Holidays. Purim, Passover, Holocaust Remembrance Day, even Thanksgiving. Holiday rituals connect us with history and community.

“The Jewish holidays are not random moments scattered over the year,” says Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, “but purposeful occurrences that draw their power from multiple sources—the natural world and its seasons, myth, religious traditions, folk customs, and decisive historical events in the life of our people.” (The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary).