Like Israel? Then Support Israeli Artists by Seeing the Voca People! To Boot, It’s One of the Top Shows Ever

Like Israel? Then Support Israeli Artists by Seeing the Voca People! To Boot, It’s One of the Top Shows Ever Read Post »

Shabbat-Friendly Foods for the Newbie

When you first begin observing Shabbat, the food issue can be the most daunting. How do I cook for Shabbos without cooking on Shabbos?? For a long time, I didn’t eat hot food on Shabbat. (That’s ok, but be prepared for karaite jokes!) If you’re not ready to tackle the crockpot, hot plate, or blech,

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Slichot in a Nutshell: Everything You Need to Know for the High Holidays

I hadn’t planned to write about slichot for another week or two, but apparently Sephardi custom is to say Slichot for the entire month of Elul. That means they start tonight. Or so I think. Ask your rabbi. Ashkenazim should begin saying slichot on Saturday night, September 24, 2011. Since it’ll be after midnight, it

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What Does “Bentch” Mean in Jewish Life?

Bentch is a very commonly-used term, but it can be hard for people to understand since it sounds exactly like the English word “bench.” So today, we’re gonna bentch licht, bentch gomel, and bentch after dinner!   Bentch (pronounced like and sometimes written as “bench”) is the Yiddish word for “pray.” It’s a verb. “Bentching”

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What You Should Know Before Going to Your First Orthodox Shabbat Dinner

What You Should Know Before Going to Your First Orthodox Shabbat Dinner Read Post »

What Is Elul and Why Does It Matter?

Tonight begins the two days of rosh chodesh Elul, the new month of Elul. (Don’t get confused. Tonight starts the last day of Av, and tomorrow night starts the first day of Elul. Both days are rosh chodesh Elul. That’s two-day rosh chodesh for you!)   Elul is the last month of the Jewish calendar, as

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Me, Myself, and Irene

I thought I was done with hurricanes when I left South Carolina, and done with earthquakes when I left California. This week has been devoted to proving me wrong. New York City saw an earthquake earlier this week and will soon deal with at least a category 1 hurricane. Excuse me while I go batten

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The Only Cholent Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Shabbos Cholent really isn’t hard to make.  Open your fridge. Is there food in it? Good. You’re on the right track already. Put your crockpot on the counter. If you’re really fancy, put a crockpot bag in there to make it easier to clean up. If you’re not so fancy, you can spray some Pam

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Phrase of the Day: Bentching Gomel

Bentching gomel is a special prayer that allows you to thank Hashem for delivering you from danger. (Imagine being at a football game…”Go, Mel!” It doesn’t rhyme with camel.)  You must have actually been in danger. Close to danger isn’t enough. You have defied death, so now you should thank Hashem in public during the Torah

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UPDATED: Your Community Standards v. Travel

What happens when your community standards (which are either halacha or custom) are not the standards of a place you travel to? Let’s discuss some examples (this is not exhaustive): You live in the diaspora, so you celebrate an “extra” day of yom tov for 8 days of Pesach. You travel to Israel, where Pesach

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