Holidays
The Jewish calendar is nothing short of obsessed with the marking the passage of time. With major holidays punctuating the entire year: from the sacred autumn days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, to Hanukkah’s bright lights in the midst of winter’s deep freeze, to Tu Bishvat’s promise of warmth, spring’s boistrous, drawn-out arrival during Purim, Passover and Shavuot, and summer’s sobering Tisha B’Av – there is hardly a moment of downtime. Instead, the year passes in one rhythmic cycle punctuated by celebration, spiritual reflection, community, and (of course) food.
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach once said that each of the Jewish holidays arrives to remind us of something that we should be doing all year round. Rosh Hashanah reminds us to always take the time to look inward; Passover reminds us to always work to rid our lives of superfluity (chametz) and be grateful for our freedoms, and so on. But what each of the holidays does – sometimes explicitly, sometimes less so – is connect to the importance of being engaged in repairing the world.
- Make Mom Proud by Giving Back! Flowers, chocolate, breakfast in bed, a day to do whatever she wants without the stresses of everyday life. Moms deserve it all. And with Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, now's the time to let your mom know how much you appreciate everything she does -...
- Repairing the World in Israel On Yom Ha'atzmaut Tonight marks the beginning of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's version of July 4th, which celebrates the country's declaration of independence in 1948. Repair the World partners with eight excellent organizations doing diverse, cutting-edge tikkun olam work i...
- Pledge an "Act of Green" for Earth Day 2012 This Sunday, help the Earth Day Network make history. They're aiming to gather people from around the world in pledging a billion "acts of green" - individual steps people can take towards a healthier environment (like riding a bike to school, taking shor...
- On Yom Hashoah: Remembering & Honoring Through Service Never forget. Today is Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day – the official day of commemoration for the 6 million Jews -- and millions of other persecuted people -- murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Inaugurated in 1953, on April 19, pe...
- Modern Day Passover Heroes: Miriam Each year during the Passover seders, we recite the ages-old story of the Jews' exodus from ancient Egypt - a tale which can seem far removed from our lives today. But each year, we also have the opportunity to breathe new life into the story as we join t...
