High Holidays

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Apr 3, 2025, 4:51 AM

Honoring Passover Through Creativity and Tradition

Kalaniot - flowers that bloom in the spring in Israel. Photo by Makers of Israel and featured in the Israeli Photography Cards

Last Passover, as I poured red wine into the charoset and chopped vegetables for our small family seder, a heaviness settled in my stomach. Passover has always been a joyful holiday for us—filled with laughter, off-key singing, and my...

Mar 21, 2025, 12:25 AM

The Cuban Jewish Community: A Story of Struggle, Survival, and Renewal

Cuba, a tropical paradise with stunning beaches and lush landscapes, offers more than just beauty. Its rich culture, vibrant history, and nostalgic charm make it unique. From Havana’s lively streets to the serene countryside, locals share their love for...

Jan 7, 2025, 9:06 PM

Shining our Light Upon the Nations

Our Destiny is Not Written For Us—But By Us We Jews have a special appreciation for drinks of different kinds. Every Jewish holiday has a unique liquid with which we celebrate it: On Rosh Hashana, honey; on Purim, alcohol. On Pesach, it’s wine,...

Dec 25, 2024, 10:30 PM

The eternal flicker

Hanukkah in Jerusalem, 2018 - 5779 (Photo: Zack Rothbart)

There is something sublimely and humblingly eternal about candles' flames. Specifically when you know your ancestors meditated upon candle flames too. That they flickered when the ancient Greek colonizers tried to destroy us… in body and spirit, and when – a...

Jeremy M Staiman

Dec 5, 2024, 2:06 PM

Part 1: The Missing Ushpizin

AI generated Image

Candles are lit, table's set. But will the guests arrive? Stories traditionally have a beginning, a middle and an end. Stories about people, on the other hand, don’t always have an end — at least not one that’s yet been...

Dec 1, 2024, 2:58 PM

Chrismukkah mood it’s on!

I was walking through Mamilla with my husband this past Saturday morning and my memory went to December 2017 when I was in the middle of my MA studies at TAU and my uncle and cousin came to visit...

Philip Bendheim

Nov 12, 2024, 11:57 AM

From Crisis to Care: How Yad Sarah Met Unprecedented Holiday Need

As the Jewish holidays came and went this year, they brought not only gatherings and prayers but also a season of heightened need. At Yad Sarah, we always anticipate an uptick in requests during these special times. Families seek...

Madelon Rosen-Solomon

Oct 19, 2024, 12:28 AM

Shanah Tovah—’Days of Awe’ turned into days of grieving

First, I want to wish all the readers Shanah Tovah and hoping that you had a Good Fast. This has certainly been one of the more interesting High Holidays. The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with...

Oct 18, 2024, 5:59 AM

The Zen of Sukkah

Dear Reader, I was caught in a traffic jam today in the rain and wondered if that situation bore any resemblance to Sukkot. The relationship may require a large stretch of the imagination but let me see if I worked out...

Oct 17, 2024, 6:54 PM

The Jewish Holidays and October 7th

October 7th and its aftermath have become a new part of Jewish identity. This event seems to be within the canon of the stories of our honey-and-horseradish history. Will it join the “They tried to kill us, we survived,...

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