It always seems unusual to focus on food for the outdoor festival of Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, before the start of Yom Kippur. It’s somewhat of a culinary conundrum to be considering menus when … more

It’s tradition! After Neilah services at my synagogue on Yom Kippur, there’s a surge to tables of light fare typically set out by the Sisterhood. Tired and hungry worshippers gather round to gulp … more

Rosh Hashana begins on Friday night, Sept. 11. It’s the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks that rocked America and the world. And it’s Shabbat to boot. That means a trifecta of events … more

Historically, Shavuot is the celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai, beginning seven weeks after the first day of Passover. Agriculturally, it commemorates the time … more

Lag B’Omer (which begins this year on the evening of Monday, May 4) has been extra special for me — I was married on that day, and my wedding anniversaries were always celebrated with a backyard … more

According to a Pew Report, almost 70 percent American Jews — secular as well as observant — attend a Passover Seder to read the Haggadah and recount our flight from Egyptian slavery to freedom. … more

Rebellion was brewing in the Middle East in 165 BCE. The Syrian Greeks, led by their king, Antiochus, had attempted to impose heathen practices on the Jewish population. The practice of circumcision … more

The majesty of afternoon tea. No need to shell out megabucks in a fancy hotel for this refined pastime. Tea time is one of the simplest ways to entertain. It can be casual or swanky, and the guest … more

We are twice blessed. Sukkot, the harvest festival — and sometimes called the “Jewish Thanksgiving” — takes place this year at the beginning of October, and just one month … more

During Sukkot, the weeklong “Festival of Booths,” we celebrate a thanksgiving while eating in the sukkah, often with family and friends. Especially in cities, … more