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Jan Lee. Credit: Courtesy.

Jan Lee

Jan Lee is an award-winning editorial writer and former news editor. Her articles and op-eds have been published in a variety of Jewish and travel publications, including the Baltimore Jewish Times, B’nai B’rith Magazine, Jewish Independent and The Times of Israel.

It’s no surprise that the Torah puts constraints on how the Israelites were to treat those very first fruits they harvested from their gardens.
Its celebration carries a message of the unshakable power of community when faced with change or adversity.
A growing number of congregations have begun exploring new ways to introduce this service that comes before the start of Rosh Hashanah.
It’s no surprise that the sages go to great lengths to tie this holiday of love to historical events that seem to have little to do with romance and everything to do with another kind of love.
The day is a time to reflect how we, individually and collectively, have been transformed by loss.
As we celebrate our nation’s 249th year, I can’t help but wonder what America’s early Jews could teach us about resilience and healing.
For Jews in the Diaspora, finding a sense of connection to our historical roots can seem harder than it does in Israel. But the inspiration is there.
People are struggling to understand “how to recognize it, what causes it, what it says about our societies and the risks we all face, Jewish or not,” says historian Edna Friedberg.
The holiday is about the assurance that even in the worst of times, even after experiencing heart-wrenching loss, things can still turn out OK.