Matzah, or unleavened bread, is the traditional food of Passover. As the story goes, the Jewish people were in such a hurry to leave Egypt that they did not have time to let their bread rise, hence Matzah. Today, Anna went with her class to bake matzah at a local event sponsored by Chabad. There are often events like this in major cities or Jewish centers throughout the country around this time - check your local Jewish paper or online for information.

Matzah needs to be made in a certain way, with restrictions on time and ingredients and other... more

The holiday of Passover is many people's favorite on the Jewish calendar by far. The celebration is centered in the home, rather than the synagogue. We hold a seder - literally translated as "order" - really a lengthy ceremonious meal. It is customary to invite friends and relatives, and we are encouraged to share our seder with non-Jews as well. We are also directed to ask questions as to why we do certain things - most famous are the "Four Questions" (Ma Nishtana) that the youngest present asks, but all who are at the table are encouraged to ask their own questions, or add their own words of Torah. Traditionally, we follow along with the hagadah, which outlines the different parts of the... more

The holiday of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is rapidly approaching. There are four weeks between the holiday of Purim and that of Passover, and every year it seems shorter than it actually is. Passover actually starts long before it appears on the calendar with Biblically mandated Spring cleaning. Theoretically, we are cleaning our homes of all leavened things (bread, crackers, cheerios left in the cracks of the sofas) but most people seem to take it a bit further, ensuring that the entire house is thoroughly cleaned before the holiday.

We have a small house and growing family. Actually, I just blame them. The real issue... more

Purim, as I have discovered, is both the best and absolute worst holiday for a four year old. Anna had an amazing time dressing up as Queen Esther, going to synagogue to hear the Megillah and making noise when the villan Haman's name was read. And then she came home.... and the wonderful baskets of mishloach manot started to arrive. And then more came. And more. And soon, our dining room table was teeming with goodies from our friends in town. Usually we deliver our own around town also, but we got lazy this year and took up our synagogue on their offer to distribute on our behalf (for a donation). So, Anna - who is usually out making rounds with my husband delivering our goodies to our friends... more

One of my favorite holidays - Purim - is fast approaching. Purim is a great holiday on the Jewish calendar - it's happy, festive, and yet not filled with the traditional restrictions that come with other holidays (i.e. no work, no driving, etc. Similar to Shabbat). There are four mitzvot (commandments) that accompany the holiday of Purim -

-- Hear the Megillah. The Book of Esther is read Purim night and in the morning (remember that Jewish holidays go sundown to sundown). The book tells the Purim Story which took place in Persia under King Ahashverosh. It's a great story to share with children, and although we celebrate the miracle... more

Although many - if not most of us - are aware of the traditional Passover seder, the concept of a seder for other holidays is relatively new. Perhaps because the seder works so well that over the years new customs have developed which have included seders for other holidays. The word "seder" means order, and while there is a standard seder as well as a standard text that is used for the Passover holiday, the seders that have evolved for other holidays are not carved in stone, not obligatory, and quite easily tailored to your individual situation. I found... more

I came across this article for Tu B'Shvat at the Jerusalem Post. It has good advice for the holiday and general common sense as well. Excerpts below, full article can be found here.

With Tu Bishvat around the corner, parents are advised not to give nuts or seeds, both traditional holiday foods and both of which pose a choking hazard, to children under five. With an undeveloped swallowing reflex, small bits of hard foods can slip into the trachea instead of the esophagus, says Dr. Oded Poznanski, a senior emergency department physician... more

Tu B'Shvat is the next holiday coming up - it begins at sundown on February 2nd and ends at nightfall on February 3rd. Tu B'Shvat literally means the 15th day of the month of Shvat, and is known as the new year for the trees, or sometimes the "Jewish Arbor Day," though I don't personally care for that term.

From Judaism 101:

Tu B'Shevat is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. See Lev. 19:23-25, which states that fruit from trees may not be... more

Something that came across my desk - if you'll be in the New Jersey area, this looks like a good event to attend. More information at the Rutgers website.

The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life invites you to:

The Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights A symposium addressing contemporary issues of genocide and human rights in Rwanda, Armenia and Darfur

Panelists Manus I. Midlarsky, Rutgers University Eric Weitz, University of Minnesota Helen Fein, Institute for the Study of Genocide, John Jay College of Criminal... more

Here, in our neck of the woods, it's been unseasonably warm all throughout the fall and the bit of winter we've had so far. And I don't like it one bit. Really. One of my favorite parts about living in this area of the country is the changing seasons. We had neighbors growing up who moved to California. When they came back to visit, they said they missed the changing of the seasons the most. I love to watch the leaves change color - every year I say I'll go up to Maine or New Hampshire to go 'leaf peeping' or something. But then I realize that it's just... more