Sukkot: A Celebration of Thanksgiving and Reflection A Time-Honored Tradition Sukkot, the week-long fall harvest festival for Jews, has been celebrated outdoors for thousands of years. At its core, the festival commemorates the Israelites’ nomadic life in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt. To honor this history, Jews build and dwell in a man-made […]
The Reason Jews Shake the Four Species on Sukkot Arguably the most obscure of Jewish customs is the gathering of the “four species” – a closed date frond, some myrtle boughs, a few willow twigs, and shaking them vigorously together with a citron fruit on Sukkot. The ritual is typically performed during the entire week […]
The Mysteries of Kol Nidrei: Exploring the Meaning and Controversy A Jewish Ritual for Spiritual Reflection and Transformation Kol Nidrei, a central prayer recited on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has been the subject of controversy and interpretation for centuries. This ritual, accompanied by a poignant melody, serves […]
Philosophizing Shavuot: Examining the Celebration of Torah As the Jewish people commemorate Shavuot, a holiday that marks the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, it is a time of celebration and reflection. This holiday is not only a time to rejoice in the gift of Torah but also a time to take action to […]
