If I would have written this title a mere six months ago, many of you may have questioned my pairing of two entities that hold such polarizing places within us as Jews. For much of the past several centuries, Ukraine was a hotbed of antisemitism with Khmelnytsky as a revered folk hero. There is still …
By Robin Jacobson. Here are two unusual – and terrific – crime thrillers to jumpstart your summer. For a comic, warmhearted romp, try The Prison Minyan by Jonathan Stone. Want a darker, more complex tale? Read How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek Miller. The Prison Minyan This delightfully original, witty novel …
By Robin Jacobson. Every day, children benefit or suffer from their parents’ choices. Such is life, and such is the stuff of literature, especially when a parent’s options are radically shaped by societal upheaval. Two recent, thought-provoking novels trace the far-reaching consequences of parents’ choices during tumultuous times: More Than I Love My Life by …
This was the first Beth El Religious School retreat in two years, so it’s kind of a shame there aren’t too many pictures. (Shabbat) And since we went two years with no getaway, we decided to pack in 3 grades at once! The 4th/5th graders were in one residence at the end of the campgrounds …
Tomorrow is the beginning of Purim, and it could not come at a more somber time. Millions of people are fleeing the Ukraine and seeking shelter in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, and even in Israel. The Joint Distribution committee has set up a full scale operation on the Polish border to help refugees escape …
By Robin Jacobson. When it comes to Passover children’s books, you could cover a Seder table many times over with wonderful choices. Here are five favorites, a mix of new and older titles, starting with ones for the youngest Pesach celebrants. Dayenu! A Favorite Passover Song by Miriam Latimer (ages 1 and up, 2012) This …
While Beth El already has a strong security culture , the recent hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas prompted us to do a full review of our protocols. We conducted an updated security survey in partnership with a private security contractor, a crisis management expert and former Israeli Defense Forces officer. They …
When I was about fifteen years old, my father took me to buy tefillin. An older teenage girl at my school showed me how to wrap tefillin one day at morning minyan. I can still remember that she taught each step with clarity and kindness: first, tightening the knot around my bicep; next, wrapping seven …
Inhabited for millennia, Israel sits atop layers upon layers of a rich, buried past – long irresistible to archaeologists. For a lively, colorful history of archaeological expeditions, read Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City by Andrew Lawler, an acclaimed science journalist. And then, for a fictional perspective on an archaeological …
I’ve never hosted a hot chocolate party before. It seems like it should be easy. You just take a few kumkum-hotpots full of water, then dump half a container of cocoa mix into the reservoir, and bada bing bada boom, hot chocolate coming out of the spout. Oops, but someone left a hotpot on “boil” …
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