King Ahasuerus: Foolish Puppet or Malevolent Despot?
Some characters in the Purim story are transparent: Queen Esther is good Mordechai is good Haman is bad But what about King Ahasuerus? Most of us remember the story of […]
March 11, 2025
March 11, 2025
Purim – It’s Not What it Seems
Like Tu b’Shvat, which I wrote about last month, Purim also suffers from the image of being a pediatric holiday. Purim is fun. We give and get gifts of food, […]
February 11, 2025
Tu b’Shvat Is Not Just for Children: Mushroom Walnut Loaf with Mushroom Gravy
Tu b’Shvat, which begins Wednesday evening, Feb. 12, is a beautiful holiday that offers deep meaning to us personally and as a people. Sadly, its celebration is often limited to […]
February 5, 2025
Passover Seder Matching 2025
The annual holiday tradition we all love! TC Jewfolk’s holiday matchmaking is live to help you find a Passover Seder in your area or to let you invite guests to […]
December 24, 2024
Hanukkah Miracle Latkes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Delicious
I grew up in a big family that has always entertained a variety of eaters. At holiday meals, dishes would be organized buffet-style into sections labeled “kosher,” “vegetarian,” and “heathen.” […]
December 12, 2024
Six13 Wishing Everyone ‘A Wicked Chanukah’
A capella group Six13 has chosen two songs from the cultural phenomenon Wicked for the group’s annual Hanukkah song. The group used the well-known hits Defying Gravity and Popular to […]
October 15, 2024
Israeli Street Food in the Sukkah
With the solemn holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur behind us, it’s time to start planning the celebration of Sukkot – Z’man Simchatenu – Time of our Rejoicing. This […]
October 14, 2024
Honest Instructions for Building a Sukkah
Welcome to the season of Sukkot, a time of family, community, and the realization that you have 3.5 days to build a hut on your lawn. So pull out the […]
October 13, 2024
Everything You Need to Know About Sukkotgiving: Discover the Joy of This Unforgettable New Fall Tradition
The leaves are starting to change, the kids are settling into their school routines, and as American Jews, we’re stepping right into a cozy yet oh-so-very busy season. This may […]
October 11, 2024
Watch Your Words
During Yom Kippur we confess almost 200 times in our prayers to sins connected with our speech. Out of the 44 sins in the “Al Cheit” prayer, 11 are associated […]