Rosh Hashana is celebrated by enjoying wonderful holiday meals with family and friends, trying to reconnect to meaning and spirituality, joining the community to hear the Shofar, and getting re-inspired.
Rosh Hashana is early this year. The summer has just ended and the kids are just getting back into school. So many people have not really thought too much about it.
While there are only a few days left until the Jewish New Year, there is still much you can do to get ready. Here are a few simple ideas:
· Read up a little on the holiday. Google words like Rosh ... more
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On Friday afternoons in traditional Jewish communities around the world, parents get home early to get the house ready and prepare delicious Shabbat food. Some take a short nap to enter the Shabbat calmly and well-rested. Women get ready to light Shabbat candles.
Many men go to Mikvah – the Jewish ritual bath. Some expect to find only Chassidic men in the Men’s Mikvah. While Chassidim are indeed the most regular male Mikvah-goers, the truth is that all types of religious Jews, many ‘traditional’ ones and more than a few ‘secular’ Jews connect with the beauty and power of the Mikvah. ... more
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It doesn’t really matter which city it was, or which country, or which synagogue, or which home. I’ve seen it everywhere. And so have you.
Dusty old yellowed Hebrew books on a bookshelf behind glass. Haven’t been opened for ages. The owners feel too guilty to throw them out, perhaps, or just don’t know what to do with them. Whatever the reason, they sit there, taking up space, neglected.
Books behind the glass represent the Judaism-as-a-museum-philosophy. We come from an important people, an important heritage, and we must remember it and pass this memory on to the next generation.
Compare that to Joanna ... more
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We’ve all had to do it occasionally. You get invited to a wedding and don’t really want to go. Either it is a distant relative, colleague from work…or just someone you simply don’t like very much. But for whatever reasons, you know that you have to bite the bullet and attend. So you get dressed up and go.
But you don’t need to be there forever! You can show up late. You can leave early. And during the boring parts you can make some phone calls, send a few emails and maybe catch up with an old friend who wants ... more
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I did it once. I did it twice. I did it three times. But how many times should I continue?
I was walking down the street and beggars were asking for donations. How many times should I give? How much? After a while, you feel like just staying home.
We are often beset with this dilemma: A friend recently travelled to Paris with her family and was confronted by many beggars and homeless people. She wasn’t sure what to say to her children. What does Jewish wisdom teach us about poverty? When and how do we give? To whom? My friend suggested ... more
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I attended my first pro-Israel rally recently. Surprising, I know, considering how much I support Israel and explain its role as a pillar of modern Jewish identity. Not so surprising, though, since I moved to Israel soon after becoming Israel-conscious in university. The timing simply hasn’t worked out during my trips. This time it did.
I was scheduled in Cologne, Germany on a Sunday night a few weeks ago. As it happened, the local Jewish community quickly organized a “FairPlay-for-Israel” rally to counteract the unfair press coverage about the flotilla raid. I was inspired, and I encourage you to attend ... more
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Most of our homes have them. Yet few of us understand them.
No, I’m not talking about children.
Mezuzahs are small parchments including verses from the Torah, rolled up into a protective case (sometimes a very attractive one) and hung on the doorposts of Jewish homes. Every government building in Israel has them, as do almost all private homes. Niches for them have been found in old houses around the world – Eastern Europe, Arab countries and even East Jerusalem boast hundreds of examples of where Mezuzahs used to hang, even though Jews are no longer present.
What do Mezuzahs mean? The commentators ... more
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Two teenagers.
The first one knows almost nothing about being Jewish. Still, he or she is inspired by our identity and is very proud to be a Jew.
The second knows a lot about being Jewish and has received an above-average Jewish education. Still, something went wrong somewhere – there is little or no pride and inspiration.
Which kid would you rather have?
Which one is more likely to stay Jewish?
Some families and educators, while hoping for inspiration, essentially place their bets on Jewish knowledge. If the kids know a lot about our heritage, something will eventually stick and they’ll find ... more
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I’ve been kicking myself for three years. But I finally fixed my mistake.
Three years ago I spoke to students at UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia. Exhausted from extensive travelling, I arrived and went to sleep, skipping a visit to nearby Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s famous home. I was recently invited back and spoke to students again – this time despite my fatigue I went and wasn’t disappointed.
There is a lot to say about Thomas Jefferson and his magnificent home. I highly recommend a visit there – the guides are excellent and even the school-kids visiting seemed engaged.
What surprised me was ... more
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The Taiwanese crew of the Insiko 1907 didn’t even have time to radio for help. Fire had broken out in the engine room and the 11 sailors (with the captain’s dog, Hokget) escaped to the front of the boat awaiting rescue. It drifted to within 220 miles of Hawaii and a cruise ship rescued the crew. Somehow, Hokget was forgotten onboard as the lost tanker drifted aimlessly in the largest ocean on the planet.
Sad story, but not the end.
Someone called the Hawaiian Humane Society in Honolulu, who alerted fishing boats. The media ran stories on the “lost dog.” Money ... more
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