Category: Science and Health

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 […]

 Ivory Coast begin vaccinating health workers in the commercial capital Abidjan against Ebola on Monday after a case of the deadly virus was confirmed over the weekend. An 18-year-old woman tested positive on Saturday after traveling by bus to Abidjan from neighboring Guinea. It is Ivory Coast’s first confirmed case of Ebola in 25 years. […]

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? […]

We’ve probably all tried various versions of lekach AKA honey cake over the years. And while this iconic Rosh Hashanah treat has, for many, dictated dessert for generations, it’s often a disappointment: dry, crumbly and/or underwhelming. I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve met a couple of lekachs I’ve liked, but never one I’ve loved.  This […]

 According to legend, one of the reasons for the heavy defeat of the French army in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 was the fact that Emperor Napoleon III was suffering from gallstones.  The emperor had nearly total autocratic power and was the head of the army. The effects of the gallstones were excruciating, debilitating pain, […]

Sukkot practice looked pretty different in Temple times. The fourth chapter of this tractate, which began with a mishnah at the bottom of yesterday’s page, fleshes out some of the unique Temple rituals. Back when the Temple stood, the four species, the lulav and etrog were paraded around the altar as part of the elaborate Sukkot celebrations. In addition, part of the celebration involved […]

As a rabbi and mother of two preschoolers, I am constantly observing and expressing gratitude for the development of my children. I praised the first time my youngest opened his eyes to look at me and the world around him. I praised the first time my eldest figured out how to control his own hand. […]