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For The Love of Judaism and Hannah
Hannah and I met just over a year and a half ago. We worked for the same political organization in different cities--when we met, she was in Boston and I in Amherst, but three months in, I was transferred to Washington D.C. Our relationship was young and already strained by distance
My Thanksgivukkah Anxieties
When I first heard the term “Thanksgivukkah”—the convergence of Chanukah and Thanksgiving—and that it was happening this year, I must admit that I became a little anxious because it brought back some of my interfaith marriage insecurities that I thought were long gone.
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:
Eileh Ezkerah
Eileh Azkara (These I Remember) is the lament that recounts the martyrdom of ten rabbis during the Roman brutality of 2000 years ago.
Eileh Ezkerah: Memorializing Jewish Martyrs on Yom Kippur
Memorialization of deceased relatives and of Jewish martyrs has figured in the liturgical observances of Yom Kippur since the massacre of approximately 8,000 Rhineland Jews at the time of the First Crusade (1096).
The Music of Seder Ha’avodah
The Avodah service of Yom Kippur (Seder Ha’Avodah) challenges us as Reform Jews. It depicts an ancient, archaic rite that is anathema to our modern practice, with elements that likely offend our sensibilities.
Seder Ha-Avodah
In the traditional machzor, the Seder Ha-Avodah(literally “Service of the Sacrificial Cult”) occurs on Yom Kippur during the musaf (additional) service.
Seeking God and Community in Synagogue Life
A Little Miracle Happened There
Are all Hanukkah tales true? Of course - because a narrative can contain truth even if it defies belief. In that spirit, let me share one of my own Hanukkah stories.
Are We Right to Blend Hanukkah and Thanksgiving This Year?
As you’ve undoubtedly heard, the Jewish calendar and the secular calendar offer a strange convergence in the United States this year as Hanukkah and Thanksgiving coincide. The Jewish media has been full of humorous articles about combined menus (like this one from Jewish cooking expert Tina Wasserman) featuring foods like latkes with cranberry sauce, and the term “Thanksgivukkah” has been coined to describe the merged holiday.