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Everything You Need For Hanukkah

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It’s almost Hanukkah! Or is it Chanukkah? Anyway, it’s the Festival of Lights, and you’re rummaging all over the internet for cool Hanukkah crafts, Hanukkah recipes and of course the “how do I light a menorah” question.

Well, look no more, because it’s all here at PunkTorah.

JEWISH LEARNING: First, get in the spirit of Hanukkah by reflecting on our Hebrew month of Kislev. PeelAPom aka Ketzirah has two amazing article: one on Kislev and rededication, as well as the Hanukkiah.

#THROWBACK: Here’s a couple of cool blast-from-the-past media experiences you’ll love: the Chanukkah podcast, and Hanukkah is 62 seconds. It’s old school PunkTorah at our finest (and most bearded).

NOM NOM NOM: Of course, we know you’re here for Jewish recipes. Here’s Garlic Latkes with Fire Roasted Apple Chutney, and Rena’s homemade jelly doughnuts.

KIDS: Make a Hanukkah watercolor lantern to brighten up your home!

DIY PVC Pipe Sukkahs and PunkTorah Retro-Sukkot Videos…It’s A Succos Showdown!

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It’s Sukkot, which means building the ancient Hebrew version of the double wide trailer, probably going to the emergency room when you whack your hand with a hammer, and of course, eating!

Here at PunkTorah, we have all your Sukkot needs taken care of with our Succos Showdown!

Here’s a retro-video of me and Michael building a wood sukkah.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVoAC1asxk4

Of course, you are going to need food. Sukkot recipes abound in our food blog, NewKosher. Try the Pumpkin Au Gratin Soup…it’s delicious.

Of course, we’d love to see YOUR sukkah and Sukkot recipes, so email us your stuff and we’ll post it!

HaShem’s Avatars: Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

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While Shavuot probably deserves the title of Least Appreciated Jewish Holiday among progressive Jews, I’d also like to argue that the trifecta of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah is probably a close second. Sure, some people do the sukkah, but I don’t exactly see my neighbors sleeping in them. Plus, when your sukkah has air conditioning and wifi, you’re probably not roughing it like the Sages taught.

Whatever. People do sukkot on Shabbat and that’s maybe it.

Fast forward to the end of the holiday, and we have this nonsense day called Shemini Atzeret, a day of assembly. No one knows what that’s about, and by now we all have a chagim hangover and are ready to stop being Jewish until Hanukkah season roars its ugly head. Shemini Atzeret ends up on the proverbial dusty bookshelf next to all those Artscroll books people claim they read but don’t.

Then Simchat Torah comes around. Now if you’re part of the Chabad or Young Jewish Professionals crowd, then Simchat Torah is your jam. Because as we all know, Simchat Torah means booze and nightclub parties. It’s like Purim but without the costumes and the pre-game fasting.

If you’re a parent, Simchat Torah can be fun because in mainline progressive synagogues, they always give the little kids stuffed sefer torah and parade around the shul. Though there are some parents I wish were secretly hiding flasks because they might be a little less stressed out.

If you didn’t catch all that, here’s a graphic representation of the feeling of ruach people have about Judaism during this season…

ruach chart

So Rabbi, why should I care about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah? Don’t you realize that I am completely overwhelmed by Judaism right now, and all I really want is to eat shrimp wrapped in bacon and dream of a life that doesn’t resemble Fiddler on the Roof?

OK, fair enough. But here’s another thought.

I think the Jewish tradition’s understanding of holidays is part of what makes the religion unique. Yes, every culture has holidays. But we have a lot, and no holiday is ever given second class citizenship. For most holidays, we have the same level of work restriction as our holiest holiday, Shabbat. That’s a big deal, because Shabbat is a big deal. Think of it this way: you don’t drag out the fancy china for any regular old meal. Similarly, you don’t drag out all the work restrictions, creative customs and dietary laws for any old boring, meaningless holiday.

So why does the Jewish community have such a strong passion for chag? I think it’s because in a sense, our holidays represent different aspects of God’s personality. Every generation senses God in a different way, and that’s possible because God is infinite. But during certain times in history, other aspects of God’s personality appear hidden. I think that the holidays give us an opportunity to see different “faces” of God. And in the case of the end of our festive season, we get to see God through the lens of impermanence (Sukkot), through the lens of God’s love for a gathered people (Shemini Atzeret) and through complete and utter joy (Simchat Torah).

Pumpkins: The Secret to Sukkot

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Sukkot is coming up, and autumn for us is all about the noble pumpkin.

Pumpkin is a squash originating from America. Squash was unknown in Europe until 1492 when Columbus returned. The word squash is of Algonquin origin, a Native American language. Hard shell, mature, yellow-fleshed varieties like turban, acorn and pumpkin often referred to as winter squash. Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, potassium, calcium and phosphorous.

Here’s three great pumpkin treats (two dairy, one parve) that everyone will love. All recipes serve four, so edit accordingly.

CREAM OF PUMPKIN SOUP AU GRATIN

4 cups milk
3 potatoes cut in wedges
4 cups chopped pumpkin
1 tsp sage
½ cup cream
2 tbs parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring milk and 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Add potatoes, pumpkin and sage, season with salt and pepper, cook for 40 minutes on medium heat. Puree. Stir in cream and reheat. Sprinkle with cheese (optional) nutmeg could be used instead. Serve hot.

PUMPKIN WITH ROSEMARY

2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves
11/2 pounds thinly sliced pumpkin
¾ cups white wine
11/2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
salt and pepper

Heat oil, add garlic and pumpkin, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic cloves. Pour in wine, lower heat and simmer until tender. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with rosemary. Continue to cook a few minutes more and serve.

MUSHROOMS WITH PUMPKIN

2 tbs each margarine and olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
21/2 cups pumpkin diced
11/2 pounds mixed mushrooms cut in thick slices
2/3 cup vegetable stock
3 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp oregano

Heat margarine and oil, add onion, Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin and mushrooms, increase heat and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, pour in heated stock and cook until tender. Stir in parsley and oregano and serve.

Yom Kippur Fasting

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food

All anyone ever wants to talk about on Yom Kippur is fasting. Teshuva is iffy. Going without something to eat? That’s a whole other story! So here’s the best that the net has to offer on the subject…at least, that’s what I think.

Why Jews Fast – TheTorah.org
Yom Kippur is about fasting. Or is it? Dr. Rabbi Zev Farber and Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich dispel the myth that Yom Kippur is “the fasting day” by showcasing the interesting diversity of fasting practices in the Biblical and post-biblical periods.

I Didn’t Fast On Yom Kippur – Hevria.com
There are a lot of blog posts about not fasting on Yom Kippur. This is the only one worth reading. You’ll see why after you read it.

Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals – ReformJudaism.org
The lowdown on fasting, yes, but also a good overview of what to expect on the big day.

Written by Rabbi Patrick

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