Georgia legislative candidate Nathalie Kanani risked offending Atlanta-area Jews when she took out a Passover ad that featured a loaf of challah which was decidedly leavened. In Connecticut’s Fairfield County, a bunch of spoiled rich Catholic high school students proclaimed “at least we are not Jews.” [Bruce Ticker}
The giant Roaring Lion, about 24 feet in length, approximately 10 feet at the shoulder, stood on a 10-foot stone and sand platform. The powerful sculpted lion is the biggest in the Middle East. [Jerry Klinger]
The Roaring Lion of Ofakim Read More »
animals, Israel, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Crunch, crunch, crunch. Most people are looking forward to returning to eating chametz and saying goodbye to the matzah. [Cailin Acosta]
Moving from matzah back to chametz Read More »
Cailin Acosta, California, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
In the USSR, the main character of jokes that mocked the Jews was Rabinovich. This surname came to embody the typical Soviet Jew. [Alex Gordon]
The burden and delight of carrying the name ‘Rabinovich’ Read More »
Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & SatireOne, Two … forty-nine. Counting the Omer. Last night, we began the first day of counting the Omer. This leads up to the night before Shavuot, when the Jewish people received the Torah and celebrated freedom from Egypt. I have an app that I download every year, which reminds me to say the blessing, so I don’t miss a day. [Cailin Acosta]
Seven weeks of counting starts now Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and FoodThe Seder plate and its meanings: Typically, the Seder plate contains six symbolic items that represent the Passover story.
Meaning of the foods on the seder plate Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
By Betzy Lynch in La Jolla, California Every day at our JCC, I have the gift of witnessing incredible educators share knowledge, curiosity, interpretation, and genuine connection. Many of these educators have been formally trained and are intentionally tasked with creating optimal learning environments and delivering curriculum with skill and care. This includes our early
‘Make for yourself a teacher’ and that could be your seder guest Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and FoodI don’t sell my items since I limit what we buy when Passover comes around, so it is just a few things that are opened to add to the fire. [Cailin Acosta]
Burning chametz: A family affair Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
New-Russia: Images from a Journey offers remarkable snapshots of the Soviet Union during a brief but revealing historical moment. The book captures the Soviet experiment as it was still taking shape. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Book Review: ‘New-Russia: Images from a Journey’ Read More »
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Day 27 of the US/ Israel War with Iran … An IDF soldier was killed on the northern front, the third member of the Israeli military to have fallen in this war. … Israeli media: Negotiation positions of US and Iran are so far from each other that agreement is virtually impossible. {Press Release]
Middle East war update: March 26, 2026 Read More »
Travel and Food
“The continuous immigration of Jews choosing to come to Israel, even under rocket fire and despite the many challenges, is a powerful source of strength for the State of Israel,” said Ofir Sofer, Minister of Aliyah and Integration. [Press Release]
40 North Americans immigrate to Israel despite war with Iran Read More »
International, Israel, Press Release, Travel and Food, USAWhen I get to the plagues, we go out to the backyard. I write out the plagues with bags of items for all of them. Plague 1: Water Turned to Blood; I put a glass of water and a glass of pomegranate juice. Plague 2: Frogs, I have a bag of plastic frogs that we throw into the air. Plague 3: Lice, I have bags of white rice we throw at each other. … [Cailin Acosta]
What does a vegan seder look like? Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
At its core, Passover is not about what happened once. It is about what must be recognized again and again. The command at the heart of the holiday is not simply to remember, but to remember as if you yourself had been enslaved. This is not historical education. It is a transformation of perspective. It refuses the distance that allows us to say: that was then; this is now. Instead, it insists: the structure of that experience still concerns you. [Sam Ben-Meir]
Passover and the unfinished work of freedom Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Sam Ben-Meir, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and FoodBipolar disorder is considered a mood disorder that affects emotions, with an up and down challenge of managing situations. Many suffer from extreme highs of mania for periods of time and extreme lows of depression for periods of time. [Cailin Acosta]
Bipolar affliction affects Jewish community Read More »
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