Shabbat and Holidays
How to Celebrate Sukkot in the City
By Maggy Kay I grew up in the DC suburbs with a big yard, and every year during the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) my dad would hand out little “business cards” during services. They weren’t for work — they were invitations to our family’s open sukkah, just a few days away. Now, […]
Shul Memories: Tips for Navigating Synagogue with Young Children
I loved taking my toddler to the family shabbat programs at our synagogue. He would curl up in my lap and clap along happily with the music and he was thrilled by the challah and grape juice. When he was in PreK, instead of sitting in my lap for the service he wanted to hide […]
What is Tu B’Av?
Tu B’Av: The Jewish Version of Valentine’s Day Tu B’Av, often called the “Jewish Day of Love,” may not be as widely celebrated as other Jewish holidays, but its message to love one another and ourselves is timeless. Falling on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av (usually in early to mid-August), Tu B’Av […]
Spark Joy This Lag B’Omer: Family-Friendly Ideas to Celebrate Together
By Gabrielle Burger & Laura Wilson Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer, is a joyful break during the solemn period between Passover and Shavuot. This year Lag B’Omer begins at sundown on Thursday, May 15, 2025, and ends at nightfall on Friday, May 16, 2025. It commemorates the end of a plague that […]
Modern Traditions for Your Passover Seder
Passover is my favorite holiday. I love the traditions that are passed down through my family history and those I’ve chosen to add as I began to plan my own seders as an adult. As my family has grown, so have our “new traditions”, bringing fresh meaning to our Passover table. Traditionally, the seder plate […]
Your Passover, Your Way: Resources to Make It Meaningful
As the days get longer and the flowers outside begin to bloom, Jewish people everywhere are preparing not just for the spring season, but for the holiday of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew.) Known to some as the Festival of Freedom and others as “the one week a year we can’t eat leavened bread”, the Macks […]
Celebrate Tu B’Shevat: The Birthday of the Trees
The holiday of Tu B’Shevat, translated as the 15th of the month of Shevat, is a beautiful holiday where we take time to celebrate nature. This year Tu B’Shevat falls out on Thursday, February 13th. Tu B’Shevat is sometimes called the birthday of the trees and is therefore also known as one of the four […]
Eight Nights of Light: Network Staff Chanukah Traditions
Jewish families are blessed to have eight full nights to find meaning and celebration in the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. Chanukah celebrates the success of the Maccabees the small Jewish army who fought against the Greeks in the pursuit of religious freedom. Traditionally, we light the hanukkiah (Chanukah menorah) for eight […]
Resources to Make the Most Out of Your Chanukah
Just when winter brings us the shortest, darkest days of the year, the Jewish calendar brings us Chanukah, the Festival of Light. Whether you’ve been lighting Chanukah candles your whole life, or you’re celebrating for the first time, the Macks Jewish Connection Network hopes that these ideas and resources bring moments of meaning, connection, and […]
Tips for Creating Inclusive Holiday Experiences
This Chanukah, as we gather with family and friends, let’s make sure everyone feels safe, welcome and celebrated. The Jewish community is becoming more diverse all the time. For many years, the predominant culture of American Jewry has been white and Ashkenazi. Our community is seeing a transformation. Through marriage with other faith traditions, more […]