Category Life

Where David fought Goliath

photo - The author, Sybil Kaplan and Prof. Yosef Garfinkel at the opening of the exhibit In the Valley of David and Goliath, now at Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem

The author, Sybil Kaplan and Prof. Yosef Garfinkel at the opening of the exhibit In the Valley of David and Goliath, now at Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. (photo by Barry A. Kaplan) “As the Philistine moved closer to attack…

Jerusalem’s French aspects

photo - Salt print of Adolphe Crémieux, December 1856, by Nadar (1820-1910), from the J. Paul Getty Museum

Salt print of Adolphe Crémieux, December 1856, by Nadar (1820-1910), from the J. Paul Getty Museum. (photo from Wikimedia Commons) While Jerusalem’s French connection thankfully lacks the violence and crime of the 1971 movie by the same name, both the…

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…

Making your own traditions

photo - As an alternative or addition to synagogue services, you could find a nice place outside in which to pray or reflect

As an alternative or addition to synagogue services, you could find a nice place outside in which to pray or reflect. (photo by Jan Lieberman via Wikimedia Commons) There is a lot of beauty to the traditional synagogue experience. However,…

Can we all get along?

photo - Women of the Wall was founded as a minyan of women from different movements coming together on common ground for Rosh Chodesh

Women of the Wall was founded as a minyan of women from different movements coming together on common ground for Rosh Chodesh. (photo by Michal Patelle via Wikimedia Commons) In April 2015 – in the aftermath of the death of…