Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabbos, and the less-common Shabbath and Shabbas (an attempt to reconcile Eastern European consonant pronunciation with North African and Middle Eastern vowel vocalization) are all examples of the futility of attempts to standardize the transliterated pronunciation of a…
Lag Ba’Omer: holiday of the collective soul
This past weekend, the Jewish nation celebrated Lag Ba’Omer. For the average American Jew, Lag Ba’Omer may be a bit of a mystery — there is no Christian equivalent, it is not commercialized in any way, and pop culture has…
Shomer Negiah: a touchy subject
When word got out, I braced myself for some interesting reactions (and lots of questions). They ranged from “Wait, are you serious?” to “That’s weird, but cool I guess” to one of my personal favorites from a guy pal, “Ah,…
“Matar judíos”: fizzy lemonade or the call to kill Jews?
León, Spain: a young man out with some friends decides to indulge in the tradition of drinking spiked, carbonated lemonade during Holy Week (the week preceding and culminating in Easter). “Let’s go get some lemonade,” he suggests. “Let’s go kill…
On the up and up: is Passover price inflation real?
Perhaps no holiday tests the Jewish imagination to the same extent as does Passover. Each year, irrespective of locale, Jews are asked to explore their ancestral heritage by recreating the Passover story that traces the Jewish excursion from bondage to…
Game: Lingua Frankel
Many Yiddish words have crept their way into the English vernacular, which poses many potential problems: If you consider Yiddish a galus language, you may see its survival as undesirable. If you consider Yiddish an extremely sacred language, then you…
Jewish Jokes, Quotes, and Riddles of the Day!
Everyone deserves a break from finals! Enjoy the following jokes, quotes, and riddles of the day!
Committed To a Good Time
For the generic college bro on campus, nothing is as terrifying as the concept of commitment; even the occasional bout with alcohol poisoning or the gnarly digestive feedback from old and crusty pizza is no match for the fear of…
Kosher Korner: Microwave Recipes
During midterm (and soon-to-be final season), it’s necessary to have some quick recipes on hand. Besides, easy and fast meals are a staple of most college students’ diets. Here are some great recipes that you can make with just a…