Have you ever made aruk for Hanukkah? While there is no requirement to make any specific dish on Hanukkah, it’s customary for us to remember the miracle of the oil by eating fried foods. A well-loved recipe in my house, aruk are Iraqi vegetable fried patties – very similar to their cousin, the latkes. Aruk are delicious, easy to make and will be a great addition to your latke platter.
Hanukkah isn’t just play; it is a conversation between the past, present and future. Tradition also holds that Jewish individuals and families tell and retell the story behind the candles. Each of us is invited to seriously explore issues of militarism and assimilation, universalism and particularism.
Maoz Tzur, Rock of Ages, is a Hanukkah classic. The singing of this medieval poem anchors our Hanukkah celebrations and helps us to remember the Jewish people’s deliverance from our enemies. However, some of the violent imagery in this 13th-century poem runs contrary to our modern, progressive values. One stanza in particular calls on God to “wreak vengeance on enemies of the Jews.”
Sukkot’s ancient roots implore Jews to serve the greater good of all.
A Mizrahi Fish Recipe for Rosh Hashanah Shanah Tovah! Enrich your holiday experience with our dynamic resources. Mizrakhi Jews, originally from countries such as Iraq and Iran, have a colorful and unique way of celebrating Jewish holidays with food. I’m delighted to share a special Mizrakhi fish recipe that my
Reconstructing Judaism’s Auerbach grants supports rabbinical students and rabbis in reconstructing the Jewish landscape to be more inclusive and engaging. This year’s winners point the way to a dynamic Jewish future.
This four-part series of video presentations is based on an online course developed by Rabbi Maurice Harris, Reconstructing Judaism’s Associate Director for Thriving Communities and Israel Affairs Specialist. The video recordings of the four 90-minute sessions offered below were presented in February 2024 as part of a program sponsored by West End Synagogue (New York, NY, USA). There is also a “bonus” supplemental video about the impacts of Stalin and the USSR on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict included below.
Reconstructing Judaism’s Auerbach grants supports rabbinical students and rabbis in reconstructing the Jewish landscape to be more inclusive and engaging. This year’s winners point the way to a dynamic Jewish future.
by Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., and Seth Rosen
In March 2021, the board of governors unanimously adopted a five-year strategic plan for Reconstructing Judaism. The new strategic plan reaffirms our longstanding commitments, transforms our ideological interest in innovation into strategy, and charts new paths forward around engagement of individuals and communities through both in-person and online platforms.
The plan identifies five key goals, equal in importance:
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
