Holiday | Arizona Jewish Life

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Hundreds of Jewish Communities Around the World to Host “Hanukkah Homecoming”

With people eager for community experiences, more than 300 congregations, JCCs, Federations, schools, camps, independent minyanim and Jewish organizations are mounting gatherings this Hanukkah marking a worldwide rededication of relational communities. Under the banner, Hanukkah Homecoming, events around the world are being held onsite and online November 28 – December 5, 2021, inviting those engaged and those…

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The Evolution of Hanukkah

By Rabbi Jeffrey Schesnol All Jewish holidays have changed over the centuries. Their histories reflect the changes in beliefs, lifestyle, and socio-economic-political circumstances of the Jewish people. Originally, Hanukkah, which means dedication, was only a Maccabean holiday to celebrate the defeat of their Seleucid overlords and reclaimed the sacred Jerusalem temple and their rededication of…

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A year full of holidays

(Note: Jewish holidays start at sunset the evening before the first day of the holiday) Hanukkah Nov. 29-Dec. 6, 2021 The flames on the Hanukkiah brighten each of the eight nights of the festival of Hanukkah. The holiday celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, Jewish military leaders who rebelled against the Greek-Syrian King Antiochus, who…

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Preparing for Yom Kippur: How to make your fast as pain-free as possible

By Whimsy Anderson, N.D. Every year we hear suggestions intended to help people have an easier fast on Yom Kippur. Many of the suggestions can be quite helpful; others are not. This year I have decided to compile a list of what I hope will be helpful suggestions based on a naturopathic medical perspective. Before…

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An Apple a Day for the High Holidays

What comes to mind when you think of the “forbidden fruit” described in the Garden of Eden – the one that Eve is said to have eaten and then shared with Adam? If you guessed an apple, you’re probably wrong. In the Talmud, when listing the possible “fruits” that may have been products of the…

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Conversation Starters for Your Rosh Hashanah Table

The Jewish Future Pledge is a worldwide movement inspiring Jews of all backgrounds to commit that from the charity they leave at their passing, at least half is earmarked to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel. The Pledge is not a fundraiser for a specific Jewish organization. It is a moral commitment…

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Jewish immigrants taste Gefilte Fish for the first time

Photo: Bnei Menashe immigrants in Shavei Israel’s absorption center in Achziv tasting a gefilte fish for the first time. Photo credits: Laura Ben David, courtesy of Shavei Israel. More than 500 Bnei Menashe immigrants from India, descendants of a lost tribe of Israel who made aliyah over the past year, are gearing up for their…

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Should Jews Become Vegetarians at Rosh Hashanah?

By Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. Rosh Hashanah is the time when Jews take stock of their lives and consider new beginnings. Perhaps the most significant and meaningful change that Jews should consider this year is a shift away from diets that have been having devastating effects on our health and the health of our increasingly…

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How to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot like a true Israeli

Photo: One way or another, the holidays are all about food. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90 By Naama Barak You’d think that with summer finally being over and the kids firmly placed back in school, life would be back on track here in Israel. If only. This is because we’re gearing up toward one of the…

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OU Women’s Initiative Launches Program for High Holidays

The Orthodox Union’s (OU) Women’s Initiative has launched its virtual Yemei Ratzon program offering ideas and inspiration in preparation for the upcoming High Holidays. The program offers shiurim by world-renowned Torah scholars and a month-long learning series on Teshuvah, Tefillah, and Tzedakah. The shiurim series features a series of lectures on Selichot night August 28:…