Evergreen
Why Tisha B’Av is Not Really About Mourning
The practices associated with this holiday are closer to the experience of being a refugee than to being a mourner.
By the Rivers of Babylon We Remember Zion
This famous psalm is read on the eve of Tisha B'Av and sets the tone for an emotionally challenging holiday.
When Prayer Fails Us
Tisha B'Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, is testament to the failure of prayer to avert national catastrophe.
Six Arguments for Jewish Peoplehood
A sense of collective identity among a group as diverse as the Jewish people isn't easy to come by, but the notion may still be worth holding on to.
What Happens at a Yom Kippur Break Fast?
Transitioning out of the Day of Atonement — and back to food.
What Happens on Erev Yom Kippur, the Night Before the Holiday?
Rituals for entering the Day of Atonement.
Symbols of Rosh Hashanah
Visual symbols of the Jewish New Year include the shofar and apples and honey.
The Prohibition Against Studying Torah on Tisha B’Av
Why would learning sacred Jewish texts be forbidden on this day of fasting and mourning?
The Book of Eicha: Faith in a Whirlwind
At the core of Lamentations is an expression of faith in the human capacity to survive in a broken world.
The Secret to a Fabulous Hora
How to ensure the traditional Jewish wedding dance is a continuous stream of joy, and not a log jam.