Planting Seedlings

Tu Bishvat, the new year for trees in the Jewish calendar, has gained significantly in popularity over the generations. From a date of mainly fiscal significance for calculating agricultural tithes, it was expanded by the kabbalists of the early middle ages to include a fruit fest with deeply spiritual ramifications.

Feeding the Heavens – Jewish Birdfeeding Customs

Both Polish and Ethiopian Jews traditionally fed birds at specific times of year, ascribing deep meaning to this practice. Did the custom spread from south to north with the migratory flocks, or was it simply the Jewish imagination that took wing?

Game of Thrones – Hasmonean Civil War

The Hasmonean story began with the heroic Hanukka tale but ended in a civil war sparked by two rival royal brothers. Two cultural elites – Pharisee and Sadducee – vied for dominance in the death throes of the Hasmonean dynasty