Rosh HaShanah is one of the biggest holidays on the Jewish calendar and is the start of the High Holy Days season. Synagogues are packed with Jewish people today, gathered to hear the blowing of the shofar and beginning 10 Days of Awe and repentance, hoping they will be inscribed in the Book of Life for one more year.

When Mordecai is to be hanged on the gallows (tree) it is the lowest point of the story (v.15), and yet in the sovereignty of God the same gallows meant for Mordecai end up with Haman being hanged on them (6:10).

It is the greatest divine reversal. The greatest moment of defeat becomes the greatest moment of victory for Mordecai, Esther, and the Jewish people. The “Ha etz” that was meant for Mordecai became the gallows for Haman. And of course we have a picture of another reversal as we look at Yeshua and the cross (Ha etz, the tree).

When the enemy Satan thought that he had won victory, his victory was turned into defeat at the resurrection of the Messiah.

From Esther 1:1 - 5:14, we have tragedy after tragedy.

From Esther 6:14 - 10:3, everything is undone and reversed.

Crispy Perfect Latkes, every time!

Food, family, holidays – what could be better!?

I love the day our family comes together to celebrate Hanukkah, eat latkes, sing the Dreidel song, and retell the story of the Maccabee Revolt and the Miracle of the Oil.

We don’t just serve latkes, we have a “Latke Throw-Down”! Each family makes a unique latke recipe with special savory toppings; all hoping theirs is the BEST!

Here is my favorite recipe - Enjoy!

Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” The holiday is named this since it celebrates the rededication of the Temple to the Lord after it was desecrated by the pagan, Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes.

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and forgiveness. It is the last day of the Days of Awe, and it's time to take stock in our lives. On this Day of Atonement, we are supposed to live with a spirit of repentance and be thankful for forgiveness. As Jewish followers of the Messiah, our atonement was secured as Jesus was crucified on that cursed tree. There is nothing more we can do to earn ourselves forgiveness or atonement, it has already been provided for us. What is left is for us to receive it.

In Jewish tradition, The Days of Awe are ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. These days are considered the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. They are a time for reflection, fasting, and repentance. During this time Jews ask forgiveness from those they have wronged and forgive those who have wronged them. On Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), Jews believe that the fate of the Jewish people will be sealed by God's judgment over them on this day.

On this solemn day, we remember specific events in history and how they impacted us as a people. Although today is not necessarily meant to be celebratory, it should also not be forgotten. Today Jews around the world will join together in mourning and reflection.

Embedded in the narrative of the Feasts of Israel is a verse right in the middle of them all. It is a verse of separation. If you’re not careful, you might even be tempted to overlook it and ask what’s next. Don’t do that.

Leviticus 23:22 is crucial.

It’s not about the past. It’s not about the future.

It’s about right now.

Believe it or not, we have another Jewish holiday just around the corner. Sunday evening, May 16 at sundown, begins the Jewish holiday of Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. Jewish people worldwide will be celebrating this holiday as the day God gave the Torah (Law) to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai.

Charoset a sweet paste made of apples and nuts that symbolizes the mortar used by the ancient Israelites to build their homes in Egypt. It's also symbolic of the clay bricks used for building Jerusalem, which Jews believe will be rebuilt during the Messianic Age.