How does Israel honor Tu B’Shvat – the Jewish Arbor Day – in a year when planting is forbidden? Through celebration, education – and the occasional workaround.


Girls’ Day: Celebrating Girl Power During Hanukkah!
This is the story of a holiday that originated in the Jewish communities of North Africa and the Middle East and its revival here in Israel

Sukkah Scuffles: Surprising Testimony From the 12th Century
The only mentions of a sukkah in the Cairo Genizah refer to communal sukkot in synagogue courtyards. A fact that caused quite a bit of trouble.

Who ‘Fixed’ the Jewish Calendar?
A glimpse at the Jewish year across time and space

The Feminist Revival of Tu B’Av, the Jewish Festival of Love
Did an Orthodox girls’ movement and its legendary founder revive an ancient and obscure holiday in the forests of Poland?

Did an Illicit Relationship Lead to the Expulsion of England’s Jews?
The story of two courageous converts, their Jewish wives and institutional anti-Semitism

Drawing Moses… From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
A glimpse into how artists across the ages have tried to depict the undepictable events at Mt. Sinai…

How Does Dara Horn Get Ready for Seder?
The celebrated author and her family prepare a vast interactive performance…

Celebrating Passover… as the Ambassador to Egypt
“…we felt it would have been strange to hold a Seder in Egypt”

Salvation from 500 Drunken Killer Elephants: The Other Maccabee Story
A different kind of redemption from Greek tyranny