The costumes line the streets and Purim is in the air. It’s really one of my favorite holidays, made more so by the preparations for our community’s traditional English-speakers Tzfat Purim shpiel. I excitedly anticipate the unique mishloach manot (gift packages) that my Sepharadi neighbors send – their homemade Moroccan Purim challahs, Djerbian orange-flavored donuts,…
(JTA) — On Mar. 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day intended to celebrate the economic and social advances made by women, while at the same time drawing attention to areas that still need action. It is striking that this year the day falls so close to Purim. The proximity is not lost on…
“It’s hard to imagine that we sold out The Armory!” beamed Claudia Gould Director of the Jewish Museum at its February 26 Purim Ball which raised a record $2.5 million. More than 1,000 festive donors dined on a fabulous meal beneath a ceiling installation of 3,000 T-shirts with such imprints as: “I Love Esther” and…
Mazal Tov! Sara Netanyahu has been crowned Queen Esther of Israel. Eighteen wives of Haredi Members of Knesset penned a letter to Mrs. Netanyahu urging her to use her powers as Queen of the Israeli empire to influence her husband, Benjamin Netanyahu, Emperor of all Israelis. According to Israel National News, the women pleaded with…
Wait, is it Purim already? Not quite yet, but Zach Braff has decided to start spieling early. The “Scrubs” and “Garden State” actor is launching the season of fun with a parody of an ad promoting Yeshiva University. Braff seems to be turning to his Jewish roots for inspiration lately. His next film, “Wish I…
The head of a haredi Orthodox group has called on parents to prevent their children from dressing up as Israeli soldiers for Purim, citing tension over the drafting of yeshiva students. “We are at a time of evil decrees, and dressing up as a soldier in this period does not increase happiness, rather it increases…
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe it’s time to chill out with Halloween, or the “secular Purim” as we Jews call it. Personally, I love all festivities that involve dressing up and getting creative and weird, but I’ve been disturbed of late that the costume trend has gotten both more and more frighteningly…
On the eve of Jon Stewart’s return from his long film-making absence, “The Daily Show” compiles a few minutes’ worth of what they apparently consider his best Jewish routines. (Hat tip to Chemi Shalev for finding and tweeting this.) For my money, though, they left out at least two of his most memorable Jewish bits,…
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