The Omer: What Are We Counting? And Why?
Why do we count the Omer? Ask 3 people and you might well get 3 answers. We are counting the days between Pesach and Shavuot, the time we left the […]
May 15, 2025
April 22, 2025
A Holiday for Strays – An Insider’s Look at Jewfolk’s Holiday Matching Program
A friend who has been to two of my Seders says mine is the table for strays. I guess they’re right. And I like it that way. I’m a bit […]
April 3, 2025
How To Manage The Stress Of Passover Kashrut?
Got a question? Fill out this form to submit your anonymous question to be answered in a future column. Dear Miriam, My partner and I are hosting my in-laws for […]
March 13, 2025
How To Politely Turn Down Purim Gifts
Got a question? Fill out this form to submit your anonymous question to be answered in a future column. Dear Miriam, My synagogue is a place where people tend to […]
March 5, 2025
Purim – It’s Not What it Seems
Like Tu b’Shvat, which I wrote about last month, Purim also suffers from the image of being a pediatric holiday. Purim is fun. We give and get gifts of food, […]
December 16, 2024
The Perfect Latke
This column is going to be controversial. Sorry. Not sorry. In my opinion, you are probably making latkes wrong. It’s not your fault. This time of year, EVERYBODY is telling […]
December 13, 2024
Six13 Wishing Everyone ‘A Wicked Chanukah’
A capella group Six13 has chosen two songs from the cultural phenomenon Wicked for the group’s annual Hanukkah song. The group used the well-known hits Defying Gravity and Popular to […]
November 28, 2024
Why Does My Jewish Child Want An Advent Calendar?
Got a question? Fill out this form to submit your anonymous question to be answered in a future column. Dear Miriam, My daughter has asked for an advent calendar this […]
October 16, 2024
The Diversity of Occasions In Judaism Provides a Breath of Fresh Air
Of all the Jewish holidays, Kol Nidre services are by far the most popularly attended in most communities around North America. There is something especially grand and awe-inspiring about the […]
October 14, 2024
Israeli Street Food in the Sukkah
With the solemn holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur behind us, it’s time to start planning the celebration of Sukkot – Z’man Simchatenu – Time of our Rejoicing. This […]