Some hopeful Jewish converts may expect that becoming Jewish is as simple as voicing your desire, but the process is much more complex. Judaism is not one movement with a...

Challah (braided egg bread) is one of the most popular Jewish foods. This braided bread is eaten by Jewish people on Shabbat, the weekly day of rest, and many other...

Before every Shabbat dinner comes a special, Friday night ceremony that ushers in this sacred time. Its three blessings transform the evening from an ordinary Friday night into a holy...

A conversion to Judaism is one of the most significant events in a person’s life. It isn’t a small decision that’s made spontaneously. For most Jewish converts, the process takes...

Getting Ready for Simchat Torah Simchat Torah caps off the Sukkot season and marks something distinct: the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the start of a brand...

Sukkot commemorates the temporary shelters the Israelites lived in during their 40 years in the desert after leaving Egypt. It marks the start of fall and the new Torah-reading cycle, observed by building a temporary outdoor hut (sukkah) with at least 2.5 walls and a roof of branches or plant material (schach) open enough to see the stars.

Building it takes four steps:

1. Pick the spot — outdoors, fully open to the sky (no trees or overhangs), built after Yom Kippur, with a stable, reinforced frame.
2. Add the walls — at least three kosher walls (the third can be partial), fabric stretched and secured starting right of the entrance.
3. Add the roof (schach) — support boards across the frame, then kosher branches/mats laid over them, shading most of the space.
4. Finish and furnish — check structural safety (especially on balconies, and around electrical lines), decorate only once stable, then set the table — candleholders, kiddush cup, and challah cover for evening meals, plus a honey jar and conversation cards to carry the hospitality and conversation through the week.

Every day, people are coming up with new ideas to help us digitally detox. Influencers sell 21-day detox challenges, therapists recommend putting phones in another room before bed, and tech...

A new year calls for a celebration, and the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, is no exception. Rosh Hashanah celebrations look a bit different than secular new year. Rather than...

Each year, Jewish people eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah and wish one another a “shanah tovah u’metukah,” or sweet and good new year. But why has this combination...

Graduation season is a time for gift giving. But rather than adding another cash-filled envelope to the pile, give a Jewish graduation gift that says so much more. It’s a...

It’s sundown on one of the most important evenings of the year for most Jewish families. Among the beautiful spread of mouthwatering, festive dishes on the Rosh Hashanah table, you’ll...

Modern Jewish living isn’t about doing it perfectly; it’s about making it yours. Whether you’re bringing back Friday night dinners, finding your footing in a Jewish family, or quietly finding...