Judaism

Torah

Blessing the People With Love and Joy

Local

Does Birthright Stifle Teen Travel?

Shavuot

Synagogues Celebrate New Arrivals

Shavuot

Understanding the Days of the 'First Fruits'

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

Apparently, not all Jewish festivals have been created equal. Passover has the seder -- the most widely observed Jewish ritual -- the eating of matzah and a stirring narrative of a people's deliverance from slavery. Sukkot, which has undergone something of a revival among non-Orthodox Jews in recent years, has the building of the sukkah booth at home, and the...

Torah

Shavuot: How Israelites Became a Holy Nation

By:

Rabbi Shmuel Jablon, JE Feature

In the Talmud, the festival of Shavuot is normally referred to as "Atzeret," which, roughly translated, means a "day of assembly." However, the word implies even more, since atzeret signifies a closing day of assembly. For example, after the festival of Sukkot comes Shemini Atzeret, the "Eighth Day of Assembly." Though it is, in the words of the sages, "a...

Food

Pretty Cheesy

Shavuot calls for all the dairy dishes you can think of

By:

Louise Fiszer, JE Feature

Shavuot is one of those holidays that is known by many names and has something for everyone. It is called Pentecost and the Feast of Weeks because it falls on the 50th day after the second night of Passover. It is also called Hag Ha-bikurim , the "Feast of the First Fruits." Insomniacs can stay up all night embracing the...

Torah

Hitting Bottom, Climbing Back Up

BEHAR-BEHUKOTAI, Leviticus 25:1-27:34

By:

Rabbi Howard A. Addison

The concluding parshot of Leviticus offer us an interesting glimpse into our tradition. Parshah Behar mandates the Sabbatical and Jubilee years: One year in every seven, the land was to rest and replenish itself. Every 50 years, all slaves were set free and land returned to its original owners. These ideals were so moving, the words were inscribed on the...

Lag B'Omer

Lag B'Omer: It's All About the Picnics, Bonfires and Mysticism

By:

Mark Mietkiewicz, JE Feature

How can one day remind us of Judaism's links to mysticism, be a time to mourn and a time to dance, and also be an Israeli pilgrimage that is reminiscent at times of Woodstock? Lag B'Omer is all of those things. The seven-week period between Passover and Shavuot is a time of semi-mourning, but on the 33rd day, Lag B'Omer...