I am about to become an empty nester. Years ago, when the kids first started going to camp, my husband and I used to call ourselves “ENITs,” Empty Nesters in Training.

It’s not impossible, but it is difficult this year to avoid calling the beginning of Hanukkah by its special, one-time name: Thanksgivukkah!

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month there shall be the Feast of Sukkot to the Lord, seven days. The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work oat your occupations; seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to the Lord.

The famous Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz used to punctuate each performance with the rousing shout , “Azucar!” (Sugar!). But sometimes I also hear this as, “A sukkah!”

I thought of this trademark exclamation this week when my husband and I had guests over

I have had the pleasure of writing about some very unique holiday experiences that took place in my home when I was growing up. Passover seders with Jesuit priests, discovering the connection between the World Series and "Yom Kippur" transistor radios, and Han

This year make room for chocolate in your Sukkot celebration.

Sure enough, last week I saw the first chatzav flower of the season – which was actually sort of surprising, as it's been several years since the last leap year, so the holidays are "early" in the solar year this year. 

The title of a recent JTA article asks these two questions:

1. Why do Jews intermarry?
2. Who wants to marry a Jew, anyway?

The answer to the first question has been studied extensively and, according to the article has much to do with assimilation, age at the

Whenever I'm asked if the Jewish holidays are coming early or late this year, I promptly answer that they'll be coming on time. And that's partially true.