Monday, September 22nd 2025   |

High Holidays

New crop of High Holidays children’s books take place in Uganda, Hong Kong and a Sephardic home

By PENNY SCHWARTZ

(JTA) — A laugh-out-loud Sukkot story that reimagines the classic tale of the three little pigs; an inspiring work of historical fiction story about a Jewish family in Vienna fleeing Nazi persecution and becoming refugees in Shanghai;...

How ‘Gaza solidarity sukkahs’ became a flashpoint for debates about anti-Zionist Jewish observance

By ANDREW LAPIN

(JTA) — Last week the Brooklyn rabbi Andrue Kahn received a request from a group of Jewish students at New York University: Would he come to lead prayers at their sukkah?

It wasn’t an unusual request for...

We bought the viral Amazon ‘tuchus’ boxes for Sukkot. What does that say about us?

By PHILISSA CRAMER

(JTA) — The brightly colored “Sukkot boxes” offered up on Amazon boasted the colors of spring, not fall; had no ostensible use for the Jewish holiday; and contained a Hebrew misspelling that bordered on obscene.

Reader, I...

Ushpizin

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

One of the distinctive elements of Succot observance is “Ushpizin” – the nightly, formulaic invitation to historic characters to “join us” in our Succah as esteemed and honored guests. Typically, guests include: Abraham Isaac, Jacob,...

In this Jewish season of forgiveness, I am asking permission

By RABBI AVI KILLIP

(JTA) – It has been a hard year. So hard, it can feel like all our rituals are wrong.

It’s nearly impossible to enter the High Holidays this year with a full heart. It’s nearly impossible...

OP-ED: This Yom Kippur…

By YUVAL DAVID

(JNS.org) – Yom Kippur is my favorite holiday. I am often surprised when others are surprised by my admitting that. Yom Kippur reflects concepts I think of throughout the year, and truly daily—the holiday inspires deepening and improving...

Al Cheit for an Election Year

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

Al Cheit…

For the sin which we have committed before You by political tribalism.

For the sin which we have committed before You by willingly entering news silos and echo chambers.

For the sin which...

Sandy Koufax famously didn’t pitch on Yom Kippur in 1965. But did he go to synagogue?

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — If Daniel Schloff’s family had been on time to Yom Kippur morning services in 1965, he may have never encountered Sandy Koufax.

Schloff, who was 17 years old at the time and a senior in...

One year after Oct. 7, a Yom Kippur ritual of communal mourning takes on fresh meaning

By ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL

(JTA) — In 2001, Yom Kippur fell on Sept. 26, two weeks after the terror attacks that brought down the World Trade Center. By then, the major denominations had already written special prayers to be said during...

This year’s High Holiday kids’ books are a celebration of Jewish diversity

By PENNY SCHWARTZ

(JTA) — The enduring traditions of the High Holiday season take shape across time and place in the latest crop of children’s books about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. 

This year’s books transport readers back to...