Sigd, The Ethiopian Holiday

While most of the Jews of Ethiopia–the Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian community is properly called, have made aliyah and rejoined the global Jewish community, they have their own unique…

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Isaac, Son of Abraham

Born to aged parents (Sarah was 90, Abraham was 100), Isaac was Abraham’s sole heir. This meant more than inheriting his wealth, it meant becoming the leading advocate of monotheism.…

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Request Wisdom and Guidance

The decision whether to use diplomacy, prayer or action or all three is not an easy one. Consider approaching a rabbi to seek wisdom and request guidance when faced with a particularly…

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These Lights We Kindle

While the mitzvah of lighting the menorah is an outward-focused mitzvah – the menorah is lit in a window or doorway – it is also an opportunity for personal reflection on the deeper…

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The Chanukiyah

The term “menorah” is used for both the classic symbol of the holiday of Chanukah and the great seven-branched candelabra that was built in the wilderness following explicit Divine…

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Chanukah Yum

While Jewish holidays are known for their food (except Yom Kippur, of course), most of them are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget matzah or…

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The Tenth of Tevet, Asarah b’Tevet

And it was in the ninth year of [King Zeddekiah’s] reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth (day) of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, came, he and all his legions, upon…

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Rights in Connecticut

At the time that Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, the fifth state of the United States was not particularly welcoming to Jews or anyone else who was not…

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A Jar of Manna

As discussed in this week’s Torah Portion, parashat B’shalach, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, there were few things more miraculous than the manna, the food from heaven…

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Everyday Miracles

While the manna that descended from heaven was certainly miraculous, recognize how many miracles occur all around us on any given day. The manna that the Jewish nation received each day…

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