Author: Meghan Froy

The mishnah on today’s page states: One who did not see the celebration of the place of the drawing water never saw celebration in his days. That’s right, you haven’t partied until you’ve partied in the Temple on Sukkot. The mishnah then describes the bash in lengthy detail: At the conclusion of the first festival day […]

Apple stuffed challah is always a delight for Rosh Hashanah and the high holiday season. But apple stuffed babka is also a perfect sweet treat. In this recipe I combine apples, dates, balsamic vinegar, and spices for a filling. But if you want to eliminate one step, pick up some apple butter or even fig […]

It’s another tricky year for Jewish holidays. Some families will feel comfortable to gather, while others will not for a variety of health and travel reasons. If you won’t be able to be together, bridge the distance by sending a delicious gift to your loved ones. Here are a few sweet gifts we love. Cinnamon […]

A riddle: Q: If God and the Israelites were to play Tic Tac Toe, who would be X and who would be O? A: God would be X and the Israelites would be O. From where do we derive this? From Psalms 29:11, which says: “God gives strength (oz) to God’s people.” This “midrash” is […]

Tinned fish is having a total moment. A relatively recent darling of Instagram foodies — and longtime love of food writers, the tightly packed maritime morsels are finally enjoying their day in the sun after years of being called “gross” and “fishy” by the uninitiated. In her “A Love Letter to Canned Food,” The New […]

Poor Shemini Atzeret. The last of the biblical holidays to take place in the month of Tishrei, it’s the hardest both to pronounce and to explain.  The Torah simply states that after seven days of Sukkot, we are to observe an eighth (shemini) day of atzeret, a word which means either stopping (work) or a […]

We live in a world that seems obsessed with efficiency. Read any business magazine and you’ll encounter discussions of boosting, scaling, streamlining, diving deep, doing more with less, magic bullets, silver bullets, taking things to the next level, trimming fat and fighting that most terrifying of all enemies: friction. Today’s daf offers an important counterpoint […]

This egg and honey challah is epitome of what we’ve come to know as “traditional challah,” light and fragrant with a familiar, satisfying “taffy pull” upon breaking. Note: You can swap active dry yeast for instant yeast in the pre-ferment. If you are using active dry yeast, first dissolve in warm water with a pinch […]

Eggless or “water challah” originated from certain parts of Eastern Europe and is particularly popular in Israel and Brooklyn, New York. It is typically glazed with an egg wash before baking, but a vegan version can be made by substituting the egg with oil or a natural syrup sweetener. I particularly like maple syrup diluted […]

In Neil Gaiman’s 1991 comic The Sandman, the character Death tells the soul of Joshua Norton that “the world rests on the backs of 36 living saints — 36 unselfish men and women. Because of them the world continues to exist.” Thirty-six living saints who sustain the world? Where did Neil Gaiman get that idea? […]