If Anne Frank Had a Gun
I am often asked why Jews went like sheep to the slaughter during the Holocaust. The question falsely assumes it was possible to resist, but Jews failed to do so.
In Afghanistan, I Started Praying Before I Traveled
In 2005-2006, I worked in Afghanistan, and to get to work, I had to travel on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. This is when I started praying for safe travels.
The Best Gift My Parents Ever Gave Me
I cite my parents’ decision to raise a Jewish family as my gift of a lifetime because of the astronomical impact it has had on my life thus far.
Using Our Heritage to Find a Cure for Parkinson's Disease
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and – in honor of the one million people living with Parkinson’s disease in the United States – I want to share my story.
The Missouri Reform Jew Who Contributed to Israel's Founding
President Truman’s prompt recognition of the state of Israel in 1948 might not have happened without Eddie Jacobson, a little-known Reform Jew from Kansas City, Missouri.
There's More Than One Way to Spell Shalom
More than peace, shalom means well-being, health, wholeness, and prosperity. How can we achieve this precious blessing in our lives – for our loved ones and ourselves?
Seder plate
A plate that holds ritual foods used throughout the Pesach (Passover) seder. Each item on a seder plate is a symbol of the Exodus story and helps participants at the seder retell the story each year.
S’firat HaOmer
"Counting of the omer;" An omer is a biblical measurement of grain. The counting of the omer is 49-day period that begins on the second night of Passover during which each day is counted with a blessing. On the 50th day, the Festival of Shavuot is observed.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot
A celebration specific to the holiday of Shavuot, it includes a late-night – or even all-night – study of Torah and Jewish texts that commemorates receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Shalosh R’galim
“Three Pilgrimages.” The three Pilgrimage Festivals in biblical times: Pesach (Passover), Shavuot, and Sukkot.