An Arizona Congregation Forms a New Kind of "Israel Bonds"
Jews of a certain age might share similar early impressions of Israel. In Chicago, where I grew up, the young congregants at Lawn Manor Hebrew Congregation were inculcated with a firm commitment to the Jewish state.
Finding Our Fergusons: An Opportunity to Do Something Extraordinary
Standing on the steps of the Old Court House in St. Louis the night before Michael Brown’s funeral, we stopped marching and chanting, and instead prayed quietly for his family and the families of so many black men who have been shot by police.
A Lifetime of Conflict: My Son, the IDF Soldier
It is Shabbat, and my wife Anat and I are relaxing in lounge chairs in the small backyard of our home.
The Porch: It’s Southern, It’s Open, and It’s Jewish
For the past 18 months, the URJ supported three “Communities of Practice,” cohorts of congregations that came together to learn, discuss, and experiment in a specific field.
Chicken Fesenjan with Walnuts and Pomegranate Syrup
This very famous Persian dish is considered a festive dish served for important occasions.
A Mother’s Love on Her Son’s Bar Mitzvah Day
Sanbat Wat (Ethiopian Shabbat Stew)
Often declared the national dish of Ethiopia, a wat is a stew, and doro wat is a spicy chicken stew eaten with one’s fingers using injera bread to scoop up the morsels of food and gravy and to temper the heat of the seasonings.
Chopped Liver
Another by-product of the Shabbat chicken - thank goodness those Eastern European Jews didn’t waste anything!
Round Challah
Normally, two loaves of elongated challah are served for Shabbat, but for the High Holidays a round challah, sometimes containing raisins, is customary.
Kasha Varnishkas
There is nothing like pot roast gravy on a pile of little brown granules mixed with golden fried onions and mushrooms to transport one back to the "good ol’ days".