How enriching to live by two calendars! However, it’s also confusing: try to explain the Jewish calendar and the secular calendar and their relationship to the moon and the sun.
Just as our two calendars are entwined, the stories of the U.S. and Israel share common points of contact. (more…)
There are still a few days left for Passover meal preparation. And there must be stray matzah sitting on the counter waiting for a way to be used.
Matzah pizza is a favorite of families. The key is to lightly brush the matzah with oil, then put a layer of cheese, followed by the sauce and more cheese if you wish. You can add herbs, tomatoes, olives or other items. This technique should prevent the matzah from getting soggy before it crisps up. (more…)
Are you looking for ideas for your seder? Are you bored with your haggadah because of the dated language? Is the text too long for your family? Do you need something more family oriented? Are you seeking seder energy?
Come to the Lampert Library and take a look at our selection of Passover haggadot. There are long ones- and short ones; beautifully illustrated ones and very plain ones; thematic texts and traditional texts with no off topic references. (more…)
What’s a hero or heroine? Shortly we will be celebrating the story of a quintessential heroine, Esther, also known as Hadassah. She exhibits so many qualities of a heroine from her initial reluctance to get involved to her final confrontation with the villain. Heroes are not always brave-at least not at the beginning of their journeys: heroes overcome their fears to undertake difficult tasks, often ones that they are totally unprepared for and challenge authority. How much more difficult it must have been to be CHOSEN as queen than to be BORN to take that role. (more…)
As one might expect, a Judaic library has a large number of books about the Holocaust, which has cast its shadow over almost every event in modern Jewish history.
On January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day will be marked by a decree of the United Nations. This date is not arbitrary for it commemorates the day 80 years ago in 1945 when the Red Army entered Auschwitz, where more than 1.1 million Jews were murdered. (more…)
