The cover of the new Haggadah, with one of its authors, Rabbi Adam Scheier. (photo from cjnews.com) A new Haggadah in Hebrew, English and French has been created by Canadians for Canadians and celebrates the Jewish experience in this country.…
Poppy seed hamantashen from owl-at-home.blogspot.ca. Purim has its share of food customs as it is observed by Jewish communities around the world, but for this article, I will narrow my question to one: why the poppy seeds – particularly in hamantashen?…
Megillat Esther, the Book of Esther, receives rave reviews. (photo from Chefallen via Wikimedia Commons) Recently discovered among ancient Persian manuscripts and just smuggled out of Tehran in time for Purim, an anonymous writer analyzes the story of the Book…
On a cloudless, heavenly morning, well before the Almighty turned the dust of the earth into man, he announced the holy days to the assembled Heavenly Hosts. The angels listened solemnly, especially to Yom Kippur. After a few moments of…
The Jewish month of Adar began last Friday, Feb. 20. Known as a month of celebration and happiness, Adar contains the joyous holiday of Purim that takes place mid-month. Purim, however, isn’t the only thing that makes Adar special. Be…
Purim, at its heart, is a story about unseen forces. Throughout the entire Megillat Esther there are numerous instances of divine intervention, even though G-d’s name is not mentioned even once. In that way, Purim provides a microcosm of our…
Mix it up this holiday with a colorful orange spice cake. (photo by Barry A. Kaplan) In honor of Tu b’Shevat on Feb. 3-4, why not try some variety to celebrate the New Year of the Trees? One usually thinks…
Tu b’Shevat, the New Year of the Trees, coincides with the flowering of the almond tree in Israel. (photo from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shevat) Tu b’Shevat, which falls this year on Feb. 3-4, marks the end of the rainy season in Israel. Buds…
The Arch of Titus remains standing in Rome today. Built in 81 CE, it depicts the triumphal procession of enslaved Jews and Temple spoils, including the Menorah, whose ultimate fate is unknown. (photo by Basya Laye) Sixty-thousand heavily armed, well-trained…
