A “Palace in Time”: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel on the Sabbath
by Rabbi Or N. Rose From Breaking Matzo
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I took the opportunity to re-read selections from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book, The Sabbath. First published in 1951, this poetic gem has been read by countless spiritual seekers — Jewish and non-Jewish — throughout the world.
As I flipped through the pages, I was struck again by Heschel’s remarkable ability to cull from the vast storehouse of classical Jewish teachings and to present these gleanings to a diverse modern readership with elegance and force.
Jewish Drinking Meditation
From Alison Laichter for BimBam.com
Drinking meditation is when you can be completely present while enjoying a beverage of your choice. Follow teacher and coach, Alison Laichter, through a Jewish drinking meditation in our step-by-step video.
Welcome to Wawa — and Shabbat Shalom!
By Stephen Silver for JTA
PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — There’s something uniquely American about an event that combines secular ritual with actual religion.
In six states and the District of Columbia, but especially in Pennsylvania, shopping at Wawa is very much a ritual. It’s the convenience store where you grab your morning coffee, your lunchtime hoagie and your overall feeling of regional pride.
Altoid Besamin (Spice) Box for Havdalah
From Crafting a Green World
Spice boxes are part of the Jewish ritual of Havdalah. If you’re not Jewish, you could also fill your decorated tin with herbs like lavender for home made potpourri or with hand-mixed chai tea!
Shibori Challah Cover
From Breaking Matzo
Shibori is the Japanese word for “twist or wring”. This Japanese form of dyeing uses Indigo as the main form of dye. Methods include dyeing fabric by rolling, bending, tying, binding, folding, twisting and pressing. We immediately fell in love with this form of dyeing as its main color is Indigo Blue. This technique originated in Japan (where Breaking Matzo’s Andy Goldfarb has lived and traveled throughout the years). One of the tricks behind indigo dyeing is that once you have prepared the bath of dye in your vat, it no longer appears blue until, of course, it is exposed to oxygen. Magic!