(Photo of Smashed fried plantains topped with Cuban-style pot roast make a perfect Hanukkah appetizer. by Faith Kramer) Hanukkah starts tonight. Christmas is two weeks away. Nothing about our holidays will be the same this year. No big dinners, no parties, not even a cozy coffee with a friend. No shopping, no baking and dropping…
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Rabbi Larry Milder of Beth Emek recently sent this explanation to his congregation. It’s a useful, brief history telling us why we light an additional candle each night of Hanukkah instead of the reverse. Increasing the Light in Dark Times Most Jews are accustomed to lighting Hanukkah candles by adding one candle to the…
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(This article originally appeared in my Mixed & Matched column in the J-weekly on 12/1/15) My mom is Jewish, my dad is Christian. Mom never had much interest in Judaism, and my brother and I were raised secular, with holidays from both our parents’ traditions. I’ve always been pulled to my Jewish side, and I…
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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving – not the way we planned it… but still a great holiday. A few thoughts to get you off on the right foot. If your holiday will not be much fun and you already know that, try to change your own mind. Remember, this is just ONE YEAR, next year you can…
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Dear Dawn: I was raised Reform and fit in fine at my congregation. But at college I met Jews with a lot of religious education, and when they learned my mom isn’t Jewish, they told me that I’m not Jewish — even quoting halachah to prove it. It was incredibly upsetting. I know now that I…
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(This letter originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly on July 7, 2020.) Dear Dawn: I need some objective advice. My husband is Jewish but no longer feels connected to Judaism. He openly states he has no interest in meeting with the Jewish community in our area. I’m a second-generation…
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