jewish holidays Archives

Last summer, against our better judgement, my husband and I decided to pile into our family minivan and drive from Maryland to Massachusetts. Overnight. We climbed into the front seats at 6 p.m.,… foolishly optimistic that a near-bedtime departure would bring smooth, sleepy sailing for the three tiny, gleeful vacationers buckled in behind us. But there were so, so many things wrong with this plan. By 10 p.m., everyone was still wide-eyed. Our snack supply was nearly depleted, we’d cycled through every CD multiple times, and we were… >> Read More

politics

Dreading My Facebook Memories From Election Day

Naomi Greenfield

Thanks — or no thanks — to Facebook’s “On This Day” feature, every day this past month, I’ve been reminded of memories that go straight from my computer screen to a pit in my… stomach. On this day last year, I was at the Hillary for America campaign headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire, picking up a canvassing packet. On this day last year, I was with my 6-year-old daughter, waiting in line for four hours to see Hillary and Elizabeth Warren. And then one I woke up today: On… >> Read More

jewish holidays

The Jewish Holiday With a Surprising Lesson About Independence

Rachel Sharansky Danziger

When I was a child, Lag B'omer was one of my favorite holidays. We started preparing for the bonfire we had weeks in advance. My sister and I would head out on longer and longer scavenging strolls… through the neighborhood, developing stamina (and collecting blisters) as we climbed over walls and crawled under fences in search of dry wood. Then we marched home with our findings, sweaty, scratched, but puffed with pride. In between these walks, we spent hours devising ways to hide and guard our spoils from the older kids in… >> Read More

Tu Bishvat

The Jewish Holiday Where We Can All Be Like the Lorax

Jordana Horn

Tu Bishvat always struck me as a Jewish nursery school-friendly holiday. “It’s the birthday of the trees,” my little kids have told me, showing me their dot paintings of trees, stenciled… leaves, et cetera et cetera. I mean, great—I have nothing against trees. I like trees. Happy birthday, trees. (I recycle all artwork.) (Just kidding!) (Am I?) The Mishnah actually says Tu Bishvat is more of the New Year for the trees. I live in the cold Northeastern United States, where the trees are still very… >> Read More

Hanukkah

This ‘Gelt Digger’ Hanukkah Sweater is Horribly Offensive to Jewish Women

Molly Tolsky

Sigh. Just when you think that only good old-fashioned fun can come from browsing Hanukkah sweaters online, you stumble upon one that makes you cringe with its gross, offensive stereotyping of Jewish… women. Is nothing sacred anymore? Tipsy Elves, the popular purveyor of "ugly" Christmas and Hanukkah sweaters, has really crossed a line with their women's Gelt Digger Hanukkah sweater, which brings up all those fun tropes of gold-digging "Japs," now with a bonus holiday twist! If the sweater alone doesn't get to you, the product description from the… >> Read More

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