FULL COLUMN: Apologies and more on Yom Kippur
…from this week’s Tampa Tribune. My mother always taught her Catholic children that Judaism was the foundation of our faith. It officially became my faith in 1995. For the most part, everyone handled it well. Our family gatherings have never turned into a Jerry Springer episode. There are some repercussions. For example, I can’t [...]
FULL COLUMN: Tá brón orm
Yom Kippur is almost upon us. I have found, after writing about this for so many years, that Jews and goyim alike are fascinated by the idea of atonement. Friends who would never circumcise their sons, give up presents at Christmas, or eat matzoh for Passover are nevertheless interested in the whole lamenting and [...]
FULL COLUMN: Apples dipped in honey, what’s not to like?
The holiest days of the year are approaching and you know what that means! Every year before Rosh Hashanah, synagogues send tickets to members for High Holy Day services. Non-members in the Tampa Bay area usually pay around $200. That’s right. Local Jews pay that kind of money for tickets to a show that doesn’t [...]
North v. South Tampa
I’ve lived in North Tampa for most of my life. I graduated from Chamberlain High and USF. My husband and I bought our first house in Wesley Chapel and stayed for over six years. I’ve also lived in Lutz and Carrollwood. During this time, I searched high and low for culture, creativity, and kosher pickles, [...]
Oy to the world
Until our children were born, almost eleven years ago, we hadn’t realized how boring our Chanukah routine had become. Year after year, we’d light candles, sing prayers, open a gift, eat latkes, open a window, and go to sleep. Eight nights in a row and that routine gets old. When we became parents, Husband and [...]
How to say you’re sorry – apologies before Yom Kippur
For me, the high holy days this year sorta suck. I can live with the reason, though. I got a great new job. Still, Rosh Hashanah came quickly and I couldn’t take time off. Now I’m in Jersey as Yom Kippur approaches and tomorrow will spend The Day of Atonement in Philadelphia, surrounded by goyim [...]
Apples dipped in honey, what’s not to like?
The holiest days of the year are approaching and you know what that means! Every year before Rosh Hashanah, synagogues send tickets to members for High Holy Day services. Non-members in the Tampa Bay area usually pay around $200. That’s right. Local Jews pay that kind of money for tickets to a show that doesn’t [...]
The two-and-a-half-minute Haggadah
Personally, I love the storytelling aspect of a good Passover Seder. Discussing something other than the merits of throwing a ball into a basket is a nice change of pace. But some people complain the ritual takes too long. Here is a shorter suggestion I adapted to fit the mood of my readers. A Passover [...]
Preparing for Passover
Passover begins Monday evening. You might wonder how a converted Jew, who is not at all domestically inclined, can prepare a Passover Seder for several people without sticking a knife in any of them. As always, I am here for you and willing to dispense my award-winning advice, free of charge. Each year, as I [...]
Clash of cultures at Cracker Country – Why chaperones drink
Last week, I chaperoned my children’s fourth-grade class on a field trip to Cracker Country. For those outside the Bible belt, and Godspeed, seriously, Cracker Country is a journey back in time to the late 1800s/early 1900s. School groups visit Cracker Country to learn about how people lived in rural Florida at the turn of [...]
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Catherine Durkin Robinson
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