The Hanukkah story that Jews need to learn
Many of us know the themes of the Hanukkah story: pride in being Jewish; the few against the many; the defeat of our enemy; and the rededication of the Jewish Temple. Or perhaps some...
American Girl doll company sells Hanukkah outfit, part of its cultural collection
American Girl released a new set of doll outfits for various cultural holidays, and it includes a Hanukkah ensemble with a Star of David necklace.
Each “Hanukkah celebration outfit” that is purchased for $36 comes...
Jews and Arabs gather in annual Sukkat Shalom in Judea
Over 100 Arabs and Jews gathered Monday at the home of Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi to put religious coexistence on display on the final day of the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
The gathering was attended...
National Library of Israel releases rare photographs of Sukkot during 1973 war
Nearly 50 years after the Yom Kippur War, the National Library of Israel has released a number of rare photos showing how the festival of Sukkot, or “Feast of Tabernacles,” was celebrated during the conflict, even...
The Value of Your Actions and the Concept of Forgiveness
Dear reader, by the time this piece reaches you, the High Jewish Holy Days will be over.
It is already good enough if they have served as an excuse to meet our dearest after such...
Thousands gather at Western Wall for Sukkot Priestly Blessing
Thousands gathered at the Western Wall on Wednesday morning for the traditional Sukkot Priestly Blessing.
Present for the ceremony were Israel’s Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis, David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, as well as Rabbi...
Snapshots of Sukkot
Sukkot is a week-long holiday in Israel (as opposed to eight days in the Diaspora), with the first and last days as Yom Tov and national holidays in which businesses are closed. This year,...
Sukkot guide to help those at home celebrate holiday
Along with spending time in the sukkah and waving the “Four Species” or “Four Kinds” (etrog, lulav, arava and hadass) a central observance of the holiday of Sukkot is holding festive evening-time celebrations.
Known as Simchat Beit Hashoeva, they harken back to the...
‘If you build it, they will come’: The blessings of the holiday sukkah
Some people take the commandment to beautify a mitzvah very seriously indeed, especially when it comes to their sukkah.
It’s been nearly three decades since Len Upin took brush in hand and, using acrylics, painted a...
Music for Yom Kippur: Kol Nidrei, The History of a Song and a Prayer
Kol Nidrei is an Aramaic phrase which means far more than its literal translation, “All Vows.” This statement of annulment of vows has become such a dominant part of the Jewish religious psyche that it...