Category Celebrating the Holidays

Lovin’ from the oven

photo - A young Dawn Lerman with her grandmother, Beauty

A young Dawn Lerman with her grandmother, Beauty (photo from Dawn Lerman via JNS.org) In her memoir My Fat Dad, New York Times wellness blogger and nutritionist Dawn Lerman (@dawnlerman) shares her food journey and that of her father, a…

Figuring out family holidays

screenshot - Adam Brody played Seth Cohen in the show The O.C. and celebrated “Chrismukkah.”

Adam Brody played Seth Cohen in the show The O.C. and celebrated “Chrismukkah.” (photo from cookiesandsangria.files.wordpress.com) If nothing else, The O.C., the popular 2003-07 American television show that featured the overblown dramas of hyper-privileged Orange County teens and their self-obsessed…

Getting through Chanukah

It’s that time of year again! For many, the holiday season is spent with family and is filled with nothing but joy, love, laughter, gratitude and giving. If this is you, you can go ahead and stop reading now…. This…

Mayor visits the Bayit

photo - On Oct. 19, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, second from the right, joined the Bayit’s celebration of Sukkot. He is pictured here with, from the left, Michael Sachs, Bayit president; Miki Fadida, sponsor of the Fadida Family Sukkah; Rabbi Levi Varnai, spiritual leader of the Bayit; and Moshe Fadida. The mayor discussed the local Jewish community, as well as some of the challenges facing young families

On Oct. 19, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, second from the right, joined the Bayit’s celebration of Sukkot. He is pictured here with, from the left, Michael Sachs, Bayit president; Miki Fadida, sponsor of the Fadida Family Sukkah; Rabbi Levi Varnai,…

About the cover art

image - Jewish Independent 2016 Rosh Hashanah cover by Shula Klinger, cropped

Shula Klinger creates her vibrant, whimsical designs with cut paper. The art is then scanned and reproduced as prints and greeting cards. Selections of her work can be purchased at Delish General Store (Granville Island) and Queensdale Market (North Vancouver).…

An apple-honey cake

photo - Add some apples to your honey cake this year

Add some apples to your honey cake this year. (photo by Barry A. Kaplan) In the spirit of trying new things and as the New Year approaches, here is a recipe from my kosher kitchen, a slightly different take on…

Celebrate sweetness

book cover - Kosher Taste cropped

The High Holidays are all about family and friends coming together and sharing a meal. Kosher Taste: Plan. Prepare. Plate (Feldheim, 2016) by Toronto-based Amy Stopnicki offers home cooks a new formula for kosher cooking, with more than 100 recipes…

How we pray to G-d

photo - Women praying in the Western Wall tunnels

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Oct. 2. On the first day of the holiday, we read the Haftorah that tells us the story of Chana the prophetess, who prayed to G-d for a child. She prayed…

A Rosh Hashanah wakeup call

photo - In just over a week, many of us will be in the synagogue. While listening to the sounds of the shofar, feel their power and reflect

In just over a week, many of us will be in the synagogue. While listening to the sounds of the shofar, feel their power and reflect. (photo from Wikimedia Commons) Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the synagogue listening…