Every evening for the eight days of Chanukah, Anne Sheela Samuel and her daughter Rivka lit the candles of the menorah. "My son and elder daughter are lighting them in Israel, but our hearts unite when we gaze at the flame," says Anne. Anne is one...
After a difficult year of war, loss and displacement, it was truly hard to imagine how we were going to be able to celebrate our holidays. But the Jewish people are nothing if not resilient. Perhaps we celebrated despite it all. But we weren't going...
Jewish history over the past two millennia is rife with episodes of trauma and tragedy. Nearly every century, it seems, has seen Jews in various parts of the world massacred or expelled, forcibly converted, or oppressed. The litany of horrors is so long, the suffering so...
Five years ago, Yehuda and Chana Honorato, from Bahia, Brazil, sent their children all the way to Israel to study at Yemin Orde for high school. This was not only a major undertaking for the couple, but they were not even Jewish. Yet. But they were...
My name is Eliana, my parents are not Jewish but, somehow, they chose that name without knowing that it would give me this identity that I have today. I am a converted Jew and today I feel that my name cannot be any other. My...
Lag Ba’omer is a minor holiday that occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. A break from the semi-mourning of the Omer, key aspects of Lag Ba’omer include holding Jewish weddings (it’s the one day during the...
Like in previous years, this Passover our communities all over the world enjoyed the holiday, though perhaps more subdued than usual with the very real situation of war in Israel and 133 hostages remaining in captivity in Gaza. Extra prayers were said and empty seats set...
This has been a difficult year for the entire Jewish world. Contemplating a holiday such as Purim, one typically celebrated with such joy, was incredibly challenging while we are in such pain. Many people adjusted the tenor of their celebration, but for most people it...
The Jewish people are going through an extremely difficult time now. But there are some special moments that bring some necessary light to our lives and the last night of Chanukah we had a huge simcha (joy) when our dear Moshe Samuel got married to...
One of the fun things about working with Jewish communities around the world is the holidays. Getting a peek into the traditions, culture, variety and style in each unique community reminds us how there really is “70 faces to the Torah…” – and to all...
