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#ThrowbackThursday Adventures In Online Passover Shopping

April 2, 2015 By punktorah

Hi guys! Did you miss me as much as I missed you? I bet you did.

This being my first real life Passover, I wanted it to be killer rad. Like every other holiday I’ve tried to make special, something weird happened in my life that’s forced me to re-evaluate the approach I wanted to take on said special day. This time it was school, teething babies, and blah blah blah. Life guys, it gets in the way of all the fun stuff huh?

I didn’t want to fully disappoint you all though, so I got to thinking. What makes Passover awesome? Well other than all the obvious things, it’s probably Matzah. Right? No. Well, I think it’s kind of cool, and I couldn’t be FULLY alone, because here in this lovely post I’ve put together a whole bunch of random things people put matzah on and sold to other people. Maybe it’s [Read more…]

Recycled Tzedakah Box

December 3, 2012 By punktorah

One of my favourite things to do is make items that we will actually use. Not only is it a great opportunity to learn about different traditions, it also fills the little ones with pride to see their very own creation being used over and over again.
One item we use every day is the tzedakah box. It is easy to make your own from recycled materials that you probably already have at home.

You will need:

An empty container with a plastic lid
Paper
Decorations like stickers, sequins or buttons
Glue
Scissors
Glitter glue

Start by measuring your container and cutting your paper to the right size, it should fit around the container and cover any writing.

Let your little one write the word tzedakah onto the paper in Hebrew letters, don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be perfect!

Now you can decorate your tzedakah box in any way you like. We decided to stick blue and white sticky buttons onto [Read more…]

Beaded Pipe-Cleaner Star of David Craft

November 29, 2012 By punktorah

This easy Chanukah decoration is great for even the littlest children and can be made with very little help from grown-ups.

Beaded Pipecleaner Star of David Chanukah Decoration

You will need:

Pipecleaners
Beads
String

Start by threading beads onto a pipecleaner.

Fold your pipecleaner into thirds and twist the ends together to make a triangle shape.

Repeat these steps for a second pipecleaner and thread it through the first triangle before twisting the ends together.
This makes your Star of David shape.

Make lots of these stars.

When you are finished just attach them to colourful ribbon or string and use them to decorate for the holidays.
These are not just great for Chanukah but would also make a great decoration for your Sukkah.

Have fun!

Sightings: The Jews Who Turned Out NOT To Be

November 8, 2012 By punktorah

Here are two stories of Jews that turned out not to be, from Sarah Bas Avraham, who lives in small town Virginia.

I was coming home from the hospital and was chatting with the driver of my taxi. She began talking about her church and asked which church I attended. I said I didn’t, as I am Jewish. This fascinated her and she asked some questions. She then said that there was a synagogue in Abingdon (where I live). As I had lived there almost a year and had dome some investigating, I was certain there wasn’t, but she was insistent and described where it was, then drove me to the location (Abingon being a small town).

It was THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!

I couldn’t help but laugh, though I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. On the way home I told her that if the building has a cross and the words “Jesus or [Read more…]

The Shofar: Symbol of Tishrei, Symbol of Judaism

September 18, 2011 By Ketzirah

Tishrei 5772 begins at Sundown on Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The shofar is not only a symbol we all associate with Tishrei, but it’s also a symbol of Judaism. Many of us only think about the shofar at the High Holy days, but in ancient times it was used regularly in religious rites.

Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day. (Psalm 81:3)

In Psalms, we see the order to blow the shofar at both the new moon, Rosh Chodesh, and the full moon feast days. Historically the shofar would have been used to call us to prayer and attention for a myriad of reasons and events. The shofar was also the sound of G-d/dess’ voice we hear at Sinai. Is it any wonder that this ancient relic is one we still treasure today? When considering the shofar, also remember that it is a sign of our history as a nation of shepherds. I’m exploring purchasing my first shofar, and finding that I not only want one that is beautiful and playable — but also that I know comes from an animal that is not just kosher, but was also raised with respect and given a good life. I also want it to be local. Why should I import a shofar from a foreign country, when there are so many sheep right here? I would like to learn to play the shofar, but I also want to incorporate it into my fall altar, or spiritual focal point if you prefer. If you are unfamiliar with the idea of having a Jewish personal altar, here’s a post about the practice.

This Tishrei, consider the Shofar as more than something you just hear at synagogue. Explore the history, symbolism, elemental aspects, and potential spiritual uses. Like Torah, the shofar can be understood on four (and probably more levels). Consider the shofar at it’s literal level, the alluded to meanings, the “drash” or hidden story, and the mystical meaning.Here are some great resources for exploring the Shofar:

Hearing Shofar – Michael Chusid’s compendium of the Shofar, which is his core spiritual practice.
PeelaPom: Explore the shofar in relation to the elements
Telshemesh: The Ram, The Goat, and the Shofar

Share your shofar story!

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(x-posted from www.peelapom.com)

Carly Lesser (a.k.a. Ketzirah – קצירה) is Kohenet, Celebrant and Artist whose passion is helping Jews who are unaffiliated, earth-based or in interfaith / inter-denominational relationships connect more deeply with Judaism and make it relevant in their every day lives. She is an active blogger and prayer leader on OneShul.org and PeelaPom.com.

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