I have a friend who collects haggadot (the plural of haggadah). She’s always looking for new and interesting ones for her collection. That means finding those with either beautiful illustrations, contemporary readings or new commentary. I don’t think of myself as a collector and have tur…
Wikipedia defines the discipline of food studies as “the critical examination of food and its contexts within science, art, history, society and other fields. It is distinctive from other food-related areas of study such as nutrition, agriculture, gastronomy and culinary arts in that it te…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
When I was a child, noodle kugel was the ultimate comfort food. In fact, I didn’t realize there was any other kind of kugel until I was far into my adult years. Certainly no other kugel ever appeared on our dinner table. In fact, it’s still difficult for me to t…
One reason to read historical novels is to gain insight into our ancestors’ lives. Of course, it’s impossible for authors to completely rid themselves of contemporary notions and totally understand the sensibilities of those who lived centuries ago. However, written works from those time…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
On her website, www.KidBess.com, Bess Greenberg describes herself as a “professional basketball player turned documentary photographer, turned curator, turned visual artist, turned musician.” What do all these different activities have in common? During an e-mai…
