Bylined opinion and news columns published by United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.
Bagels are everywhere in the U.S. now, but finding a bialy is still a challenge in many places — including Terre Haute.
Some of you may be asking, what is a bialy? It turns out bialys did in fact get their name from the Polish city of Bialystock, where they originated.
Bialys are sometimes described as a combination between a bagel and an English muffin. They notably feature a partial hole (often filled with onions) rather than a hole that goes all the way through like a bagel.
Growth, in general terms, is often challenging to measure. How are people to know whether they or their communities are in a “different place” compared to an earlier point in time?
The minutiae of everyday life often prevent us from taking a step back for moments of introspection and evaluation. Growth is also a gradual process that, in a way, contributes to this lack of awareness.
Meanwhile, these very “micro steps” of the growth process are what propel us forward.
With the snow and ice on the road and below-freezing temperatures, all we can do is stay in our nice warm houses with homemade soup on the stove.
In the meantime, less-fortunate people try to survive out there in the cold, not knowing where their next meal is coming from.
The Temple Hanukkah party brought a good turnout this time around. I want to thank Karen Harris and her helpers for making religious school and holiday celebrations possible for our children.
January is one of the dullest months of the year. Usually, the weather is cold and gray. Some members of our community flee to warmer climates for a few months and we miss their presence.
Yet, our Hebrew calendar provides a bit of a respite with one of four new year’s celebrations noted in the Talmud.
Beginning at sundown Sunday, January 20, and ending at sundown Monday, January 21, is Tu B’Shevat. This holiday celebrates the coming of spring in Israel and gives us hope that spring will also return to Indiana.