The Latke Principles
Pictured here are latkes I made for my family last year at Hanukkah. I find - somewhat absurdly - that I have strong opinions when it comes to latkes. Here are the latke principles for which I stand:
Menorahs, Doughnuts, and Friends: A Hanukkah Shabbat
I remember my first Hanukkah at my temple with my family.
Hanukkah & Christmas: Can We Celebrate Both?
For parents of different faiths, December often brings holiday challenges. For divorced parents with joint custody, these challenges can be amplified.
Even During Winter Break, Every Day Is Jewish
It’s school vacation, the end of the calendar year, and for many it is family vacation time. Why write a blog entry during school vacation?
Early Hanukkah in 2013: Jewish Calendar Fun
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. Rosh Hashanah will always arrive on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei just as Hanukkah will always begin on the 25th of Kislev.
Miracles: They're Not Just for Hanukkah Anymore
I’m not even certain of the year, but it was sometime after the tattoo and before the death march. Aron Lieb was in his early twenties, but he felt elderly. He was working in a coal mine, forced by the Nazis to supply fuel for their war effort.
Opening the Door, at Passover and Always
There is a moment during the N'ilah service on Yom Kippur that stays with me, always. I want to say that it haunts me, but that's really not the right image. It's more a flooding, a rushing-out-and-rushing-in-at-the-exact-same-moment kind of thing.
What Children Can Teach Us at Rosh HaShanah
A deep spiritual life is hard to find. While opportunities abound for spiritual connections (yoga, meditation, retreats and the like), for most of us it doesn’t come easy.