Obituaries
Deaths for the week of Nov. 30, 2018
Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel. Daniel Kaplan Daniel Kaplan, MD (88), loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle,…
Torah
Dreaming makes the world a better place
Vayeishev Genesis 37:1–40:23 Amos 2:6–3:8 Tuning into the news these days can make us feel like we’re trapped in a bad dream. We strive to wake up — and…
Recipe
Hanukkah menu: cheese, zucchini, polenta — and, yes, potatoes
The Yiddish word “latke” is said to originate from the term for “little oily.” For many families, it’s an apt description of what has come to be the…
Organic Epicure
Zahav’s Solomonov swings by S.F. with new book of Israeli cuisine
Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook were in town this month to promote their new book, “Israeli Soul.” For those who don’t follow the culinary scene,…
Hanukkah
Big miracles, yes. But don’t ignore the everyday ones.
Rabbi Yosef Caro, the 16th-century sage, asks a fascinating question regarding Hanukkah: Why is it that we celebrate eight days in honor of the miracle of…
The Matzo Chronicles
Forget mahjong. My favorite game is ‘Counting Jews.’
Some Jews play canasta. Some play mahjong. But there’s one game that, at some time or another, most find themselves reflexively engaging in: Counting…
Hanukkah
8 reasons why Hanukkah is our best holiday
It is fashionable to question the prominence of Hanukkah in American Jewish life. It is looked down upon by some as a lowest-common-denominator holiday,…
Parenting
A 2-year-old with chutzpah and a mullet
I took my kids to the park recently with a friend and her two sons. Our boys, ages 2 to 8, happily kicked balls together and romped through the trees.…
Torah
These tiny dots are a huge Torah mystery
Vayishlach Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 Obadiah 1:1 – 1:21 On the face of it, the great reunion between Jacob and Esau is a poignant and moving…