By Orit Arfa, JNS For most Jews, a sukkah conjures a booth with canvas or wooden walls, and bamboo or some sort of foliage on top as schach . Sarah Sassoon, 42, had a very different experience. … more

S ukkot is akin to a Jewish Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving in America, no matter religion or background, families and friends come together to celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., … more

Earlier this month, Royal Auction House in Toms River, NJ, sold an 1806 illustrated, handwritten Tashlich guide for $5,000. Last month, Appel Auction in New York offered but didn’t sell a … more

“The One who answered Joseph in jail, He will answer us.” So reads one of several imprisonment references in Yom Kippur prayers, in line with the themes of judgment and atonement of the … more

One of Jerusalem’s most iconic religious traditions is the custom of writing prayers on scraps of paper and placing them in the cracks of the Kotel. Visitors of all faiths leave thousands … more

I first met Alon Shaya when he was a lanky, handsome youth at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. He radiated excitement and enthusiasm. He was a student in one of the finest … more

It is now time to switch gears from summer relaxation to the holidays, which are mostly on weekends this year, with Shabbat adding to the cooking challenges. My beloved grandmother cooked so … more

This June, I was privileged to hear an American lieutenant-general studying at the Israel Defense College speak about American patriotism and the lack thereof. He said he was saddened that he … more

Fun (and some bonfire smoke) filled Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park on Lag B’Omer. Fun in the park continues this Sunday, 12:30 to 5 pm, at the annual Kulanu Fair. more

Of the three major festivals on the Jewish religious calendar, Shavuot is the shortest, with a one-day observance in Israel and two days in the Diaspora. However, when we consider that this holiday … more