What’s with all the milky food on Shavuot?
I love cheesecake! Who doesn’t? And blintzes too. Shavuot is famous for the traditional dairy foods we enjoy on this lovely chag. It’s only one day in Israel and two in the Diaspora, but on...
Central Shavuot text ‘all about kindness,’ says rabbi who published Arabic book of Ruth
This Shavuot, those interested can follow along during the reading of the book of Ruth and take in quotes like “Your people are my people, and your God is my God” in Arabic. That’s...
Joy on Jerusalem Day as tens of thousands march in capital
Celebrations were underway across Israel on Thursday for Jerusalem Day, the national holiday commemorating the city’s reunification in the Six-Day War.
The main feature of the celebrations is the annual flag march in which tens...
Shavuot events range from ‘Tootsie Roll Torahs’ to opera concerts
Celebrations are planned across the United States for Shavuot—the two-day holiday that begins on the evening of May 25 and marks the receiving of the Torah during the revelation at Mount Sinai. Tradition also...
Remains of the day: Cheese, in all its glorious forms
According to tradition, Shavuot—the two-day holiday that begins on the eve of the evening of May 25, the sixth day of the Jewish month of Sivan—marks the Israelites’ receiving of the Ten Commandments at...
Montenegro Jewish community to inaugurate Torah scroll on Lag B’Omer
During Lag B’Omer last year in Montenegro, which is roughly east of Rome across the Adriatic Sea, the Jewish community was eager to gather around a bonfire and put the pandemic behind it. This...
Feasting and feting Israel at 75
While platters of falafel, pita and Israeli salad adorn many a table on Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) in homes, synagogues and Jewish schools—a nod to Israel’s well-known cultural foods—the celebration of Israel’s hard-won...
Omer counters blend space and time, past and present
Tobi Kahn grasps an asymmetric block of wood in both hands. He turns the piece, a fluid combination of angles and curves painted a rich metallic pewter, to reveal the base: a perfect rectangle,...
Israel commemorates fallen heroes as state marks Memorial Day
Israel began marking Memorial Day on Monday night as a one-minute commemorative siren sounded across the country.
Fifty-nine Israeli soldiers fell in the line of duty in the past year, and an additional 86 disabled...
Yom Ha’atzmaut echoes in ‘The Mandalorian’
Eagle-eyed fans of the Disney series “The Mandalorian” and television writers have noted several instances when the show (the third season ended on April 19), which develops characters similar to those in “Star Wars,”...