One Small Sound for Women, One Large Blast for Womankind.
On the first day of Rosh Hashana I was invited to call the kolot (sounds) for the shofar. I must admit, I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into. Our shul differs from many others – rather than...
View ArticleReflections on Liturgy of the High Holy Days
We spent the whole morning of prayers during the High Holidays on our pleas for forgiveness from God, and our praises to Him for all that He does. The prayer that really spoke to me this year was at...
View ArticleShabbat Chicken with Dried Fruit Recipe
I have served this chicken on Rosh Hashanah for years, and it’s a go-to for a quick and easy Shabbat recipe. The chicken gets caramelized from the glossy and delicious sauce. It’s best when marinated...
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Easy Ma’amoul: a Middle Eastern Jewish Dessert
Ma’amoul is a traditional small pastry from the Levant (the area between Syria in the north and Egypt in the south including Lebanon, Israel and Palestine). Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in this...
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How to Make Cold Borscht
I can’t eat borscht that comes from a jar that’s been sitting on a supermarket shelf for who knows how long. So sue me. Tell me I’m a snob. I just can’t. It’s the wrong color, it’s too thin and has...
View ArticleKichels Recipe: Jewish Bow Tie Cookies
My mother was a first-class baker, and there were always homemade goodies for dessert at our house. So when I went away to college and needed a nosh to remind me of home, I went to a nearby bakery for...
View ArticleA New Year, A New Queer
September is a remarkably dependable month. I can always count on school starting back up again, warm summer nights beginning to deliver a hint of chill, a new Chabad calendar arriving in the mail (I’m...
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Mindful or MindFULL These Holidays?
The holidays are a busy time — a time where we are supposed to spend the entire Hebrew month of Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur thinking about ourselves, reflecting, and beginning our...
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Gluten-Free Apple Cake Recipe
In recent years, it seems that more and more of my family members and friends have developed food allergies and food intolerances. This can make it difficult to determine what to serve at holidays and...
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Sweet and Spicy Skillet Cornbread for Rosh Hashanah
During the month of Elul, many Jews take the time to reflect on their past year and prepare themselves spiritually for the next. This year, I have found myself falling short when it comes to these...
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11 Rosh Hashanah Appetizers That Are Easy and Delicious
Start off your Rosh Hashanah meal this year with some good noshing! Who doesn’t love to have a variety of snacks to nosh on before the meal? These five appetizers will come together in a cinch, and...
View ArticleInspiration
When we open our eyes in the morning, when we are confronted with challenges, when we seek to create beauty, when we seek understanding and insight, encouragement and wholeness and some reasonable...
View ArticleSpiritual Not Religious at Rosh Hashanah
Shabbat dinner with young university students can be an adventure. My husband and I warm them up with a few glasses of kiddush wine and we learn a lot about their inner lives. Sometimes we host our son...
View ArticleRosh Hashanah: Get Woke
During the High Holiday period, we expect a great deal from ourselves. Putting aside the business of material holiday preparation (meals! more meals! house cleaning for guests!) we also understand this...
View ArticleRosh Hashanah from the Other Side
How would I have experienced Rosh Hashanah if I were sitting on the men’s side of the mechitza? Would it have mattered? Would I have paid more attention? Would I have paid attention to who was...
View ArticleNew Jew Enters New Year with a Slice of Apple Pie
As Rosh Hashanah approaches I look back on this year with immense gratitude. Last August I converted to Judaism, and 5779 was my first year as a Jew. And a momentous one it was. I celebrated my first...
View Article“Jewpanese” Foodie Shares Rosh Hashanah Recipes
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have a passion for food and feeding people. This passion comes from my Ashkenazi Israeli mother and my Japanese Canadian father, both of whom are fabulous...
View ArticleThe Many Traditions of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah may look a little different this year, but it is still a time to celebrate the new year, spend time with family and friends, engage in self-reflection, and enjoy some delicious food. To...
View ArticleReverse Tashlich
We’ve all had those teachers that go above and beyond; in my life, an educator named Kathy Mellette soars with the best of them. She made a huge impact on my young life. Among the many creative...
View ArticleThe Power of 50 Minutes
“How were your holidays?” is an entertaining question to receive as a clergyperson when it comes to the High Holidays. Usually, the honest answer is “exhausting” but the one I give is “great!”, so as...
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