High Holy Day Music from throughout the Jewish World JNUL - Jewish National & University Library

As we start another year of studies, I invite my students and their families to check out this wonderful database of Jewish music from around the world for Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

JNUL - Jewish National & University Library

The Jewish Traveler: Rome - Hadassah Magazine | HadassahMagazine.org

Hadassah Magazine is consistently one of the best Jewish periodicals around. My favorite ongoing feature is The Jewish Traveler. Every month, Hadassah profiles the Jewish community of a city in North America or an international destination. Not only does it inspire dreams of travel, but it also describes the history and culture of the Jews in that area. The Jewish Traveler: Rome - Hadassah Magazine | HadassahMagazine.org

Ice Cream Sundaes, Cheesecake, and Shavuot

Yesterday, while eating ice cream sundaes with my It's a Girl Thing group to celebrate the month of Sivan and Shavuot, I found myself talking to the girls about why we eat dairy on Shavuot. This year, I spoke from a new perspective, though--the one of a nursing mother.

Among the numerous reasons for eating dairy on Shavuot, when Jews celebrate receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai, is that Torah can be compared to mother's milk. If mother's milk is the perfect physical food, then Torah is the perfect spiritual food. Just as mother's milk is custom-created for each baby, changing its quantity and composition based on each child's developmental needs, each reading of Torah contains a new lesson, perfect for a specific reader at that moment of his or her life. Just as a mother feels compelled to feed her child, God is driven to give humanity--God's children--Torah.

I could probably go on for a while on this tangent, as it combines two of my most fervent enthusiasms of the moment: breastfeeding and Torah.

Inspired by my dairy ruminations, I will be marking Shavuot with a custom-created cheesecake--I'm going to experiment with a ginger-dark-chocolate chunk cheesecake. Wish me luck.

For more explanations (traditional and otherwise) of eating dairy on Shavuot and other Shavuot customs, see the following links:
http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=43636
http://www.aish.com/h/sh/r/48969771.html
http://www.jewishsantabarbara.org/page.aspx?id=130669
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot/At_Home/Foods.shtml
http://www.amotherinisrael.com/shavuot-cheese-cake/

For my favorite cheesecake (with thanks to Erica):
Maple Cheesecake with Maple-Cranberry Compote