Holiday preparations Pesach (Passover) is quite a big deal every year. It takes about a month before the holiday to clean the house, clear away every little crumb of ‘chametz,’ bread, and only then can we start preparing the food. Cleaning for Pesach is hard work but once I start […]
traditions
My father’s menorah has been sitting on top of a high bookcase in our house for many years. When we took it down the other day, unused and hidden, it was covered in a thick layer of dust. This menorah is heavy and cumbersome. Made of solid brass and estimated […]
Honey cake is to Ashkenazi Jews at Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) what fruit cake is to Christians at Christmas. Mention these cakes, and one is sure to see wrinkled noses and some serious eye rolling. Fruit cake is often the butt of comedians’ jokes. “The worst gift is […]
My grandmother’s black Singer sewing machine was set up in what we affectionately called “the little room”. As a young girl, I loved to hear the whir of the machine as Grandma wound the bobbins, readying them for her next projects. Grandma was a very practical woman. Every yard of […]