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…)
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…)
The glow of the Hanukkah lights will shortly fill our homes and shine through the windows. The Hanukkah story is a great story with heroes and villains, suspense, and a satisfying ending. Even when the story is modified for young readers, it still retains its majesty and provides many opportunities for reinforcing Jewish values.
This year’s crop of Hanukkah books includes some excellent retellings as well as a look at Hanukkah in settings other than the U.S. There have been several books with interfaith families as the focal point. And there’s a delightful handful of Hanukkah books for adults. (more…)
