrated on the 14th of Adar, begins Monday night, March 6, and continues through Tuesday, March 7, 2023. ...

In the biblical book named after her, Esther is a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora who finds favor with the king, becomes queen, and risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when the court official Haman persuades the...

In parashat Terumah, following the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, G-d requests that the Israelites now build a sanctuary so that G-d can dwell among them.  Per G-d’s request, Moses asks the people to bring gifts - things...

It's a late Friday afternoon in the Central West End and Amanda Harris is preparing for Shabbat. "Shabbat helps me slow down and reconnect with my loved ones. I also love how the rituals of lighting candles and saying blessings tie me to my cultural...

The last line of parashat Mishpatim reads: “And Moses came into the cloud and went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:18)." Don’t you want to know what Moses sees up the mountain? In the Zohar, the...

“Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.’ Moses...

This weekend Jews around the world will celebrate Tu B’shvat, the Jewish new year for trees. In the Torah, fruit bearing trees are revered because of their importance in sustaining life. The name is Hebrew for the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. In...