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Enjoy these Purim cocktails created by Deborah Missel in honor of our favorite characters from The Megillah!  The Queen Vashti In a champagne flute combine: 1 TBSP plum jam A pinch of edible gold glitter 1 shot plum brandy Top off with prosecco  The Queen Esther In a cocktail shaker mix:  Ice 1 spring of mint 1 spring of lemon verbena 2 squeeze of lemon juice to taste 2 shots of gin 1 shot apricot brandy 1/4 cup apricot nectar Shake...

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Shabbat. Somehow our ancestors knew, without a scientific study or thousands of retweets, that we humans are hard-wired to need a break.  That’s why the word Shabbat has the same Hebrew root as the word to sit, l’shevet. The ancient rituals of Shabbat gently nudge us to separate from the weekday grind and instead to unplug, notice, reflect and relax.  There’s a belief that we each get an extra soul on Shabbat. A little more spiritual life and breathing room in...

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Recite when seeing large-scale wonders of nature such as high mountains, vast deserts, seas, major rivers, shooting stars and the sunrise:   Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, oseh maasei v'reishit. We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes the works of creation.

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Gratefulness connects us up to the great flow of receptivity and generosity. When we begin the day in gratefulness, we step on to the path of love. מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ רוח חַי וְקַיָּם שֶהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ Modeh ah-nee lifanecha, Ru-ach chai v’kayam, she-hechezarta bee nishma-tee b’chemlah rabbah emunatecha!  I give thanks before you, living and eternal Spirit, for You have returned within me my soul with compassion; how great is Your faith in me!

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Food that is eaten daily can be taken for granted. One of the ways Judaism helps us to keep our sense of appreciation alive is by instituting blessings to be said before and after eating. Wonder or radical amazement is the chief characteristic of the religious man’s attitude toward history and nature. One attitude is alien to his spirit: taking things for granted, regarding events as a natural course of things. To the prophets, wonder is a form of thinking. It...

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יְיָמָלָךְיִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים,ישֵׁב כְּרוּבִים תָּנוּט הָאָרֶץ:יְיָ בְּצִיּוֹן גָּדוֹל,וְרָם הוּא עַל כָּל הָעַמִּים:יוֹדוּ שִׁמְךָ גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא,קָדוֹשׁ הוּא:וְעֹז מֶלֶךְ מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב,אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים,מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב אַתָּה עָשִֹיתָ:רוֹמְמוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו,קָדוֹשׁ הוּא:משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּכֹהֲנָיו וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּקֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ,קֹרִאים אֶל יְיָ וְהוּא יַעֲנֵם:בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם,שָׁמְרוּ עֵדֹתָיו וְחֹק נָתַן לָמוֹ:יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה עֲנִיתָם,אֵל נֹשֵׁא הָיִיתָ לָהֶם וְנֹקֵם עַל עֲלִילוֹתָם:רוֹמְמוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ,כִּי קָדוֹשׁ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ: The Lord reigneth; let the peoples tremble: he sitteth above the cherubim; let the earth be moved. The...

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Take a deep breath. Think about where you were last Friday night. Where were you? How did you spend the evening?  Now, follow the thread from Friday into Saturday, Sunday and through each day of the week. What was something that made you smile? What challenged you? Did you eat something delicious? Did you quarrel with someone? Whatever happened, seal the week with another deep breath and get ready to sink into the comfort of Shabbat.

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ADAMAH VESHAMAYIM Adama Veshamayim, Chom Ha'esh, Tzlil hamayim Ani margish zot begufi, beruchi, benishmati. Heya…heya…heya…heya.....heya Heya…heya…ho….………… Heya…heya…heya…heya.....heya Heya…heya…ho….………… Ani margish zot begufi, beruchi, benishmati. ------------------------------------------- min hamekori: Adamah yeveshah - esh cham Ruach kar - mayim amukim Ani margish et zeh be gufi, Ani margish et zeh benishmati…” (shir asefat keshet)