sarah in nyc

 One of the side effects of COVID-19 is that we have had to transform normative religious practice. We have gotten used to attending funerals and shivas via zoom. Many rabbis, including mine, have set aside the usual prohibitions against using electronics on Shabbat and holidays so at the very least we could join together rather than being isolated. COVID has had all of us who care about Jewish law and practice looking at each COVID-19 affected ritual with new eyes. Sukkot begins tonight. Both my building and my synagogue have been deliberating how one can use a communal sukkah safely. Is it an indoor space? How safe is it for people who are not part of one household so sit together in close proximity especially doing activities that text to maximize sprays of droplets from mouths? .How can a large community of people maximize the number of people who can fulfill the mitzvah? I have been thinking about these questions as well. I naturally thought back to the granular discussions of...

This is the holiday intensive season of the year.   Amazon.com Widgets  My husband and son went to the Lower East Side to buy a lulav and etrog.  Some years the etrogim available are a little bit sad, greenish shriveled and not quite full of הדר, splendor and glory.  This year's etrog is pretty magnificent.  It's hard to imagine a better looking etrog. Dear friends from Israel are joining us tonight. I made chicken, trying to recreate the mind-blowing chicken my son made a few weeks ago with paprika, cayenne pepper and lots of freshly squeezed lime. If I get close to the fabulous chicken my son made I will be happy. We are also eating these roasted Brussels sprouts. My son and I prefer them more charred. My husband prefers them less charred. I think this is a good compromise. The challah still has to bake. The oven is currently occupied with a plum tart (almond crust, and a layer of pureed apricot under the plums), and will be baked as soon as the ...