Significance of Egyptians’ gifts
“A people driven by hate are not – cannot be – free.” (Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l) (photo from flickr) According to Exodus 1:8, a new Egyptian king rose to power who did not know Joseph. He did not remember,…
Celebrating the Holidays
About the 2025 Passover cover
After the Israelites escape from Egypt and the Sea of Reeds has returned to its normal flow, with the enslavers either drowned or on the opposite side, Miriam leads the women in singing a song of praise. Apparently, it is…
Unique meals for Passover
Ilan Rabchinskey’s photograph of Tamarind Street Corn Cups in Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook inspired me to make them. (photo by Ilan Rabchinskey) Since reviewing Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook by Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle for…
Help with the holiday
In Every Generation: A PJ Library Family Haggadah can be downloaded from pjlibrary.org (photo from PJ Library) Passover is the ultimate Jewish story – a tale of freedom, hope and food – which makes it the perfect holiday to share…
Not flying south for Pesach
The courage of Esther
“Queen Esther with Mordechai,” a Venetian glass mosaic triptych, 64” x 64”, by Vancouver artist Lilian Broca. “This triptych mosaic image depicts a scene in the harem of King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther’s Palace in Susa,” writes Lilian Broca on…
Unique Cochin rituals
Cochin Jews at the 450th year celebration of the Paradesi synagogue, December 2017. (photo by Shalva Weil) A study on the Purim traditions of the Cochin Jewish community by Prof. Shalva Weil of Hebrew University was published in the Journal of Modern…
Costumed counting fun
Ten Purim Bears: A Counting Book for Purim introduces kids to Purim, numbers 1-10. Fans of Once a Bear: A Counting Book by Ron Atlas (words) and Zach Horvath (illustrations) will be happy to find that their bear friends have returned…
Hanukkah as a messy middle
Hanukkah reminds us that miracles are possible and that seemingly unwinnable wars can be won. But it also holds lessons about partial victories, imperfect heroes and incomplete belonging. We tell the story of Hanukkah, in our liturgy and in our…
A gift of light in winter
Thanks to Doodle the village orphan, the people of Chelm celebrated Hanukkah even during “The Long Winter of the Cabbage.” (image from reformjudaism.org) In literature, a cabbage might be a symbol for anything and everything disagreeable. In the village of…
