Holidays

Purim This Week!

This week we celebrate Purim. The holiday begins at sundown on Saturday and most congregations and JCCs will have a Purim carnival or other celebration on Sunday, March 20. I’m listing a bunch of them below. If you don’t see one near you, you can either search for “Purim” and the name of your city…

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Purim For Adults: The Jewish Mardi Gras

Skip the carnival and the costumes, and come for an adult evening celebration of Purim! We’ll gather at 7pm for a brief and boisterous telling of the Purim story (The Whole Megillah), then choose from among several exciting, interactive learning sessions: Persian Food with a Persian Cook The Spiritual Roots of Purim Gender Mysteries from…

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Hanukkah in the Newspaper

Here is an article about Hanukkah in the Alameda Sun. The Sun asked Temple Israel to send them a photo of a child celebrating the holiday. The photo chosen was Kira, the daughter of an interfaith couple at the synagogue. How cute is she?! http://www.alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7871&Itemid=10

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Shavuot

Tonight is Shavuot and study sessions will take place at synagogues everywhere. You can read about the holiday, its history and traditions at www.myjewishlearning.com. Tikkun Leyl Shavuot – A Community-wide Celebration and Night of Study Join in a community celebration and night of Torah study, a spiritual journey bringing together Jews with varied perspectives and…

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Family Friendly Passover Ideas

  Passover with children I got the question: What can I do with my toddler, age 18 months, at the seder?  My answer is, not much.  Feed her, hold her, distract her with toys and put her to bed on time.  There isn’t a lot about the seder that a tiny one can enjoy other…

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Passover as Myth

PASSOVER! Passover – the most observed of all Jewish holidays.  Years ago a Jewish fellow emailed me to say that he had read about a rabbi who claimed that the Exodus never really happened!  Now what, he asked, what if the story of Egypt and the Pharaoh aren’t true?  It doesn’t matter, I told him. …

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