Sukkot

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Yishai Friedman

Jun 18, 2025, 8:47 PM

Swords of Iron, Iranain Threats, and Bomb Shelters

The war Israel now finds itself in—dubbed Swords of Iron—began with Hamas’s brutal surprise attack on October 7th, a day that was both a national tragedy and a profound religious date: Simchat Torah, the joyous conclusion of the Sukkoth...

Allen S. Maller

May 30, 2025, 12:46 PM

Salah: Sharing Biblical and Muslim Hajj Pilgrimages

Are the Hajj to the Ka’ba in Makka and the Hajj to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem alternate swings of a single sacred pendulum connected to one central Divine source in the heavens? Let me explain. The Ka’ba was the...

Sharona Margolin Halickman

Feb 4, 2025, 8:05 PM

All of Israel are friends

In the first verse of Parshat Beshalach, Shmot 13:17 we read: When Pharaoh sent away the people, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Plishtim although it was the shortest route; for God said,...

Jan 20, 2025, 6:59 AM

A review of Gerry McDonnell’s “Lost and Found”

Irish writer Gerry Mc Donnell in Dublin. Photo — Shai Afsai

In addition to his other writings, Dublin author Gerry Mc Donnell (McDonnell) has produced a unique series of poems, plays, novellas, and essays concerning Irish Jewry. His Lost and Found (Lapwing Publications, 2003), a narrative poem published over two decades ago...

Dec 23, 2024, 6:03 PM

Discover Jewish Heritage and Kosher Luxury at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar

The Bahamas, with its pristine turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, and vibrant cultural scene, has rapidly become a premier destination for Jewish travelers seeking a combination of relaxation, luxury, and spiritual engagement. This idyllic Caribbean paradise offers a unique fusion...

Jeremy M Staiman

Dec 17, 2024, 4:00 PM

Part 2: The Missing Ushpizin, and Chol Hamoed

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Last week, we recounted how we worked hard to prepare a Sukkah party for our Israeli friends from the kiosks in the mall, and how we were left high and dry. We were crushed. If you missed Part 1,...

Jeremy M Staiman

Dec 5, 2024, 2:06 PM

Part 1: The Missing Ushpizin

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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...

Nov 7, 2024, 5:15 AM

The Magic Sukkah

Edited by Rabbi Neil Fleischman Recently, the Jewish people celebrated Sukkot, A holiday grown men use sleeping bags to sleep in oversized huts for seven days. Our rabbis call this holiday, zman simchatanu, the time of Joy. Non-Jewish people know...

Oct 30, 2024, 11:25 AM

Lessons for Life from My Dinner with Bill Gates on Sukkot

The concept of coincidence is antithetical to a Torah perspective. The idea that everything is directed by G-d for our benefit is underscored in numerous places throughout the Torah. It is often not clear why G-d directs us to...

Oct 29, 2024, 3:51 AM

It is hard saying goodbye to the holiday of Sukkot, a time where we experience the divine hug-embrace. I feel like we needed that hug really tight this year, a hug of reassurance, and with many holy chag days this...

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