Although a fairly recent tradition, dating only back to the 5300s, it is an important celebration to many of our co-religionists.

An argument (machloket) from the Talmud:

Beit Shammai says: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights until, on the last day of Hanukkah, they kindle one light.

And Beit Hillel says: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights until, on the last day, they kindle eight lights.

The reason for Beit Hillel’s opinion is that the number of lights is based on the principle:

One elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade. Therefore, if the objective is to have the number of lights correspond to the number of days, there is no alternative to increasing their number with the passing of each day.

Increase your light every day of Chanukah and all year long!

You pull the string and it says, "again with the string?"

myjewishlearningcom ⁠ Pictured is a Judeo-Italian lexicon from the 14th century authored by Judah Romano (no cheese pun intended). The word "pizza" is first used in a non-Jewish context more than 200 years later! ⁠

Via https://www.instagram.com/p/DDXnqstP2He/

Cross posted from: https://fedia.io/m/NEWS/t/1513998

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel said Sunday that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found after he was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.”

The UAE’s Interior Ministry later said authorities arrested three suspects involved in the killing of Zvi Kogan.

The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment. However, senior Emirati diplomat Anwer Gargash wrote on the social platform X in Arabic on Sunday that “the UAE will remain a home of safety, an oasis of stability, a society of tolerance and coexistence and a beacon of development, pride and advancement.”

The vandalism comes on the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Kristallnacht, which took place in November of 1938 before the Holocaust happened, is called the "night of broken glass" because thousands of Jewish homes, businesses and places of worship were destroyed by German Nazis. Around 90 Jewish people were killed and around 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Mastodon link

Shalom, FIENDS! It is erev Halloween! so in the spirit of spooky season, let me tell you some ghost stories from the Talmud. 👻💀🪦😱 Welcome to (throwback) #DafReactions Brachot 18: Ghoul, Please!

AfD’s leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, should hypothetically be leading a future Thuringian government, but can’t because no other parties want to join a coalition with AfD. Höcke has been charged twice by the government for using banned Nazi phrases; in 2017, he was nearly expelled from the AfD for referring to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which sits near Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, as a “monument of shame.” He has also called for a “national turnaround” of how Germany reckons with its Nazi past.

Joanie Terrizzi October 16, 2024 11:59 am

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — My backyard is perfect for a sukkah. I can walk right off the deck into my yard, which is surrounded by my garden and the autumnal woods. There is easy access to the kitchen and to the stars.

Black-eyed peas are not indigenous to America. They were brought from Africa, their native land, along with the enslaved Blacks. They were a food that the slaves recognized and could eat, cheaply. Southern Whites never ate such a food, seeing it as fit only for their chattel — their slaves or their livestock. There was, however, one other group of people who ate (and loved) black-eyed peas: the Jews.

The earliest Jews to move to America, particularly in the South, were those of Sephardic descent. Having spent much time in North Africa and nearby Spain, they recognized black-eyed peas as the nutritious and tasty ingredient they are, and thus happily ate them in America as well.

Yes, in fact, I did send this link to my mother.

Schloff remembers noticing that two seats in front of them were empty, which was unusual given how packed the pews were on the High Holidays.

That quickly changed — in a way Schloff will never forget.

“We’re davening, and about 10 to 15 minutes in, two guys walk in and sit down,” Schloff recounted. “And as one of them sits, I get a profile, and that’s Sandy Koufax sitting right in front of me.”

“Nobody Wants This” is the story of a romance between Rabbi Noah and Joanne, played by Kristen Bell: a blond, non-Jewish woman who hosts a podcast about her dating disasters. The show uses the word “shiksa” to describe Joanne, which means a non-Jewish woman. Many consider it so rude, though, that I feel certain that my mother will materialize in my apartment to wash my mouth out with soap for even typing it.

It's a classic Rosh Hashanah musical parody - hope everyone here has a very happy and sweet New Year!

First of all, this is not an ad - I don't work for this organization, I'm just sharing their request here. I know people who have volunteered with this organization in the past and they do exceptional work. Lemmy is full of great people who care about others, and this is just one way that you might not have known that you could help out. You don't have to be Jewish to volunteer.

NECHAMA is gearing up to respond to Hurricane Helene, planning a long-term deployment in western North Carolina. As this is an active disaster site with ongoing search and rescue, we may not be on the ground for several weeks. Meanwhile, we're working closely with disaster aid partners and have identified a pressing need for virtual volunteers to help log vital disaster data in Crisis Cleanup. Your time will directly support victims and keep aid efforts running smoothly. Can’t volunteer? You can still make a difference with a donation.

Register as a volunteer: https://nechama.org/programs/hurricane-helene-volunteer-forms/

Donate to NECHAMA: https://nechamadonate.funraise.org/