Jewish Blogs

Honey for Rosh Hashanah

At no time during my experience in a New York City rabbinical school did I think I would ever be donning full beekeeper regalia and watching as thousands of bees made honey on a farm in Michigan’s Amish country. But that is precisely what I found myself doing for the first time this past spring.In addition to learning about the ...

Honey Cake: Succulent Slice of Rosh Hashanah Heaven

There’s a spot in the morning Shacharis service that reminds us that honey can’t be added to any offering. In ticking off the ingredients for ceremonial incense to be used in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the prayer book states emphatically that if one “added honey to the mixture, he rendered it unfit for sacred use.”But why? “Had even a miniscule amount ...

Holocaust Survivor Beauty Pageant? Bring It.

Oh, the people are OUTRAGED.Lipsticking up 14 sweet old ladies, parading them around on a stage and making them compete for the title of Miss Holocaust Survivor? Hideous, right?The grossest objectification of the females since “Toddlers and Tiaras,” you say. “Oy gevalt!” cry the naysayers, their hands wringing. “What’s next, a 10-episode season of ‘Concentration Camps and Crowns’ on the ...

Holocaust Education: You’re Doing it Wrong

This week in wacky Southern public school news: A seventh-grade social studies teacher has been indicted for assault and battery after calling a student “a Jew” and dragging him under a desk.Witnesses told police that Patricia Mulholland grabbed the kid by the collar when he got up to sharpen his pencil with the command “Come here, Jew.” The she lugged ...

Holiday Of Lights

It’s a little ironic that Chanukah started as a holiday celebrating getting rid of foreign ideas, because in my mind, Chanukah is Christmas for Jews. Wait- that’s a little too cynical. Let me explain. I’m not Conservative or Reform. I was raised Yeshivish and still practice that way. It’s just that the two holidays are so tightly knit together in ...

Hitler–A Fashion Icon?

You guys, Hitler is back. Not as the leader of the Third Reich, but as a sales man for an Italian clothing designer. Because nothing says style guru like thigh-high boots, armbands and fatigues. Seriously, the ad campaign features this picture of Hitler, in a pink army uniform, with a heart on his armband. He’s also wearing makeup, and has ...

Historic JOFA-Kolech Meeting of the Minds

Though the conclusion of Sukkot occurred earlier this week, our friends at JOFA co-manifested such a milestone event with such potential, far reaching effects, we wanted to share this happening with you, our readers…The notion of the “big tent” took on a whole new meaning in the world of Orthodox feminism this week as leading Orthodox women from Israel and ...

Hilchot Shabbat: Havdala

There is a disagreement among the Rishonim whether havdalah is d’orayta or d’rabbanan. The majority of Rishonim rule that it is d’orayta. Are woman obligated in havdalah? Is havdalah a mitzvah of Shabbat or of motzai Shabbat?Since women are obligated in the negative commandments of shamor, they are also obligated in the positive commandments of zachor. According to the Rambam, havdalah is part of the mitzvah of Kiddush and women are obligated. According to the Orchot Chaim, women are only obligated in kiddush. Havdalah is a time bound mitzvah of motzai Shabbat from ...

Highlights from NOLA: the General Assembly and International Lion of Judah Conference

I never knew it was possible to feel so energized and so exhausted at the same time. I just returned home from the General Assembly (#nolaga) and the International Lion of Judah Conference (#ilojc) in New Orleans, LA. Emily Scheinberg, JWA’s Assistant Director of Educational Outreach, and I spent three fabulous days in New Orleans (or NOLA) making connections, sharing ...

High Shticking: Florida Panthers Give Out Kippahs to Fans for Hanukkah

It’s become expected that there will be some sort of a giveaway at sports events. Fans leave the stadium or arena with everything from posters of the star player to bobble-heads and t-shirts. Every once in a while, a team gets a little more creative.And that’s exactly what happened in Florida. According to Greg Wyshynski in a Yahoo! News article, ...

High Holidays With Rush

I’m going to be heading up to Canada to celebrate with my family, eating a lot of good food and going to a lot of synagogue. Sounds like a normal day to me. But there are other ways to celebrate the day…especially if you aren’t particularly observant (or don’t even celebrate the holiday).This year, VH1 will be celebrating the Jewish ...

High and Dry

Seven years ago, the London Guardian reported about a secret Pentagon report that was suppressed by President Bush, warning that imminent climatic changes and natural disasters will destroy the USA and much of the world, and that large areas will sink under rising seas. Read the entire article here, it’s an eyeopener.For hundreds of years, Kabbalists have been saying that entire ...