Teaching Children about Asking Forgiveness (Slicha): A Shaboom! Discussion Guide for 4-7 year olds and their parents, with accompanying video

VISIT THE SYNAGOGUE SANCTUARY TO LOOK AT THE ARK AND THE TORAH SCROLLS. Ask a rabbi or other authorized person to take a Torah from the ark and show it to you. If you do not have a real Torah available to you use a miniature one that has Hebrew writing. Look at the beautiful cover on the Torah. It is called a mantle. It is there to protect the Torah scroll. See how the Torah is rolled up. Look at...

Apples and honey: For Ash­kenazi Jews, these words are an inseparable pairing. We dip a slice of apple in honey to express our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year. Why were apples and honey chosen for this custom? It’s not because of what Adam and Eve did in eating from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden; the Bible never identifies the forbidden fruit. More likely, apples were selected because in ancient times they became a symbol of...

Recipe by Chef Katie Simmons Fill your kitchen with the comforting aromas of fall. This healthy recipe is gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, and vegan, and it easily adapts to a single serving or a huge batch. Kids love diving into their own individual apple! Make this recipe during Rosh HaShanah, when we traditionally eat apples, or save it for your sukkah during Sukkot. It's also perfect (and healthy) for an autumn Shabbat brunch.  INGREDIENTS 8 small apples, any variety 3/4 cup thick-rolled...

Recipe by Paige Erlich I love cooking and hosting events so much that I’ve turned it into a side hobby, sharing my favorite recipes and hosting tips on Instagram at @PaigePlates. When hosting Shabbat dinner or picnicking in the park with my friends, I’m particularly fond of sharing charcuterie or cheese boards, which are fun to both make and eat. And while they’re so beautiful that they always look impressive, they’re fairly easy to assemble – especially with a little bit...

As a people with agricultural roots, Jews have found many ways to mark the seasonal and environmental changes that occur throughout the year. Sukkot has numerous other themes and areas of focus that encompass seasonal, historical, and theological perspectives. It is among the festivals that fall in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, emphasizing not only the cycles of the earth, but also the cycles of Jewish life. (The other holidays in Tishrei are Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Simchat Torah.) Sukkot...

“Rejoicing in the Torah” doesn’t require us to find joy in every verse.     It doesn’t mean that we concur with every choice made by the people in it. It doesn’t demand that we defend the indefensible or excuse the inexcusable.     It doesn’t imply that we should be happy about passages that break our hearts. Rejoicing in the Torah is found in the freedom to study it when, where, and with whom we wish.     We experience happiness with it when we wrestle...

Moroccan-Inspired Vegetable Couscous By Tina Wasserman This Moroccan-inspired dish is a perfect way to reap the bounty of wonderful vegetables available during the Sukkot season. It also makes a beautiful, edible centerpiece for your dinner table in the sukkah. Ingredients 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 medium onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces 2 carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce 3/4 cup dark raisins 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste...