1Mar 29, 2016
By Rabbi Yehudi Shurpin, Chabad.org What comes to mind when you think of Purim? Costumes, the megillah, gift baskets, and of course, those delectable three-cornered pastries, hamantaschen. Called oznei Haman in Hebrew, these treats filled with poppy seeds (or other fillings) have been a part of Purim celebrations for centuries. Where did they originate? What do their names mean? And why are […]
2Mar 22, 2016
On the surface, the Book of Esther reads as a fable of sorts, filled with drama, suspense and a happy ending. However, keeping in mind that it was written under the rulership and scrutiny of the Persian King, care had to be taken to tell the story without offending sensibilities. A secret tradition passed down […]
3Mar 16, 2016
Your bread is flat, hard, thin and, probably, burned. It’s called matzah (also spelled matzoh, matzo, matza, etc.), and you think you’re eating it because when your ancestors fled Egypt over 3,300 years ago, they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. But is that really the reason? Probably not. Here’s why: 1. Raised […]
4Jun 26, 2015
I’m a major foodie — I love to eat and I love to cook. Now, before I learned that I have Jewish heritage and started living a kosher lifestyle, I was just like every other goyim (gentile) out in the rest of the world. By that I mean that I would eat both clean and unclean foods. […]
5Apr 2, 2015
Passover this year is Friday, April 3 – Shabbat, April 11, 2015 The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we […]
6Mar 24, 2015
The religion of Islam has as its focus of worship a deity by the name of “allah.” The Moslems claim that allah in pre-Islamic times was the biblical God of the Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. The issue is thus one of continuity. Was “allah” the biblical God or a pagan god in Arabia during pre- […]
7Mar 12, 2015
What is it? What is it rooted in? Who started it? All good questions, and I’m sure there are many more, but I’m not going to answer every one because I can’t. I’m still learning about Messianic Judaism as I’m a wee bit green on the whole thing, but I’ve already gotten a firm grasp […]