The 5 Worst Pop-Culture-Inspired Halloween Costumes of 2014 and 5 We'd Like to See Instead

Skip the oversexed cartoon characters and dress up like real pop-culture heroes.

by Angela Zimmerman for Common Sense Media
Mass-marketed Halloween costumes have taken a decidedly strange turn this year. Sexy versions of characters from kids' movies and TV shows are mixed in with little-kid interpretations of figures from grown-up shows, creating a strange brew of both oversexualized and inappropriately aged-down images.

Sure, a big part of Halloween is trying on new identities to freak people out. But it's doubtful many kids watch The Walking Dead -- so why would there be a kids' costume from that show? And how do you explain to your kid that a leotard and thigh-high tights have anything to do with her beloved Olaf from Frozen? As a parent, you just have to laugh -- and consider helping your kids make their own costumes inspired by characters that promote positive (or at least age-appropriate) messages instead.

The 5 Worst Pop-Culture-Inspire

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Collecting Candy on Halloween

Though many Jewish children go trick-or-treating, this writer (among many others) believes the practice runs counter to Jewish law.

By Rabbi Michael Broyde for MyJewishLearning.com

To many, if not most, American Jewish parents, participating in Halloween revelries is harmless. Increasingly, however, rabbis and educators from across the denominational spectrum have questioned and challenged Jewish participation in Halloween activities.

Halloween in History

A recent newspaper article recounted:

"According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Halloween originated with the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain, a day on which the devil was invoked for the various divinations. 'The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day', Britannica says, 'and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins ... and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about.' In the early Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church instituted All Hallow's Eve on October 31 and All Saints Day on November 1 to counteract the occult festival. It did not work. All Hollow's Eve was simply co-opted into the pagan celebration of Samhain."

As was noted by Professor John Hennig, in his classical article on this topic, there is a clear historical relationship between the Celtic concepts of resurrection, Roman Catholic responses to it, and the modern American holiday of Halloween.

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Inside the Artist’s Studio: Creating a Beautiful New Home for the Torah

Video: Judaica designer Alexander Gruss on Simchat Torah, the legacy of the Holocaust, and the value of handmade objects

By Efraim A. Klein for Tablet Magazine

Alexander Gruss and his wife Lorelei have been designing and creating Judaica through Studio Gruss for a quarter century. Their work has evolved in that time from small, hand-crafted pieces like mezuzahs, etrog boxes, and Seder plates for Passover to larger projects, including entire sanctuaries in places as far away as Keter Torah Synagogue in Michigan. “The whole process of design is something I keep learning,” Alex explained. “I always said yes to things I never did before.”

In this video shot in their expansive home-studio in Brooklyn, Alex discusses his life moving from his native Argentina to Israel and later the United States; how he views the significance of his art in connection to the Holocaust; and the cultural shifts he’s witnessed in how Judaica is designed. He also explains the connection between his work building arks for Torahs and the holiday of Simchat Torah.




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ABCs of Sukkot

Guidelines for the joyous Jewish outdoor festival of Sukkot.

by Rabbi Shraga Simmons for aish.com

Following on the heels of the High Holidays is Sukkot, a seven-day festival (8 days in the Diaspora) characterized by the outdoor Sukkah-huts that we sit in, and the "Four Species" of plants waved together each day.

Sukkot is a holiday of immense joy, where we express our complete trust in God, and celebrate our confidence in having received a "good judgment" for the coming year.

Throughout the week of Sukkot, we eat, sleep and socialize in a Sukkah, reminding us that:

• The Israelites lived in huts during the 40 years of wandering in the desert.
• God is our ultimate protection – just as He protected the Israelites in the desert with the Clouds of Glory (Exodus 13:21).

The Four Species

On Sukkot, we are commanded to wave the Four Species, each noted for its special beauty:

• Esrog – the citron, a fragrant fruit with a thick, white rind. It is often picked from the tree while green, and then ripens to a bright yellow.
• Lulav – the palm branch, which is defined in beauty by having a straight shape and leaves tightly bound.
• Hadas – the myrtle branch, which has a beautiful plated pattern of three leaves coming out from the same point in the branch.
• Arava – the willow branch, which should have oblong leaves with a smooth edge.

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Check out Jvillage’s High Holiday+    page.  While you're at it, check out our High Holidays Holiday Spotlight Kit for ideas, crafts, recipes, etc.