Holidays

Passover – Getting ready

  The Seder Plate You can go here for an online visual of the plate and it’s parts. http://urj.org/holidays/pesach/plate/ The First step preparing for Passover – cleaning In most cultures there is a “spring cleaning” that takes place. For Judaism, it is specifically attached to the commandment to get rid of all leavening and associated…

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Purim Fun

  PURIM! Be Happy! It’s Adar! There are so many fun things to do for Purim – make costumes, bake cookies – and other foods, give food gifts to friends, wear crowns and masks. Lots of playing opportunities for kids and adults. The drinking and carousing should be for the grown-ups, and kept within reason….

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What if my child doesn’t look Jewish?

Last month I talked about raising kids in an interfaith family – will we raise them Jewish or some other religion? One of the concerns that can arise for parents is: How will it feel raising kids Jewish if they don’t “look” Jewish? The first question is – To whom do they not look Jewish?…

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Tu Bishvat

The Holiday Ahead Tu Bishvat (many spellings, same sounds) will begin next Monday at sundown. This holiday is much more widely embraced and celebrated by a younger generation for it’s environmental focus. Tu Bishvat Seder Many years ago I attended my first Tu Bishvat seder led by Claire Sherman, daughter of the legendary Berkeley Jewish…

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Tu Bishvat Seder

  A number of years ago I experienced my first Tu Bishvat Seder. It was led by Claire Sherman at the Berkeley JCC. I loved it. It inspired me to return to my women’s group and start doing seders with them. Below is a seder we created. Copy, borrow, change. Have your own fun and…

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