During these unprecedented times, music helps us heal and hope and express. If you are home with little ones, music of all kinds can both soothe and celebrate life. With “Al Kol Eleh,” a song by Naomi Shemer, we can simply listen. Or we can use the song as a springboard for discussion. And we can even embrace it more deeply by learning how to play it on an instrument or memorize the lyrics to sing it. In our family, we used to sing this song as a special Rosh Hashanah treat, because of the concept. The first verse reads: Al hadevash v’al ha-oketz – over the honey and the (bee) sting … [Read more...]
How to Have a Fun Rosh Hashanah Dinner
If synagogue services are part of your Rosh Hashanah experience, you will have plenty of visual and auditory drama. The sound of the Shofar blast. The Torah scrolls dressed in white. The pews filled to capacity. New this year! Downloadable Rosh Hashanah Bingo Game - great fun for 2-year-olds to grandparents! You can also make your Rosh Hashanah dinner at home full of spectacle - and fun. Shofar blowing For the past several years, we have been using Bugles as pretend shofars (shofrot). Each year, our daughter gives us all a quick refresher on each type of shofar blast, then calls out for … [Read more...]
Post-Hanukkah Treats for Yourself
Now that this year’s Hanukkah celebration is a lovely memory, it’s time to pack away the menorahs and munch on leftover chocolate gelt or turn it into spiced hot cocoa. How about giving yourself some treats that will enrich you in 2018? Here are some suggestions from some of my favorite Jewish creatives. Sweet Noshings. New Twists on Traditional Jewish Desserts The amazing Amy Kritzer, creator of WhatJewWannaEat.com, wrote this book to give us updated ways to look at classic recipes. If you love to bake, your family will be so happy you got this for yourself! Recipes include … [Read more...]
F.I.N.D.S* – Alicia Jo Rabins
Happy 2016! As we dive into the new year, we often think about resolutions - next year, I want to exercise more, learn more, spend more time with the kids. if you're pondering exploring new music -- always an interest of mine -- let me introduce you to Alicia Jo Rabins. Last summer, I took a chance on the first-ever “Lunch and Learn” session offered by Jewish Women’s Archive* led by Education Program Manager Etta King and Alicia Jo Rabins. The subject: Ruth and Self-Revelation. I loved her blending of exploration of text about Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi with four Rabbinic … [Read more...]
Hanukkah 2015 – Share Your F.I.N.D.S
As we move into the last weekend of Hanukkah, when lots of families are planning parties and gatherings, let’s share: what are the best Hanukkah menorahs, recipes, and adventures that you discovered this season? For us, a F.I.N.D is a Fabulous. Intriguing. New-to-me. Discovery. Gecko Menorah We discovered this adorable gecko menorah at FairTradeJudaica.com that simply tickled our grandsons! (In 2016, we will do a full post about this wonderful organization.) What amazed me was that our 3-year-old knew it was a gecko when he pulled it out of the box! One note: we learned right away … [Read more...]