Why Bird Shapes? According to “Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook” (Schocken, 2004), bird-shaped challah rolls, called feygelekh (Yiddish for “little bird”) symbolized “the protection of God’s people as stated in Isaiah 31:5: ‘As birds hovering [over their fledglings], so will the Lord of hosts protect Jerusalem.’” Another interpretation, offered by Linda Burghardt in “Jewish Holiday…
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Books for planning your wedding
There are a lot of books for planning weddings! I’m only going to mention my top favorites. A book aimed specifically at interfaith weddings is, Celebrating Interfaith Marriage by Rabbi Devon Lerner. I wouldn’t be recommending this book if I thought it suggested watering down EVERYONE’s traditions. Rabbi Lerner walks you through the wedding traditions…
Read More »Are you stuck? Uncertain? Trying but not succeeding?
This is a true story. A Jewish man called me because he was worried that his Christian wife couldn’t raise their kids as Jews. He told me that she had promised to do so before they got married but she just doesn’t really know how. He sighed and said, “I guess when I married someone…
Read More »Interfaith/Intercultural Couples Discussion Group
Interfaith/Intercultural couples are usually aware that they will have to negotiate differences in their religions, but they may be surprised by needing to navigate cultural differences regarding communication, parenting, parents, and their definition of community. Make the process easier by engaging with other couples facing similar questions. Create an outline of how to approach a…
Read More »Let’s Go to the Movies!
Time for our annual trek to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival! This year BJB is co-presenting Sleeping with the Fishes. The critics say: Writer/ director Nicole Gomez Fisher’s delightful debut brings this quirky story of a dysfunctional yet loving Latino Jewish family to uproarious life. Get your ticket and join us! We’ll go out…
Read More »Oh Summer!
I am like a kid out of school for the summer – I don’t want to sit quietly at my computer and compose a message to all of you. I want to be outdoors with the bees, chattering birds, my dog and my kids. I am betting you feel the same. Summer is a good…
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