We are within The Days of Awe, The Days of Repentance, the days we are supposed to look inside and resolve to be better, to forgive others. To forgive ourselves. It is so easy to forgive others. Everyone has a story, a reason, a pain they cannot deal with, and therefore, are hurting those who…
Author: Blogging Across the Nation
Honey Cakes
Apparently, this year honey cakes are a subject of debate, so I am sharing this Tablet article with you, my readers. I would love to hear what you have to say on this subject. What is your favorite honey cake? Do you even bother to make them and how often? As for me, this…
A Reading Day or Gush Katif Forever?!
Today was a reading day for me. Sometimes, I get to spend a day in bed getting out of it for a glass of water moving about the apartment like a zombie, a pain here, a pain there. No big deal if someone is used to it like I am. Thank G-d, it’s not often…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Ha’azinu / האזינו
This one is a short work week, and with all the holiday cooking and prepping, I do not see a chance for me to write any thoughtful d’var Torah. I have decided to leave you with the words of my colleague, Dr. Ackerman, again, as I don’t think I can say anything better. The only thing…
Another Day, Another Year
So here we are, again, Ready (?) to stand in front of HaShem begging for mercy. אבינו מלךנו – our father, our king – we cry asking for a better year that the one passed. Somehow, the liturgy of the High Holidays always brings me to inner tears. I don’t think I am able to…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Nitzavim-Vayelech / נִצָּבִים-וַיֵּלֶךְ
I am starting this post with tribulation. The reason is that I am not at all sure that the minor event that happened yesterday would be as distressing to my readers as it was to me. I am really curious to see by reactions to this post if I am living in a dreamland, or…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Ki Tavo /כִּי-תָבוֹא
We are commanded to bring the first fruits of our labor “unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there” and speak to our Gd: י וְעַתָּה, הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת-רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-נָתַתָּה לִּי, יְהוָה; וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 10 And now, behold, I have…
A Small Anniversary
Today marks an interesting anniversary for me – it has been three years since I have started this blog sharing first recipes, then a few verses, and finally some of my own thoughts on Torah with you, my readers. I remember after my first week my amazement at the fact that people who don’t know…
Just an Article About Jewish Food
Right when I was giving a recipe for knafe, someone posted an old article from Forward, the paper that I read very rarely as I have lots of disagreements with its usual stand. This time, the article was about food, so I couldn’t possibly pass that over, especially that it was talking about foods mostly…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Shoftim / שֹׁפְטִים
People think about different things when their minds drift away from the task at hand. Being super busy now at work, I somehow still always manage to find my way to Israel in my mind. And today I am missing it so much it hurts. Maybe one of the reasons is that here, in the…
Just One Verse in the Dread of New York Summer
Over Shabbat I was trying to walk. All I could master was a few blocks to Ocean Parkway, where I found no relief and the same few blocks back home. All I could think of was my walk to the Grand Synagogue of Jerusalem two summers ago. The heat was much worse. The air was…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Re’eh / ראה
This is a Parshah of choices. To go right or left. To live or to die. To walk straight or in curved lines. כו רְאֵה, אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם–הַיּוֹם: בְּרָכָה, וּקְלָלָה. 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: כז אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה–אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ, אֶל-מִצְוֹת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם, הַיּוֹם. 27 the blessing, if ye…
Noshing Across the Nation 