Life lessons

Yiddish is a unique blend of Hebrew, German, Slavic, and Romance languages, with roots in the Ashkenazi Jewish world.  It is a rich and expressive language in literature, music, art, dance, and theater exploring Jewish life and culture.  Many artists grew up speaking Yiddish in their homes, and some wrote or performed in it.  Think of such diverse talents as Isaac Bashevis Singer, Sholem Aleichem, Franz Kafka, Sarah Bernhardt, Itzhak Perlman, Mandy Patinkin, and Mel Brooks.  And let us not forget Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Dr Ruth Westheimer, and that famous Shabbos Goy - Elvis Presley! It has had a significant impact on the...

Honestly, the concept for this post came from the idea of taking a vacation, which leads to "where to", which leads to "I wonder if there are any interesting Jewish historical sites to see there." Having been an Art History major (with architecture being a particular love of mine), this is not an unusual rabbit hole for me to fall into. Whether in person or virtually, if we're going to be traveling, why not take a look at some beautiful and historic synagogues around the world? Aside from the home, the most important symbol of Jewish life is the Synagogue, where...

The United States was the first country where Jews were granted citizenship on par with everyone else., But even more importantly, the Constitution itself was distinct in that it created a secular state, a place that did not incorporate religion into its official identity. Everywhere Jews had lived, their religion had marked them as outsiders. In Europe, where the Catholic Church held sway, Jews were sometimes tolerated as tax collectors and money lenders, and therefore necessary to make the economy work. But just as often, they were persecuted as Christ-killers, forced to live in ghettos, or expelled, as happened in...

~ The Rosh Hashanah Cliff Notes ~ What is Rosh Hashanah?Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish celebration of the New Year. When is Rosh Hashanah?Rosh Hashanah takes place on the first day of the Hebrew month Tishrei. In the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei is the seventh month of the year. What does Rosh Hashanah mean?The literal translation of "Rosh Hashanah" is "head of the year." Why is Rosh Hashanah important?Rosh Hashanah begins the leadup to Yom Kippur, some of the holiest days in the Hebrew year (known as "Days of Awe"). Rosh Hashanah celebrates God's creation of humankind and is sometimes viewed as...

Jewish tradition ordains that girls automatically reach religious maturity at the age of twelve. But historically a girl’s transition from child to adult was not marked communally, either in or outside a synagogue. Women had no part in the public reading of the Torah, except as listeners, segregated in the women’s gallery. Thus, when bat mitzvah emerged as a regularized rite in the Jewish lifecycle of a girl, the procedure varied from synagogue to synagogue and evolved over time. For American Jews, this process famously began in 1922 (two years after women were guaranteed the right to vote in the...