Disney’s First Jewish Princess Arrives in Time for Hanukkah
Princess Rebecca, of the Ladino kingdom of Galonia, appeared in an episode of Elena of Avalor that aired on December 6. Elena is a Latinx princess who is the centerpiece of the Emmy-winning, Disney Junior Channel series which debuted in 2016. Until now there has been no Jewish princess—not that there wasn’t an abundance of attractive candidates.
On Hannukah, Washington’s Jewish Power Players See Who’s In and Who’s Out
Standing on a cold December night in what seemed to be a never ending queue outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, visitors waiting to enter the embassy’s annual Hanukkah reception had plenty of time to commiserate.
Contemporary Hanukkah Songs for Your Playlist
Adam Sandler first performed “The Chanukah Song” on Saturday Night Live in 1994. Check out this and more modern Hanukkah favorites.
Songs for Your Hanukkah Playlist
There is a rich legacy of recorded music that can only add to our understanding of Hanukkah and our connection to its traditions.
The Great Hanukkah Clanging
Hanukkah was really only about one thing when I was growing up. It wasn’t the presents—they were generally small and unexciting...
Gelt-y Pleasures for All Ages
In the story of Hanukkah—the cruel reign of Antiochus, the unlikely victory of Mattathias and his sons, the one cruse of sacred oil left in the plundered Temple that burned for eight days—there is no mention of money.
Embracing Rosh Hodesh
By Scott Fox
I love Hanukkah: the presents, wintertime, dreidels, candle lighting. I love all of it. I was born on the fourth day of Hanukkah...
The Dybbuk of Christmas Past
By Matthew Kassel
Christmas doesn’t mean much to me anymore, though for the first ten years of my life, it was my favorite holiday. Pretty standard,...
O Come, All Ye Chosen
Mid-November means that it's officially pumpkin spice latte and peppermint mocha season at Starbucks. (What, you don't measure time by the seasonal offerings of national...
My First Christmas, Again
by Steven Philp
This past Saturday my family sat around the Christmas tree to unwrap presents. We have a particular system when it comes to opening...
Maccabeats Suffer “Wardrobe Malfunction”
By Doni Kandel
The Yeshiva University Maccabeats, the university’s a capella group that has taken the United States by storm, received one of their first ugly...
An Ancient Synagogue in Damascus
By Samantha Sisskind
If you go to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in Damascus, Syria, you’ll find hardly any obvious traces of Jewish life. ...