I heard a talk a while ago around the idea that Judaism is a religion where time is the most important thing. Now someone just told me he heard a talk where the rabbi said that the most important moment of the week is the moment when we go from week day into Shabbat. Our [...]
Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category
The most important moment of the week
Posted in Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Spirituality, Tradition and customs, tagged jew, jewish, judaism, sabbath, shabbat, shabbos, time on October 8, 2009 | 3 Comments »
A letter to the Jews in Vancouver
Posted in Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Humour, israel, tagged fasting, israel, jerusalem, vancouver, yom kippur on September 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Dear Vancouverite Jews,
I’m stuffed. It’s only 10am there. You’re very hungry and still have many hours to go of your Yom Kippur fast. I am happy I moved to Israel.
Love,
Deena
Yom Kippur uninspired
Posted in Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Spirituality, israel, tagged gmar chatima tova, inspiring, israel, jerusalem, jewish new year, repentance, teshuva, tshuva, yom kippur on September 27, 2009 | 3 Comments »
It’s interesting to me (though not surprising) that these High Holidays, my first in many years in Jerusalem, are turning out to be the most uninspiring.
I dunno… Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are too overwhelming for me. I really just don’t feel the strength to try to make it meaningful because every time I start [...]
Israel, for better and for worse
Posted in Community, Contemporary, Deena Levenstein, Holidays, israel, tagged aliyah, culture, eretz yisrael, israel, israeli culture, israelis, jerusalem, jewish, rosh hashana, shofar on September 21, 2009 | 17 Comments »
Today, Monday, is the first day of the rest of my life, even though I arrived here three days ago. Friday was the eve of Rosh Hashana – the Jewish new year – and so I got a grace period during which I got to enjoy Jerusalem at its best.
And yet, as I sit here [...]
What I love most about being Jewish: VI
Posted in Holidays, Michael T. Pullen, tagged jewish, jewish holidays, Succoth, top 10 things about being jewish on June 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Succoth.
This is got to be one of the best holidays ever. First, it is in the fall. What is better than fall in New England. Second, you build and decorate a Succah. What is more fabulous then the physical act of doing a ritual? It is like a long meditation on the fragility of life [...]
Things in Judaism we don’t mess with
Posted in Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Mitzvot/Mitzvas, Torah/Bible, Tradition and customs, tagged commandments, Jewish tradition, judaism, mezuza, mitzvot, sefer torah on June 3, 2009 | 10 Comments »
It’s fascinating to look at Jewish practice and see which practices a large majority of Jews generally don’t mess with. I know it’s far from written in stone (unlike the tablets?) but it’s a feeling of, if you’re going to do it, do it right. Or maybe it’s the idea of, I’m Jewish, I’m going [...]
Rebbecca, the Jehovah’s witness and me, the “chosen people”
Posted in Anti-Semitism, Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Terminology, tagged jehovah's witnesses, missionizing, mount sinai, shavuot, the chosen people on May 28, 2009 | 14 Comments »
I suddenly was hit with an epiphany.
I think that a lot of us more “modern,” “progressive” Jews cringe at least a little when we think about the idea of us being the chosen people. It doesn’t seem very fair and it does seem a little haughty. I’ve always had a little bit of an issue [...]
Goodbye Pessach, hello Omer
Posted in Deena Levenstein, Holidays, Mitzvot/Mitzvas, tagged guilt, jewish thought, judaism, Passover, pessach, sefirat ha'omer, shavuos, shavuot on April 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
No, omer isn’t my friend (though I’m sure he’s a great guy). It’s the counting we do from the beginning of Pessach until Shavuot. The one where we celebrate receiving the Torah. No no, not that other holiday where we celebrate receiving the Torah – the one called Simchat Torah. This one, Shavuot, is the [...]
Breakin’ Pesach Mimouna style
Posted in Holidays, Michael T. Pullen, Tradition and customs, tagged breakfast, chametz, Mimouna, Peasch on April 16, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Yay – its time to dream of the lovely chametz I get to eat at the end of the day. I get to leave the desert and walk around in the nice cool grass. Oh and tonight I am breaking Pesach with some chocolate sweets.
I have been invited to a Mimouna. I have not done [...]
