Holidays

Food

Time-Honored Tradition of the Big Deep-Fry

By:

Linda Morel, JE Feature

So, how did fried foods become entwined with Chanukah's culinary history? It all started some 2,100 years ago, when the Greek king of Syria, Antiochus, occupied Israel. During his reign, the Jews and their customs faired poorly. When one of his officers arrived in a town outside of Jerusalem, he demanded that the Jews take part in a Greek ceremony...

Chanukah

Brand New Spin on an Old Game

By:

Rachel Levy Lesser, JE Feature

Ten years ago, Daniel Singer was playing the traditional game of dreidel at a Chanukah party, and he thought that there just had "to be a better way for adults to play a holiday game with their children." The monotony of the old game was "worse than Candy Land," thought Singer, a project manager at a telecommunications company by day...

Columns

Chanukah: Transforming It Into a 'Snow Day,' When Time Stands Still

By:

Miriam Peskowitz, JE Feature

You might think I'm here to tell you to give fewer presents this year. I am, after all, the author of books that remind us of the simple pleasures, and suggest what to do with baking soda from the pantry and white paper from the closet. Add that to the current economic climate, with nearly everyone still reeling from the...

Food

Just in Time for the Holiday: Foods That Look Like Little Torahs

By:

Louise Fiszer

BEYOND CHICKEN SOUP Small lit candles inserted into red apples that perched on top of handheld Israeli flags constitute fond memories for me of Simchat Torah. Along with other members the junior congregation, I danced joyously in synagogue, waving those flags to commemorate the gift of the Torah to the Jews. But whatever did happen to all those apples? I'm...

Food

Something Warm and Savory for the Season

Sukkot's out, Simchat Torah's in. Festive meals incorporate traditional fare, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables. The Jewish Holidays Cookbook by Jill Colella Bloomfield offers these two recipes for the holiday of Simchat Torah. If you have the time and energy, make them with your kids. They're sure-fire hits! Pumpkin Soup (Dairy) Pumpkin soup is a terrific dish. Add...