A great way to prevent food waste and say Happy Purim The Leket Israel Printed Greeting Cards

It is a mitzvah to send gifts to the poor on Purim.  Leket, the National Food Bank of Israel, would be a great organization to support by sending greeting cards to your friends while supporting this worthy organization.

This Purim send Mishloach Manot Cards to all your friends and family. The proceeds will enable Leket Israel to rescue food for the needy. Each package contains 18 cards.


Leket Israel will do all in its power to send your cards out within 24 hours of your order from our offices in Israel, Canada and the US. Unfortunately, we have no control over the speed of the postal service, so please order with enough time in advance.

For more information and great ideas for Purim, check out Jvillage's Purim Holiday Kit.


For more Purim news, check out our    page.

Purim

ReformJudaism.org

 March 4-5, 2015

Purim is celebrated with a public reading—usually in the synagogue—of the Book of Esther (Megillah Esther), which tells the story of the holiday. Under the rule of King Ahashverosh, Haman, the king's prime minister, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction. The reading of the megillah typically is a rowdy affair, punctuated by booing and noise-making when Haman's name is read aloud.

Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like Hanukkah, traditionally is viewed as a minor festival, but elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman became the embodiment of every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed. The significance of Purim lies not so much in how it began, but in what it has become: a thankful and joyous affirmation of Jewish survival against all odds.

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Norman Lear Talks ‘All in the Family,’ Network Age-ism and Dancing Naked

During the Hebrew month of Shvat with no immediate Jewish holidays,Jvillage Network is running articles relating to Jewish Arts and Culture.

Cynthia Littleton, Managing Editor, Variety    

MIAMI — Norman Lear charmed the crowd at Tuesday’s opening session of the NATPE confab, telling tales of fighting censors on “All in the Family,” struggling to get on the air today and offering his unconventional tips for longevity.

The 92-year-old TV Hall of Famer is on tubthumping tour for his memoir “Even This I Get to Experience.” “Everybody Loves Raymond” creator Phil Rosenthal, a longtime admirer of Lear’s work, led the wide-ranging Q&A session.

Even with all the channels out there today, Lear said he has had no luck trying to set up a show about a group of 60-plus retirees. He’s dubbed it “Guess Who Died?” “They don’t want to hear it,” Lear said of his efforts to sell it to the major nets.

“Let’s just spend the rest of our time complaining about that,” Rosenthal responded, noting he too was stymied in trying to sell a show about two college students who move into a retirement community because the school has run out of dorm space.

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Tu biShvat Social Justice Guide

Tu Bishvat is Coming February 4

From ReformJudaism.org

Modern-day Jews celebrate Tu BiSh'vat by expressing joy and thankfulness for trees, harvests, and the natural world. Many Jews plant trees at home and in Israel, and eat delicious fruits and greens in celebration of this “New Year of the Trees.” During this agricultural festival, Jews around the world consider our obligation to care for the environment and our sacred responsibility to share the fruits of God’s earth with all.

You can incorporate social justice themes into your Tu BiSh'vat celebration in the following ways.

Host a Tu BiSh'vat Social Action Seder

Infuse your Tu BiShvat seder with environmental education to give modern meaning to this celebration. Many such seders focus on the natural world and our responsibility to protect it, like this Tu BiSh'vat seder, published by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) and the North American Federation for Temple Youth (NFTY). In keeping with the nature of this holiday, this seder is a call to action, a time of education and reflection at we examine our impact on the world around us and commit to changing the way we interact with our environment.

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