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Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu Ruach ha’Olam, borei p’ri ha’eitz. Blessed are You, oh Divine Spirit of the Universe who creates the fruit of the tree.

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The seventh night of Hanukkah coincides with Rosh Hodesh Tevet.  While the new moon and new month has long been associated with women, Tevet is extra special.  In North Africa, Greece and Turkey, Jewish communities celebrate this special night with Chag HaBanot (Festival of the Daughters). It’s the day Esther was taken to Ahasuerus’s palace in the Purim story and it’s when we honor the heroism of Judith in the story of Hanukkah. On Chag HaBanot, women and girls across generations...

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Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife (https://www.keshirahalev.com) offers eight questions to guide us in reflection as we wind down 2020 and look ahead to 2021. Inspired by the great teacher, Rabbi Shammai, who starts Hanukkah with eight candles lit and ends with just one candle, this ritual invites us to count down and release as we move toward (and embrace) the darkest part of the year.  8) What is something you're ready to leave in 2020?  7) What is something you have less...

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Whether you’re spending this Thanksgiving alone or with others, use this blessing to send a message of love and peace to those you care about.    May you feel love and security wherever you go. May you radiate with light and gratitude throughout your days. May a spirit of amazement reside within you always, and may you find peace. (adapted from the blessing for children)

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By Jeffrey Yoskowitz & Liz Alpern If you haven’t made homemade pickles yet, the recipe also works with store-bought sours. Fried pickles make a great hors d’oeuvre, especially with the garlic aioli. Sweet pickles will definitely work in place of sour pickles, but may put your Ashkenazi street cred in jeopardy. Note that a thermometer is important for this recipe. Serves 8  INGREDIENTS FOR THE AIOLI:   1 large egg  1 egg yolk  2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice  1 Tbsp spicy brown...

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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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Birkhat haGomel (Blessing of Gratitude) is commonly said after recovering from serious illness or delivering a baby, but can also be recited in appreciation for completing a dangerous journey. It's usually recited in a group of at least 10 other adults who can offer the response.  First, one person offers this blessing: Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-gomel l’chayavim tovot she-g’malani kol tov. Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the world, who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and...

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Each year, the first time we eat a fruit that only grows at a certain time of year, we say a special blessing, the shehecheyanu, on this new fruit.  בָּרוּך אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וקְִיְמָּנוּ והְִגִיּעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶה Barukh ata adonai elohenu melekh ha-olam, she-hechiyanu, v’kiy'manu, v’higi'anu la-z’man ha-zeh Blessed are You, the One who has kept us alive and sustained us so that we could reach this moment.

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SH’MA KOLEINU Hear our voice, Adonai, our God, be kind, sympathize with us. Willingly and lovingly, accept our prayer. Turn us toward You, Adonai, and we will return to You; Make our days seem fresh, as they once were. Do not cast us away from You; Do not take Your holy presence from us. Do not cast us away as we grow old; Do not desert us as our life ends. Do not abandon us, Adonai, our God, Do not distance...

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Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul. Return to who you are. Return to what you are. Return to where you are born and reborn.

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Roses and Thorns  On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we read the traditional confessional prayer, the Vidui, which has two parts: Ashamnu and Al Chet. Both are written in the first person plural. No matter who surrounds us, we share the responsibility for what we have done wrong and the obligation to do better in the future. Recently, positive versions of the Ashamnu have emerged, helping us appreciate where we have done well in the past year.  Use these modern interpretations...

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Unetaneh Tokef for Black Lives by Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman Each day we hazard our Black lives in the Court of the White World We know our worth Yet the white world is judge-self-appointed We pass before you to be counted 12.5 million bodies stolen 1.8 million mercifully avoided your shores Stolen shores, stolen land 10.7 million arrived unsafely … times 401 years … times infinite human indignities … times ⅗ of a human being We now number 47.8 million In the...

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Though Yom Kippur is a fasting holiday — a day during which we abstain from eating, drinking, and even brushing our teeth or using perfumes — Jewish tradition recognizes that fasting is not a safe practice for all Jews. For this reason, children under the age of 13 and individuals who are pregnant or ill are not required to fast in Yom Kippur. For those who fall into this category, the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services provides a special...

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Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD. They said: I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and might; He is become my deliverance. This is my God and I will enshrine Him; The God of my father, and I will exalt Him. The LORD, the Warrior— LORD is His name! Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into...

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Psalm 118 Praise the LORD, for He is good, His steadfast love is eternal. Let Israel declare, “His steadfast love is eternal.” Let the house of Aaron declare, “His steadfast love is eternal.” Let those who fear the LORD declare, “His steadfast love is eternal.” In distress I called on the LORD; the Lord answered me and brought me relief. The LORD is on my side, I have no fear; what can man do to me? With the LORD on my...

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Psalm 130  A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call You, O LORD. O Lord, listen to my cry; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy. If You keep account of sins, O LORD, Lord, who will survive? Yours is the power to forgive so that You may be held in awe. I look to the LORD; I look to Him; I await His word. I am more eager for the Lord than watchmen for the...

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Many Jewish traditions link water to purification. We ritually wash our hands before meals. We immerse in the mikvah at moments of transition and transformation. And during Tishrei, the month of the High Holidays, we use water to cast our sins away in a ritual called tashlich.  Tashlich is a simple but powerful ritual. Start by finding a large, natural body of flowing water like a lake, river, sea or ocean. If there's fish in the water, even better. Fish getting...