Parashat Vayechi: King David's lesson in leadership
King David’s final words are not a farewell. They are a summons. A summons to responsibility, to faith and to moral resolve.
Jewish Holidays
Hanukkah 2025: From Hellenism to today’s culture wars
Hanukkah 2025: The power of the invisible
From golems to Horton to banana menorahs: This year’s Hanukkah kids’ books light up the imagination
How beautiful are illuminated ‘Megillot Esther’
Medieval megillot were beautifully illuminated. Why? Because God’s name is not mentioned.
From the Frontlines to the Megillah: Jewish soldiers celebrate Purim in Kyiv
As ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia continue, a group of Jewish soldiers took a moment from the frontlines to celebrate Purim with the Jewish community.
Purim's eternal message: Protecting humanity's moral fiber and maintaining hope
The clouds of confusion will clear, sanity will replace lunacy. The hypnotic spell of postmodern confusion will be broken. What has happened before will happen again. Just read the story of Esther.
Purim: Asking without logic
On Purim, let us rise above logic. Let us stand before our father in heaven and cry out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
Triple Purim: How Jerusalemites celebrate this year’s three-day extravaganza
This year, the festival is extended to three days in walled cities – adding the day before and the day after – giving rise to what is commonly known as Purim Meshulash, or “triple Purim.”
When the world turns upside down, rabbis can help us keep our heads on straight - opinion
In uncertain times, rabbis provide guidance, connection, and resilience—helping Jewish communities navigate chaos, identity, and moral challenges.
Role reversal, effigy burning, and cultural syncretism: Purim in Cochin
The unique Purim traditions of Cochini Jews have slowly faded from memory following their arrival in Israel and integration with the wider Jewish community.
Passover requires tons of eggs, so what's a Jew to do amid the avian flu?
This year, eggs are in short supply because of the spread of avian flu, which has required producers to slaughter 150 million birds in the last two years.
Hanukkah: The history of the menorah and hanukkiah seen in ancient manuscripts
The tradition of building up to lighting eight oil lamps (plus one shamash, or servitor) over the Hanukkah period began in the 2nd century CE.
Hanukkah: ‘The fragrance of paradise’
During Hanukkah, the days of light triumphing over darkness, as the small flames illuminate the night, let us remember the fragrance of paradise that exists within every Jew, no matter who they are.
