Galilee Diary: Remember Amalek
Galilee Diary: Non-collective memory
In recent decades, trips to Poland for 11th graders have become de rigueur in high schools in middle class communities.
Book Discussion: Day After Night
The English essayist and poet Alexander Pope wrote, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast..." That adage is challenged by the four protagonists in Anita Diamant's book, Day After Night.
Hamantaschen Test Kitchen: Gluten-Free
My family is not gluten-free. But we have several close friends who are. So when I posted earlier this month that I'd be starting my hamantaschen baking, one of those friends asked if I'd be making any gluten-free delicacies. Um, no.
Purim and M’gillat Esther
Purim is just around the corner. Your congregation is making plans for the celebration, whether those plans include a carnival or a spiel, there is a sense of excitement in the air. These festivities are rooted in the Bible, more specifically in M’gillat Esther.
Meaning in the Music of the Megillah
Every story has its music. The story of Esther, told on Purim, has music – the cantillation of the Megillah (scroll of Esther). But every piece of music also has its story. This essay will share some of the fascinating story behind how we chant parts of the Megillah.
Beyond the Purim-spiel: Creating Purim Memories at Home with your Mishpacha
In my household, Purim has been the holiday in which I have taken something “traditional” and turned in on its head!
Purim Palmiers
I didn't even know what a palmier was. My friend Barrett mentioned that she had made them for Purim, using Tina Wasserman's recipe. I looked it up...and, oh my, they sounded delicious.
Yom HaShoah: The World We are Given
A few weeks ago, I had this conversation with my 13-year-old daughter, who was reading Elie Wiesel's Night for a school assignment. I was driving her home with her in the back seat.
I said, "You know, it's not a subject I like to talk about."
And she said, "I know."
Yom HaShoah: A Musical Reflection
Music plays a critical role in society as an integral part of social and political history, but more importantly as intrinsic to the total human experience, noted Irene Heskes, a historian and author specializing in sacred and secular Jewish music.