The Balagan

9 Things You Didn’t Know About Yom Kippur

by JTA | Sep 17, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By MJL Staff (My Jewish Learning via JTA) – Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, starts at sundown on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Traditionally one of the most somber days on the Jewish calendar, it’s known for fasting and repentance – not to mention killer caffeine...

Watch Cookbook Author Julia Turshen on This Week in Baltimore Eating

by JMORE Staff | Sep 13, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

Julia Turshen, the best selling author of “Feed the Resistance” and “Small Victories,” is currently touring in support of her latest cookbook, “Now & Again.” Turshen sat down with food critic Richard Gorelick on Facebook Live...

5 New Things to Do at the New Year

by JTA | Sep 10, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By Amy Deutsch (Kveller via JTA) – As the fall nears each year, the air gets cooler, the kids go back to school and Rosh Hashanah rolls around. The holiday itself celebrates the Jewish New Year, but also deals with more serious topics like renewal, forgiveness and...

Must-Know High Holidays Words and Phrases

by JTA | Sep 7, 2018 | Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By My Jewish Learning Staff (MJL via JTA) – Here are some important Hebrew words and terms you may encounter over the High Holiday season. Akedah — Pronounced ah-keh-DAH. Literally “binding,” the Akedah refers to the biblical story of the binding of Isaac, which is...

Rosh Hashanah Needs a Little Preparation. We Have a Digital Solution.

by JTA | Sep 7, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By Wendie Bernstein Lash, Lex Rofeberg and Estee Solomon Gray CHICAGO (JTA) — Too often, Rosh Hashanah resembles Kramer from “Seinfeld.” Barging onto the scene in a haste, it takes us aback. Its entry neither upsets nor disappoints us. But it comes...

Here are Some Special Gifts for Your Rosh Hashanah Hosts

by JTA | Sep 6, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By MJL Staff (My Jewish Learning via JTA) — Invited to someone’s house for a Rosh Hashanah meal and looking for an appropriate gift? In addition to the always appreciated flowers or bottle of wine, here are some other must-have (or must-give) items for the...

5 Tips for Making the Snazziest Rosh Hashanah Cards

by JTA | Sep 4, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

By Stacey Ilyse (Kveller via JTA) – Growing up, I remember getting cards in the mail for Rosh Hashanah. They were always the normal, generic, Hallmark Happy New Year-type card. Nowadays, people are much more tech savvy and can create really fun cards that reflect and...

High Holidays 2018: Recipes, Traditions, Tips and More

by JMORE Staff | Aug 29, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

Here’s our complete guide to the season, including articles on spirituality, Rosh Hashanah recipes and more holiday features. Food Rosh Hashanah and High Holidays Recipes Recipes of Love Among the Generations Recipes: Feast Fit for a Festival Recipe: Vegetarian...

Drugs, Horseradish & Death

by Rafael Alvarez | Aug 27, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

“I never charged anybody unless I was convinced they were guilty.” –Peter M. Semel (1944-2017) Peter Semel, who landed in Baltimore by way of Brooklyn, N.Y. (where he saw Jackie Robinson play ball), was a hard-nosed attorney who sought convictions in some of the...

Who was the First Jewish Baltimorean?

by Eric L. Goldstein and Deborah R. Weiner | Aug 24, 2018 | Blogs, Blogs & Opinion, The Balagan

Recalling the mysterious case of Solomon Gabriel, the runaway ‘convict servant man.’ On July 2, 1764, a pair of men residing in what was then known as Baltimore Town placed a classified advertisement in the Maryland Gazette. Their “convict servant man,” Solomon...