Ahead of Pesach (Passover), David discusses how the seder ritual has been diluted by other popular causes and the need to keep it focussed on its original purpose. [Times of Israel]
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What do comedians, horror movies and the High Holydays have in common? All have both theatre and substance. David discusses the challenge of celebrating the High Holydays during COVID when the theatre is absent. [Times of Israel].
As a diehard footy fan, David reminisces in an interview the year when the AFL Finals fell the same day as Yom Kippur. [Plus61J Media, The Age].
About a year ago, I wrote an article in an online magazine considering the differences between the way Chanukah is celebrated in the northern and southern hemispheres. This past summer (northern winter), we were fortunate to have spent Chanukah in Israel, and what an experience that was! For the first few days of Chanukah, we were in Eilat. Coming from the start of an Australian summer, that was itself a bit odd. During the day,…
The chagim are spread widely across the calendar year, with the “major” ones like Pesach and the High Holydays falling usually around April and September. These correspond to the seasons of autumn and spring in Australia, and the reverse in the northern hemisphere. Since the weather is usually ambivalent during those times, and they are close to the equinox, the difference between the experiences in each hemisphere is not great. Chanukah, on the other hand, falls during…
Many of the rituals and activities around Rosh Hashanah are brimming with symbolism. From the round challot symbolizing completeness, to the special foods eaten such as honey cake and apple dipped in honey for a sweet year, and Tashlich, where we walk to the beach and symbolically throw our sins to the sea. Our table on the first night is always adorned with a big fish head, which stares out at me a little disturbingly. It is a…
“This is what Hillel did in the times of the temple: he would wrap the Pascal offering, matzah and maror and eat them all together” (text of the Hagaddah, quoted from Talmud Pesachim 115a) The matzah most commonly used by Jews the world over is flat and crisp (of course how crisp depends on the brand, country of origin, and in some cases, the forearm strength of the Eastern European women in the area). However, this style of matzah is a relatively recent development in Jewish history. Until at least…
We seem to associate Simchat Torah with getting drunk. However, unlike other Jewish holidays (Purim is the most obvious example), there is no imperative whatsoever to imbibe and drink on Simchat Torah. The only mention of the association that comes to mind is that we change around the order of the morning prayer service and move birchat kohanim (priestly blessing) from musaf to shacharit. The reason for this is that on Simchat Torah it is customary to make kiddush after the shacharit service instead…
They call it a day spa for a reason. You are encouraged to take a day off, and immerse yourself in the luxurious environment of the spa. Switch off your mobile phone; leave your Blackberry at the door – communication with the outside world is discouraged. There are no TVs displaying 24-hour news channels, or internet display panels on the walls – the things that constantly bombard us with what is happening in the world…
