A family performs the kapparot ritual with two hens and a rooster, circa 1901. (photo from Library of Congress via brandeis.edu) Whether or not the custom of eating chicken for a High Holiday meal arose from a desire to replace…
Twelfth-century Jewish thinker Moses Maimonides described the sound of the shofar at Rosh Hashanah as a wake-up call for the soul. (photo from flickr.com/photos/gsankary) The sound of the shofar at Rosh Hashanah, the great 12th-century Jewish thinker Moses Maimonides wrote,…
The existential themes of the High Holidays are meant to create a sensitivity and appreciation of the precious significance of everyday existence. (Jordan Gillard Photography) The themes of death and the “thinness” of human existence recur in the liturgy of…
In his diaries, Franz Kafka reflected that our not knowing “the real highway” we’re on means that “we drift in doubt. But, also in an unbelievable, beautiful diversity. Thus, the accomplishment of hopes remains an always unexpected miracle.” (photo from…
Israeli music pioneers Teapacks perform at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre May 14 (photo from Teapacks) “We will bring a lot of Mediterranean happiness, with a lot of Jewish chutzpah,” Israeli singer-songwriter Kobi Oz told the Independent about Teapacks’ upcoming concert…
Beverley Kort is a registered psychologist by day and a cartoonist in her off hours; she has a private practice in Vancouver. Leland Bjerg is a freelance comic writer, editor and letterer; he lives in Kelowna with his wife and…
There are as many ways of celebrating Passover and the Pesach seder as there are Jews, and then some. Over the years, I have collected articles on different customs from around the world. Here are just some of the traditions…
Leftover chicken can be used for more than matzah ball soup. (photo from flickr / Edsel Little) There is a tradition of having chicken for the seder meal, as well as for dinners on other Pesach evenings. Here are some…
