Holiday

During my conversion in Israel in 1991, my teachers explained that Pesach (Passover) is a festival of freedom centered on one key command: In every generation, each person must see themselves as if they personally left Egypt. Of course, it isn’t meant to be taken literally—it’s really about embracing faith and trust. But me? I’m not exactly a natural when it comes to faith in the traditional sense. Broadly speaking, though, I do have faith—plenty of it, in fact.

Purim is almost here, but videos shared on social media of dancing and partying in Tel Aviv are already everywhere. People are celebrating in sheltered basements and underground parking garages because of the missile threat from Iran. And I’m not surprised. And it makes me smile. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in Israel, it’s this: Israelis don’t wait for perfect conditions to live. They live anyway. There’s a quiet strength in that.

Purim, Fate, and a Roll of the Dice On March 2, 2026, it will be Purim — a holiday of costumes and joy commemorating how the Jewish people were saved long ago from an evil Persian vizier. This year, the holiday feels oddly tied to Iran and the threat of war. That connection pulls me back to my very first Purim. My First Purim in Israel In 1991, Israel had just come through the Gulf War. On the evening news, journalists showed young people celebrating in the stre

It is that time of the year when everyone wishes everyone a happy new year. I had always done so myself, until 1990, assuming it was — let’s say — universal. But did you know that Judaism once recognized four different New Years — not just one?

I know my website is only a few days old, but with Hanukkah just around the corner (December 14 at sunset until 22 at sunset), I had to mention it! Israel usually celebrates Hanukkah in December, though it can fall in November because Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew calendar, while everyday life uses the Gregorian one. In the Hebrew calendar, the twelve lunar months—Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, and Adar