Monday, July 16, 2012

Tisha B'Av Customs From Czechoslovakia & Germany Remind Us How Important This Day Is

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Reciting Eicha – Lamentations – while sitting at the foot of the Wailing Wall is the ultimate way to express grief over our Temples...
Sunday, July 8, 2012

Kabbalat Shabbat, Tel Aviv Style

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I experienced a breath of fresh Mediterranean air during Israel's present burning hot, religion and state climate.  It happened this pa...
Sunday, June 3, 2012

Iraqi Jews Welcome Shabbat with the Sweet Smell of Spices

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Now that all the holidays are behind us, let's have a look at the one constant in our life which arrives on a weekly basis. Of course,...
Sunday, May 20, 2012

There's a Grain of Truth in this Shavuot Custom from Ethiopia

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Yes, Shavuot is a celebration of our receiving the Torah, but have we missed out on the underlying message of the story of Ruth? It is muc...
Sunday, May 13, 2012

Shavuot, Verona Italy & the Origins of the Bat Mitzvah

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It's common knowledge that the Bat-Mitzvah ceremony is an American innovation dating back to 1922 when Judith Kaplan, daughter of Ra...
Saturday, April 28, 2012

Connect the Carob Eating Custom of Tu B'Shvat with Lag B'Omer

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Carob fruit for Tu B'Shvat. But Carob fruit for Lag B'Omer? A fitting fruit if you ask me since on Lag B'Omer so many  Jews ha...
Friday, April 20, 2012

Connecting Shofar Blowing to Civilian Sirens

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My mind goes back to last year when 20-year old cousin Michael spent his Spring semester at Tel Aviv University. "Wow!" he said....