Beer, Bible, Exodus, Passover “…the substance now rendered as “that which is leavened” (Exodus xii. 19) was, in reality, the Hebrew beer…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 21 March 2018 …the substance now rendered as “that which is leavened” (Exodus xii. 19) was, in...
Food, Purim “…parthenogenetic (self-fertilizing) hamantaschen—pubic triangles traditionally filled with black seeds—are pre-spring, full-moon fertility cookies…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 1 March 2018 So…can I prove that hamantaschen are contemporary sacred vulva cakes? No. But it certainly...
Purim “Jewish comedy was influenced by social types portrayed by the mask in the commedia dell’arte” Author Drew Kaplan Date 22 February 2018 We wish to confine ourselves to showing how the mask was related to “the...
Yom Kippur “I’ve noticed that Yom Kippur is the one day most Jews go to synagogue despite their level of observance, and I have no idea why” Author Drew Kaplan Date 29 September 2017 I’ve noticed that Yom Kippur is the one day most Jews go to synagogue...
Judaism “…when the status of Tisha be-Av is argued frontally and ideologically, the result is friction, dissention, and a status quo stalemate” Author Drew Kaplan Date 1 August 2017 …when the status of Tisha be-Av is argued frontally and ideologically, the result is...
Jewish Community, Judaism “…we should note the tension between these kinnot seminars and the classical image of Tisha be-Av” Author Drew Kaplan Date 1 August 2017 The second change relates to the in-synagogue services on Tisha be-Av morning. Traditionally, people...
Jewish Community, Judaism “…as VHS technology became widely available in the mid-1980s, synagogues started screening ‘Tisha be-Av videos’ throughout the afternoon” Author Drew Kaplan Date 31 July 2017 …as VHS technology became widely available in the mid-1980s, synagogues started screening “Tisha be-Av...
Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, Zionism “…how did a people that envisions itself in prayer as a community of tents, itinerant in the wilderness, become so fixated on construction projects?” Author Drew Kaplan Date 27 June 2017 The fact that Oz is an outspoken opponent of occupation and the policies required...
Bible, Judaism, Menstrual Impurity, Rabbinic Literature, Tannaim, Tannaitic Literature “In addition to the biblical distinction between normal and abnormal discharges, the rabbis developed two more categories…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 7 June 2017 Leviticus 15 is concerned with normal and abnormal, male and female genital discharges. As...
Amoraim, Babylonian Talmud, Judaism “The practice of waiting seven blood-free days following the end of a regular menstrual period is variously described in the Talmud as heḥemiru al atzman, minhaga, and halakhah pesukah, indicating that a variety of attitudes existed as to the severity of the requirement” Author Drew Kaplan Date 6 June 2017 Zimmerman is correct in saying that a seven-day wait after any bleeding has become...