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18 Mouthwatering Grilled Cheese Recipes for Shavuot
18 Mouthwatering Grilled Cheese Recipes for Shavuot Most Jewish holidays have their own food traditions… apples and honey, for Rosh Hashanah, fried food for Hanukkah, fruits and nuts for Tu B’Shvat,...
View ArticleRuth… In Other Words
Last summer, when I joined Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel (ASBI), the local Modern Orthodox synagogue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, I discovered a multi-denominational congregation that, if not...
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VIDEO: How to Make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Challah
Have you ever stared at your delicious Friday night challah and thought, “Wow, I bet this would be delicious stuffed with cheese, brushed with melted butter and parmesan and then dipped in tomato...
View ArticleChallah Panzanella Salad Recipe
Panzanella salad is about as classic summer (and Italian) as it gets. Day-old, crusty bread takes on a new, fresher life when paired with juicy summer tomatoes, veggies and a light dressing. There are...
View ArticleVIDEO: How to Make Noodle Kugel Four Ways
Of all the kugels out there–potato, broccoli, sweet potato, and even carrot kugel–sweet noodle kugel is by far my favorite. Some are studded with raisins and cinnamon, some with dairy, some with...
View ArticleVIDEO: How to Make Bourekas
Bourekas are a Sephardi, and more specifically Turkish, treat coming from the word borek which means pie. They are often made with phyllo dough and can be shaped in a variety of ways. In Turkey they...
View ArticleDon’t Just Mark the Jewish Holidays, Mark the Jewish Intervals
The Jewish calendar is a bit interesting since we also live on Gregorian time. The fact that it is a lunar-based calendar means that every year the Hebrew dates shift vis-a-vis the “regular calendar”...
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Tres Leches Cake Recipe for Shavuot
Cuban cuisine may boast some outrageously flavorful and delicious savory dishes, but I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to our desserts, the list is short and sweet. Sure, we have our...
View ArticleSalonican Shavuot Traditions
Next week, as Jews celebrate the festival of Shavuot the ancient Hebrew words of the Book of Ruth will be read out loud around the world. Among Sephardic Jews, there are many additional traditions that...
View ArticleThe Spirituality of Volcanoes
While perhaps we are more familiar with the destructive nature of earthquakes and hurricanes and tornados, since they occur more frequently and make the national news more often, I have come to...
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27 Shavuot Recipe Ideas
Shavuot, the holiday known for blintzes and cheesecake and all things creamy and cheesy, begins at sunset on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. If you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll love our recipes for cheese and...
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Prayer & Mourning
Yesterday, like many others in our community this month, I marched in a Pride Parade. The day began with the cheers of the crowd, the release of rainbow confetti, and a group of 50 LGBTQ and ally Jews...
View ArticleHow Should We Write About Tragedy?
Heartbreaking news from the U.S. Violence against gays. The worst mass shooting. Hints of international terrorism. How should my fellow spiritual writers and I respond? Should we write prayers?...
View ArticleOur Bat Mitzvah Celebration With The Community
We live in a provincial community in the UK and like in many provincial communities, attitudes towards women’s involvement in Jewish life tend to be quite conservative. I have had to admire Jewish...
View ArticleWhy Do So Many Jews Ignore Shavuot?
Shavuot has become the Rodney Dangerfield of Jewish holidays. It gets no respect. Maybe even worse than not getting the respect this holiday deserves, it is often completely ignored by the Jewish...
View ArticleNeighbors and Strangers
I received a hate call two weeks ago. It came right after I had had the honor of offering an invocation at our local Memorial Day celebration. The gist of my prayer was people died for freedom, and as...
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How I Spent Shavuot In An Airport
“I am now officially in hour 37 of trying to leave Minneapolis,” I texted ISJL CEO Michele Schipper at seven on a Tuesday morning. I had already missed a full day of work, and was apprehensively...
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Matcha Cheesecake for Shavuot? Yes, Please
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, I flew from Vancouver, BC to the Okanagan to visit my parents at SilverStar Ski Resort. I had hoped to squeeze in one last ski weekend before the season ended. Little did I...
View ArticleThe Scroll of Boaz
Over two and a half millennia ago, the People of Israel already harbored a deep enmity towards the People of Moab. The Book of Numbers (chapter 25) implicates the women of Moab in seducing the...
View ArticleWhy Jewish Time Still Matters In The Age Of Covid-19
Today marks the end of the most prolific counting of days in the Jewish calendar. S’firat ha’Omer, the Counting of the Omer, consists of a seven-week period from Passover to Shavuot. It is a poignant...
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