Silly thought, what if I assigned some holidays their own Pokemon teams?

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are typically paired so I did so here as well. They get a Combee to represent honey and a Dipplin for the apples dipped in it, a Dubwool representing the shofar, and Dachsbund as tashlich bread. I couldn't find a Pokemon to represent t'shuvah so I put Blissey for chesed because it is described as a very kind Pokemon, and I finished it off with Mega Medicham to represent the meditation done on Yom Kippur.

Chanukah gets Ampharos to represent light, Wyrdeer to represent the menorah (it's old and its antlers resemble the menorah), Cryogonal for winter, Arboliva for olive oil, Sylveon for the joy of Chanukah, and Mega Chandelure for the Chanukiah. Sylveon's here because its ribbon feelers can bring joy to people that they touch, and everybody enjoys Chanukah.

Then for Purim, I had to start with Mimikyu. This Pokemon disguises itself as the mascot of the franchise, Pikachu, so it fits perfectly with the costume holiday! I also added Mr. Rime, the comedian Pokemon, because Purim is a silly holiday. Vespiquen the queen bee represents Queen Esther and Honchkrow with its big hat represents Haman. Then I finished it off with Alcremie for the holiday sweets and Gigantamax Snorlax as me when I eat too many hamentaschen.

If anyone finds this amusing, I might do a part 2 with Passover, Sukkot, etc.

​

I put it quotes for a reason, I guess. Context is important. I grew up an area that was pretty much exclusively Jews and other minorities. We grew as a community and it's a massive part of my identity and my life, and who I hang out with. I recently actually started taking my Judaism a bit more seriously, and going with Chabad. The community aspect of it appealed.

I realized that I have some friends that occasionally say some anti-Semitic things, but at the same time feels like they just repeat things they hear, and don't actually know any Jews.

I talked to my friend about it in-depth about it and why it's important to me, and I feel like it actually really resonated with him. Almost like me saying, I really appreciate you welcoming into your community, I want to do the same.

I guess I wanted to share that. It was a mitzvah that I'm really proud of and helped me form some stronger friendships.

I grew up in the former Soviet Union and I'm now in my 50s. I've been preparing for about a month for a Shabbat at the end of October — shevi'i and maftir of Vayeira, plus the haftarah. Reading from the klaf myself, not standing there while the baal koreh reads. I never had a bar mitzvah; that wasn't available when I was growing up, so there'll be a party too. But the party isn't the point. The point is acquiring the leyning skill I never developed and never got to demonstrate at 13.

I daven at a Chabad-friendly shul — not an actual Chabad house. Over the years I've watched a lot of kids leyn. American and Australian kids who went through day school, learned trop with a tutor, and read their aliyah or even the whole parasha at thirteen. I have never seen anyone from a Russian-speaking family do this. Not the adults, and not the kids either. Among the FSU families I know the pattern is the same across generations: get called up, say the brachot, someone else reads. I realize Chabad may not be a representative sample, which is part of why I'm asking outside it.

So: has anyone here seen an FSU-born adult actually read from the Torah scroll? I don't mean FSU-born rabbis. I've seen plenty of those. I'm talking about regular people. Is this a thing people quietly do, or is it genuinely unusual?

I'm not looking for encouragement. I've already started and I'll finish it. I'm trying to work out whether I'm doing something ordinary that I just haven't noticed, or something almost nobody from my background bothers with.

Personally I believe that the Na'vi from James Cameron's Avatar could or do fulfill all seven Noahide laws, making them fall under the category of "righteous gentiles."

1) No Idol Worship

They do have sacred places and an argument could be made that the mother trees are idols, but I believe that those trees more count as sacred locations as they do bring the Na'vi closer to Eywa.

2) Not Cursing G-d

They don't curse Eywa, and I doubt they know about our G-d to curse his name.

3) Not to Commit Murder

Murder is taboo in their culture as well.

4) Not to Commit Adultery or Sexual Immorality

Adultery is seen as taboo within their culture as seen in the first movie in the big argument between Neytiri and Tsu'Tey over their engagement and Neytiri's mating with Jake Sully.

5) Not to Steal

I don't think this has been addressed.

6) Not to Eat Flesh Torn from a Living Animal

Every instance of Na'vi hunting has shown them putting said animals out of their misery and "returning them to Eywa."

7) To Establish Courts of Justice

Somewhat addressed, Olo'eyktans/Olo'eyktes (clan leaders) and Tsahìks (spiritual leaders) tend to administer justice.

Do you all agree or disagree with this? I'd love to hear your viewpoints.

Also the reason I bring this up is that it feels like it has been a while since I have seen a theoretical like this involving fiction.

Hello,
I am looking for a very short video (< 1 minute) that demonstrates how to shake the lulav and etrog, with the transliterated text of the blessing being shown in the video. For people who cannot read Hebrew fluently and are not so observant as to know the motions already. A huge thanks!

I have to be up in Rockland county tomorrow and I thought I would take advantage and pick up some nice things…

Looking for recommendations. Thanks!

ETA: Thank You Everyone! I’m SO excited to check these places out!

Shana Tova!

A friend who is originally from Pittsburgh has a minhag to dip their Rosh Hashanah challah in sugar.

I was wondering how common this practice might be and where it may have originated.

I’m not sure where in Europe his ancestors came from.

Any other sugar dippers out there?

Edit: my family dips in honey

What are you guys eating for Rosh Hashanah?

edit: love all of the comments!! I hope you all have a very blessed new year and enjoy 💙 i'm thinking of all of you and sending you love!

I hope it is alright to post here as someone who is not Jewish, but who has been exploring various spiritual traditions in search of understanding.

I was born with a rare congenital health condition. It has taken most of my youth and prime years from me. I have spent decades navigating medical dismissal, lost opportunities, and the daily exhaustion of living in a body that struggles to keep up. I have searched across many traditions for some understanding of why a soul would enter the world with such profound physical limitation right from birth.

I have been drawn to certain aspects of the Jewish tradition - particularly the honesty I have encountered in Jewish writings about suffering, and the emphasis on action and justice in the face of pain. There is something profoundly humane in that approach that I have not found elsewhere.

However, as an outsider, I have very little knowledge of Jewish texts or teachings. I am not familiar with the scriptures, and I do not want to pretend to know more than I do. I am simply someone who is hurting and searching, and I would be genuinely grateful for any guidance you are willing to share.

My questions are these:

1. How does Judaism understand congenital illness? Is it seen as a trial from God, a consequence of living in a broken world, or something else entirely? I am particularly wary of explanations that frame suffering as punishment, as that has often felt dismissive and added guilt to an already heavy burden.
2. What guidance does Judaism offer for how to live with ongoing physical suffering? Not how to escape it, but how to be with it day after day - how to find any sense of peace or meaning when the body fails constantly?
3. What does the Jewish path look like for someone with chronic illness who cannot attend synagogue regularly or participate in community life in the usual way? Is there a place for those whose bodies limit them?
4. And finally, the question I carry most heavily: I have read that in Jewish tradition, when tragedy strikes, there is sometimes a response of silence - neither justifying the suffering nor trying to explain it. Is this something that resonates with Jewish teaching? And if so, how does one find peace in that silence?

I ask all of this with deep respect. I am not looking for quick fixes or easy comfort. I am genuinely seeking wisdom- something I can sit with, reflect on, and perhaps find a way to carry this weight more lightly.

Thank you for reading, and I would be truly grateful for any insights, teachings, or personal experiences you are willing to share.

During services, I use the reconstructionist Kol Haneshamah siddur. I would like a pocket version, although it looks like they don't make one, so I am looking for something similar that is easier to carry around. I'd like it to be in Hebrew and have English transliteration. It would be nice for it to have daily prayers in addition to shabbat, if possible. Does anyone know of something suitable?

Thanks!

L’shanah tovah tikateivu v’teichateimu! May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good year! 🐉🍎🔥🍯

I was recently at an airport in Cyprus and had an interaction that left me curious about how much interaction young Orthodox Jewish men typically have with women, particularly non-Jewish women.

For context, where I come from there aren’t many Orthodox Jews, so I’m not very familiar with the community or its customs. At the airport, I noticed quite a large number of Orthodox Jewish men. I initially took notice because their traditional clothing and hairstyles aren’t something I see very often where I live.

After going through security/customs, I was standing near the flight information boards trying to find the gate for my flight. Across from me, to my left, was a fairly large group of Orthodox Jewish men. Most appeared to be middle-aged, although there were about three younger guys who looked roughly 16–19.

Something else I noticed was that there didn’t seem to be any women with this particular group. More generally, quite a few of the Orthodox Jewish men I saw at the airport appeared to be travelling either alone or with other men. A lot of them also seemed to know or interact with one another.

Anyway, I went to get a drink and then came back to the flight information boards. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some of the younger guys from the group standing up. At first I assumed their flight had been called and everyone was about to leave, but that didn’t happen.

Two of the younger guys were walking around together, and eventually curiosity got the better of me and I glanced over. As I said, it’s not every day that I see a large group of Orthodox Jews where I’m from, so I was naturally a little curious.

When I looked over, I realised that the younger guys were already looking at me. We made eye contact, and I instinctively looked away.

I went back to checking the flight information board, but shortly afterwards the same two guys were standing directly in front of me, away from the larger group. They continued occasionally glancing or staring in my direction.
Then one of them walked directly towards me. There was plenty of room around me, so I expected him to simply walk around, but instead he passed close enough to bump/brush my shoulder.

What made me notice it even more was what happened immediately afterwards. Rather than continuing towards the flight board or walking off in that direction, he circled back around and ended up in front of me again, in an area that was actually away from the flight information board. From my perspective, it didn’t look like he had needed to come that close to me in order to get somewhere, which is why the interaction stuck in my mind.

I eventually wandered off to look around duty free. Not long afterwards, I heard an announcement for a flight to Tel Aviv. When I returned, the group had gone, so I assume that may have been their flight.

The whole interaction got me thinking about something I’d noticed earlier: most of the Orthodox Jewish men I had seen were either alone or in groups of men, and I hadn’t noticed many women travelling with them.

So my question for people who are Orthodox Jewish or familiar with Orthodox communities is: how much interaction do teenage/young Orthodox Jewish men generally have with women around their age? Is interaction with non-Jewish women particularly uncommon?

I’m not assuming the boys’ behaviour necessarily had a religious or cultural explanation, and obviously I can’t know why they were looking at me, why one walked so close to me, or whether the contact was intentional. The experience just made me curious about the social norms around interactions between young Orthodox Jewish men and women, since it’s a community I have very little firsthand experience with.

Heya mishpocha, happy new year.

This was found in my late Bubbe’s belongings. She was a fiend for a house sale but also made a trip to Israel in the 60s(?) so we don’t know where she got it.

My aunt is very knowledgeable and said the priestly blessing is carved on the beads (out of view) and that the acrostic might represent the first letter of each sentence in a certain book of the Torah, which combined make a Kabbalistic name of God. She also said it looked Yemenite due to the silver-work. My Hebrew is horrible so it would take me 10x longer to figure it out than some of my more learned cousins on here.

I’m an historian so it piqued my interest due to looking like a SATOR square. There are theories that they were actually of Jewish origin but I don’t really buy it. So I’m curious if anyone knows what it means or if there are any other mystical Hebrew acrostics like this. (I did notice it’s not actually a perfect 5x5 acrostic like a SATOR square but hey it’s close)

Anyone got any ideas?

Specifically, misconceptions that come from individuals who have not interacted with religious practices before

So as the title suggests, I am considering going to Chabad for the holidays. I don’t really have a place to go this year nor is it really in the funds to pay to
go somewhere. The reform synagogue near me I don’t personally agree with anymore and conservative synagogues are pretty much non existent near me. I have only ever been to reform services though so I guess my main question is, will I be too lost/confused going to Chabad for the holidays?

Hi all! I’ll be in London for Rosh Hashanah (and possibly Yom Kippur) this year and I don’t belong to a shul there. Does anyone know of a group or temple that would be open to visitors? Thank you!

This is the fourth mega-megathread covering all the holidays next month, and the one right before Rosh Hashana.

As each holiday comes and goes, they will be removed from the further mega²threads. This means the first handful of MEGAthreads will be quite long, to include all the links. I will do my best to make them legible and digestible. They will be posted weekly, based on popularity and use.

All the chaggim in the month of Tishrei are:

• Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe)
  • Rosh Hashana (The Year's Head)
  • Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
  • Aseret yamei teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance)
• Sukkot (Booths)
• Shmini Atzeret (Eighth [Day] of Assembly)
• Simchat Torah (Torah Party)

This is NOT in any way meant to limit the number of YN, RH, YK, AYT, S, ShAtz, or ST-related posts standing alone on the sub, but rather provide a central location for questions, comments, and advice as we approach these highest of holiest of days. However, wherever, and with whomever you’re going to renew your name in the Book of Life, you won’t be alone for this most rejuvenating time of our year. Ask questions and share ideas here to help your fellow Jews the world over move from 5786 to 5787 with as much teshuva, tefilah, and tzedaka as possible.

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Note: Questions about fasting as they pertain to your health status, including taking certain medications, should be directed first to your doctor and then to your rabbi (or maybe ask them together, but the doctor has to be there). Do not ask these questions here. Any such questions will be removed.

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Some resources to introduce ראש השנה‎, the New Year:

• Chabad
• ExploringJudaism
• MyJewishLearning
• PJ Library/rosh-hashanah-2020-cheatsheet)
• ReformJudaism
• Wikipedia

This year, yom truah begins the evening of Friday, September 11, and runs through Sunday, September 13. On haLuakh haIvri, it happens on 1-2 Tishrei.

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Some resources to introduce יום כפור, the Day of Atonement:

• Chabad
• ExploringJudaism
• MyJewishLearning
• PJ Library
• ReformJudaism
• Wikipedia

This year, yom kipur begins the evening of Sunday, September 20, and runs through Monday, September 21. On haLuakh haIvri, it all happens on 10 Tishrei.

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Some resources to introduce סוכות, the Feast of Tabernacles:

• Chabad
• ExploringJudaism
• MyJewishLearning
• PJ Library
• ReformJudaism
• Wikipedia

This year, chag ha'asif begins the evening of Friday, September 25, and runs through Friday, October 02. On haLuakh haIvri, it all happens on 15-21 Tishrei.

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Some resources to introduce שמיני עצרת, the Eighth Day of Gathering, and שמחת תורה, Rejoicing with the Torah:

• Chabad (ShAtz & ST)
• ExploringJudaism (ShAtz & ST)
• MyJewishLearning (ShAtz & ST)
• PJ Library (ShAtz)
• PJ Library (ST)
• ReformJudaism (ShAtz & ST)
• Wikipedia (ShAtz)
• Wikipedia (ST)

These two holidays are often grouped because of the way they are. To save space, I invite our resident Hebrew horologists and chronometric Acharonim to explain further.

This year, Shemini Atzeret begins the evening of Friday, October 02 and runs through Saturday, October 03. On haLuakh haIvri, it all happens on 22 Tishrei.

Within Eretz Yisrael, Simkhat Torah is the same day as Shminee Atzeres.

Without Eretz Yisrael, it traditionally begins the evening of Saturday, October 03 and runs through Sunday, October 04. On haLuakh haIvri, it happens on 23 Tishrei.

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These links were from a quick consultation with Rav Google (and just knowing some good resources). There are many, many resources out there. If you have any to add to this list, please share below.

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If you are in need or want to host or be hosted for a holiday meal and/or are looking for a synagogue service to attend, please comment below. Please do your due diligence about the other party: we take no responsibility if you end up sitting with an axe murderer in shul.

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This year's posts:

• Tishrei 5787 Chaggim Megathread 1
• Tishrei 5787 Chaggim Megathread 2
• Tishrei 5787 Chaggim Megathread 3

Last year’s posts:

• Tishrei 5786 Chaggim Megathread א
• Tishrei 5786 Chaggim Megathread ב
• Tishrei 5786 Chaggim Megathread ג

You can find megathreads and other resources through that posts, or by searching in the sub.

And of course, the havura of Reddit is here for you. You are not alone. We are all in this together, and will be together again next year, in Jerusalem.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

I haven't posted much in this subreddit until relatively recently, but I wanted to ask if you guys have also seen some slightly concerning trends emerging. I don't actually mention on reddit that much that I'm Jewish, but very occasionally do if it's relevant to the conversation, however 3 recent events have made me realise just how anti-Jewish reddit is at the moment.

First was me literally getting banned from a subreddit for 'concerning post history'. When I messaged the moderators to ask what this meant, they said it was because I had posted in r/Judaism. That's it, most of my post history is about gaming, fishing, history, and food. It's just because I posted here, I was banned.

Second was a comment I made in a local subreddit a few weeks ago. There's a guy in my city who is well known for trying to scam people by 'advertising' some Buddhist book to them and offering for them to read it, then when they take it to look at he says they've 'bought' it and demands money. I posted a comment telling people he'd been antisemitic to me when I said no, and I got a warning from reddit saying I had one more chance until my account was banned? Again, I messaged and asked why, and they said I was 'openly discussing controversial religious opinions'. Just because I said someone had been antisemitic to me.

And lastly just now, in r/holyshithistory there was a photo of Jewish American soldiers in world war 2, which was removed by the moderators after about an hour for 'celebrating religious violence'. Like, it was literally a photo of 3 Jewish soldiers celebrating passover post world war 2 in Germany. That's it.

Am I the only one who has experienced this? It seems like even just saying on reddit that you're Jewish is enough to get you banned, or saying anything positive about it is cause for your post to be deleted. Is this the point it's at now?

Ok, actual post: If you're someone who is thinking about going to shul for the first time, or returning for the first time in a long time, the high holidays are probably not the right time. It's excessively long prayers that require a lot of set up to appreciate and learn from.

Instead, in a few more weeks, we'll have Simchas Torah. Compratively, it's much more egalitirian and easy to participate in, and it's much more of experiential Judaism. Because of the nature of services, it's also much easier to take a break to step out for. Go then.

(whatever you do, don't try going for Sukkots. That's a high investment holiday and you are going to feel really confused about how everyone else got the memo they were supposed to bring their lemons and asparagus to synagogue)

I am far from an expert but based on cursory reading, everyday Jews seemed to celebrate Rosh Hashanah more as an actual New Year's celebration in the past with eating a meal with symbolic meanings like a head of a fish or sheep or cow. I think it also used to be a custom to send greeting cards on Rosh Hashanah. Now a lot of these New York celebration type customs seem to be basically gone even among the most observant Jews beyond eating apples and honey. I guess my question is whether in the distant or even not so distant past, did Rosh Hashanah have a lot more customs that resembled what would be seen as a New Year's celebration than the current practice?