Blog

Purim customs from around the world in days gone by.GermanyOn Purim eve, torches containing gunpowder would be ignited. During the Megillah reading, the gunpowder exploded with a deafening noise. They also prepared doll-shaped cakes, called “Haman”. The children would cut off the doll’s head and eat it with great glee.ItalyThe youngsters would divide into two camps and throw nuts at each other. They also placed an effigy of Haman in a high place, and encircled it, to the sound of trumpets.F …

On Seder night, the Haggadah sets the order or Seder of the evening, but foods and traditions vary enormously among different communities. Ashkenazim can’t imagine a seder plate without horseradish, while many Sephardic families use romaine lettuce for maror and celery leaves for karpas. Naturally, foods were often influenced by what was available locally and by regional culinary traditions.My Sephardic mother cooked the eggs for the seder plate in onions skins and added a dash of coffee. …

Tradition has it that you start cleaning for Pesach from after Purim. I start preparing for Pesach from after Rosh Hashana. My early orders for Pesach usually come in the midst of Hanukah.To be inspired I usually go to old Manuscripts of Hagadot for Passover. In the days of travel I went to Sarajevo with Jewish Historical Seminars and viewed the magnificent Sarajevo Hagadah. We had the great fortune of having as scholar in residence Professor Shalom Sabar, who wrote a scholarly …

I love giving gifts. I love making gifts. But most of all, I love giving the gifts I make.I have often wondered why it gives me such pleasure, and what’s the point of a gift?On certain occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and brits, it’s customary and expected to present a gift. Underlying the custom is a purpose: an expression of appreciation or love. We give someone a gift to show that we value the role they play in our lives.When it comes to the gifts they give and get, me …

5 Ways to Support Small BusinessesWondering how you can help as a consumer? Here are some ideas.Many independent businesses continue to struggle, but there are ways to help.In Israel, as in the wider world, owners have creatively come up with strategies to keep businesses afloat, which benefits consumers, proprietors and a neighborhood’s commercial healthThere’s a multiplier effect if you buy from a bakery, a hardware or gift store. Those stores need accountants, they buy from suppliers, a …