In Arkansas
Jewish life in Arkansas began in 1825 with the arrival of Abraham Block to the town of Washington in Hempstead County. For Block and his family, however, it was a very lonely Jewish…
Lag Ba’omer
The period of mourning* (for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died of plague) associated with Sefirat Ha'Omer is not observed on the 33rd day of the Omer, a day known…
A Kosher Buffet
While it seems a bit counterintuitive to have a day celebrating abundant eating the day after a national holiday, nevertheless, January 2nd is celebrated as “Buffet Day.” The concept of a…
The Trouble with Double
For some sisters who are particularly close, the idea of a double wedding may seem a romantic dream. Indeed, parents of such brides might contemplate such a wedding as an excellent means…
Potential Energy
Parashat Ki Tavo begins by juxtaposing two important agricultural laws. First (Deuteronomy 26:1-11), the Torah instructs the Israelites to bring bikkurim, the first fruits…
Brides and Grooms
Go out of your way to gladden brides and grooms at their weddings and the subsequent celebratory week of Sheva Brachot.
Resuming Normalcy
With Tisha b’Av and its restrictions behind us, we can now resume our every-day lives.Tradition teaches that the enemies of Israel lit the Holy Temple aflame at the very end of the 9th of…
The Three Weeks
“When Av enters, we must lessen our rejoicing,” declare the Talmudic sages in Ta’anit 26b.In truth, however, this period of "sadness" begins on the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz (observed…
A Different Set of Loaves
There are several well-known connections between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The most obvious of these is that the celebration of Shavuot is dependent on the count…
Lag Ba’omer
The period of mourning* (for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died of plague) associated with Sefirat Ha’omer is not observed on the 33rd day of the Omer, a day known…