I had a dream last night about Tisha B’Av. As one does. And in it I got into a theological conversation with a less observant friend of mine. Theological conversations are not uncommon in my dreams. Occupational hazard, I suppose. We were sitting on the floor – one of the customary ways that Jews mourn, […]
If you’re like me, the COVID-19 outbreak led to a last-minute scramble for Pesach plans and perhaps an unexpected, but very enjoyable, first seder at home. With the flurry of activity that the initial shutdown brought, many are now beginning to reluctantly settle into a new normal – at least for the forseeable future. With […]
When so many things that we relied on and were comforted by get stripped away, we have a chance to start at the basics, take an account of all we do still have, and say thank you for it. We all have a personal list of Dayenus (which literally means “It would have been enough […]
The world came undone over 3000 years ago in Egypt. What we are seeing today with the Coronavirus feels eerily similar. What can we learn from this comparison?
Unlike a lot of women I’ve spoken to, I have always loved Simchas Torah. As a child, I loved it for the dancing and excitement. I loved my shul’s longstanding tradition of giving out candy apples to kids on Simchas Torah night; it was the only food with caramel and nuts that I ever liked. […]
Hi JITC- What is the point of inviting these guests to our sukkah? Thanks, Max Dear Max- Thanks for your question. I see from the subject line of your message that “these guests” refers not to your corporeal yom tov guests but to the Ushpizin. “Ushpizin” is an Aramaic word that means guests. Aramaic is […]
