A. Yes. The restriction is only against leather shoes. This dates back before Payless and Famous Footwear. A good pair of shoes lasted a long time. And people walked around a whole lot more, and stood on their feet more … Read the rest
...A. The idea of keeping the Lulav until Passover is to burn it together with the Chametz, this way we continue its use in another Mitzvah, acting as fuel for the fire of burning the Chametz. This is a custom … Read the rest
...A. A good Jewish calendar should have that info. Better yet, use the “Calendar” feature on www.Chabad.org/Calendar to find out times and dates for Shabbat, Holidays, Jewish Birthdays (and secular date conversions) and many other things, using your zipcode or … Read the rest
...A. It really depends on the holiday. Rosh Hashanah is out, because it is observed almost like the Sabbath and besides, the Jewish New Year is a serious time. Purim is a joyous time and there isn’t much restriction, but … Read the rest
...A. That only happens when Passover begins on Saturday Night. We can’t burn Chametz as usual on the day before Passover, since that would be prohibited on the Sabbath. So we do it on Friday, but we are allowed to … Read the rest
...A. We don’t do it very often, but the few Jewish fasts a year are a form of personal suffering to better appreciate and relate to what these fast-days represent. And getting away from food for a while helps us … Read the rest
...A. Lights are popular this time of year, many of these traditions can be traced back to the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. Local custom might not connect it with religion, but simple online research makes it obvious that these luminaries … Read the rest
...A. The Mitzvah of Menorah is to publicize the miracle and spread the light. A main lobby with lots of passersby seems like a great place to do it. Think of how it will fill the hearts of Jews with … Read the rest
...A. We begin by inserting the candles starting on the far-right side of the Menorah, adding a new one towards the left each night. But we always light the newest candle first (on the left) and light it going towards … Read the rest
...A. Oh, we got them at our local supermarket – Price Chopper (in their Kosher, holiday freezer section). They are Kineret Brand and are not really home-made style Latkes but kind of mini-tater-tots. Reheated on a griddle, the students really … Read the rest
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