A series of writers answer the question: Do we still know how to atone? My mother said it every year to my sister and me when she was getting us dressed to go to High Holy Day services: “Apologize. Say you’re sorry for all the things you did wrong to each other this year.” Ever…
A series of writers answer the question: Do we still know how to atone? This might be the most beautiful sentence in the English language: “You were right; I was wrong.” Enjoy it now: You’ll seldom hear it again. And you’ll say it even less. Both lapses are unfortunate, but the latter is worse. Because…
A series of writers answer the question: Do we still know how to atone? Atonement, the practice of making amends for one’s sins, is a central component of many religions. Both Catholicism and Protestantism have forms of confession and reconciliation. Even Calvinism, which emphasizes a lack of control over one’s ultimate fate, depends on repentance…
In a few days we’ll celebrate one of the emotional peaks in the Jewish calendar, the twice-yearly proclamation that ends the Yom Kippur fast and Passover feast: Next year in Jerusalem. We won’t mean it literally. For most it’s a metaphorical prayer for a better world, expressing faith that history has direction and meaning, with…
‘I’ve got the apples. Now all I need is you, honey.” Okay, so maybe no one’s using that line. But come the High Holidays there’s more than one reason tickets to synagogue cost so much. It’s the hottest singles scene in town. “When I was younger, my mom and I used to sit in the…
Well, the High Holy Days are upon us once again, and from the look of things, it seems the season of repentance and atonement is going to prove harder than ever to slog through this year. Not that we won’t give it our best. The trouble is, it’s hard to repent effectively when you believe…
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz threatened to cut government funding for Tel Aviv’s bicycle rental service if the mayor does not retract what Katz said was a decision to allow the rental stations to operate on Yom Kippur. Katz said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai was “infringing on the holiest day for the Jews” to gain…
Nothing evokes the Jewish holidays quite the way chopped liver does. It frequently appears at post-Yom Kippur break-fasts and makes eating matzo on Passover somewhat bearable. How chopped liver became a classic Ashkenazi Jewish staple is less clear. The Jews of Eastern Europe and Russia probably ate offal and lesser cuts of meat and poultry…
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