While kids of any age look forward to December all year long, anticipating 8 fun-filled nights of gifts, dreidel spinning, latkes and chocolate “gelt” on Hanukkah, Judaism also features another grand and celebratory holiday, replete with costumes,...

Have you ever noticed that, no matter how you spell the holiday known as The Festival of Lights, you need eight letters? I like to think of it as one letter per night, whether you prefer Chanukah or Hanukkah. The pandemic puts a different sort of spin...

Thanksgiving arrives at a perfect time each year, just as the myriad of world religions gear up for their respective winter celebrations. Many consider it the perfect intersection of all great religious traditions; and depending on the topics in which...

This year, the celebration of Selichot - the official “kickoff” for the High Holy Days – commences with sundown on Saturday, Sept. 12th. Jewish tradition instructs us to regard this time as a period of soul-searching and reflection, as we prepare...

Welcome to the stay-at-home community! In addition to processing the various and often conflicting news reports, cleaning the house again and again, and trying to get outside for exercise, I find myself consuming much more coffee than usual. In an effort...

Tu B’Shvat, or “The New Year of the Trees”, begins this year at sunset on February 10.  This joyous celebration has developed into an ecological day of sorts, reminding us of our connection to the earth. The Jews are considered caretakers of...

“Do Jewish people celebrate Thanksgiving?”I have been asked this a multitude of times throughout my life, and it never ceases to confound me. After all, most Jews also identify as Americans; as such, we happily embrace and partake in Thanksgiving...

As a lactose-intolerant adult, I have grown accustomed to life without cheese. Having never been a huge fan except for the gooey stuff atop a deep-dish pizza, this is not much of a problem for my taste buds. I will, however, admit to craving — and missing...

Independence Day commemorates the establishment of Israel as an independent Jewish state. This inspirational declaration was announced on May 14, 1948 by the Jewish leadership, led by future Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Israelis take great pride...

The Jewish calendar is replete with Holy Days as well as fun festival-type holiday celebrations. This March, Purim offers us an opportunity to experience one of our more upbeat holidays. While observance runs the gamut from reading the Scroll of Esther...

Does a difference exist between secular and “holy” reasons for keeping our bodies fit?Traditional Jewish thought suggests that we must keep our bodies well for the sake of spiritual pursuits and in order to fulfill mitzvot. Sadly, in today’s modern...