Haveil Havalim — Post-Pesach Edition

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term ‘Haveil Havalim,’ which means “Vanity of Vanities,” is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other ‘excesses’ and realized that it was nothing but ‘hevel,’ or in English, ‘vanity.’”

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Pesach 5770 has come and gone. It remained a popular topic this past week as dishes have been relocated to their rightful places and notes for next year have been jotted down. We have moved from rain to dew and the Journey towards Sinai is now underway.

So without further ado…

Pesach

As Jews, we live, and celebrate, on different planes. Passover of the Generations from Tzohar LaTeiva

We are required to remember the journey from bondage to liberation. The Ima reminds us that the memories can, and should, be good ones in How to Get Your Kids to Love Passover.

The Minnesota Mamaleh shares her creative ways of engaging her kids in Pesach in When it Comes to Religion: Think, Please.

When have we taken our desire to engage our kids in ritual too far? Marjorie Ingall touches upon this in Kids These Days.

Kitniyot. Qitnoyot. No matter how you spell it, it’s a timely topic of conversation. On the Fringe discusses it. And so do I.

The Shiloh Muse is finding new ways to use the sun in Passive Solar Cleaning.

Elianah-Sharon has a few lessons she learned this year in Wrapping Over Pesach.

Never to early to start planning your Passover Crafts-Toddler Approved for Pesach 5771, courtesy of Midianite Manna.

And if you’ve got some leftover matza, Matzo Ball Soup has some ideas What to Do with Your Leftover Matzo…

Omer

The counting of the Omer is a time-bound mitzvah and therefore women are not required to observe it. The Velveteen Rabbi shares the struggle of wanting to observe it while juggling parenthood in Omer, Interrupted.

And the Ima’s Abba asks, and answers, What is this Omer Counter Thing Doing Here?

And more Omer thoughts from Homeshuling.

Israel

What will it take for Israel to survive? Batya says Build Now! The Antidote to Appease AKA Peace sic Now.

A Soldier’s Mother sends another son to the army in Ima, I Have a Problem.

Israel continues to be at the cutting edge when it comes to the Technology of the Future, shared by Israeli Soldier’s LIFE & TIMES.

Yisrael Medad clarifies the “settlement” issue regarding Jerusalem and Shiloh in his op-ed piece (Forward), What Unites Shiloh and Jerusalem.

A political retelling of Chad Gadya presented by The Rebettzin’s Husband.

Stand-up comedy? In Israel? You bet, says Israelity, in Jerusalem of Laughs.

No Excuses, Our Land is the Essence, presented by Shiloh Musings, reflects on the importance of living in our Homeland.

It’s important to question what the media present as factual, reminds Green-Lined, in An ‘Easter’ Miracle.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but what are the words saying if the pictures aren’t what they appear? Pictures Can Lie is over at Shiloh Musings.

When “Non-Violent” isn’t quite so non-violent as shown in The ‘New’ and ‘Non-Violent’ “Intifada” from My Right Word.

Hey, a dog’s gotta go when a dog’s gotta go. But Cosmic X shares how the municipality is asking dog owners to take responsibility inDealing with Dog Litter in Jerusalem.

Israelity shares some lovely and interesting destinations in a Vacation Diary and A Crusader Herzliya.

From the Hills of Ephraim asks So, Are We Still in Bondage?

How to Be Israeli shares a book that will give some insights into Israeli culture.

Jewish

In observance of Yom HaShoah, Good News from Israel has compiled 163 Educational Website about the Holocaust.

The perennial question is answered by Seraphic Secret in Myrna Loy: Good for the Jews.

Rabbi Rachel Guvreitz talks about the potential dangers of free speech in Words Create and Words Destory: Hate Speech Then and Now.

Ah….Shabbos. Truth, Praise, and Help shares her thoughts on Judith Shuletvitz’s recent interview in My Sentiments Exactly.

Welcome to the Next Level takes a hard look at Jewish education in Put Your Own Oxygen Mask First, and Then Help Your Children.

Freedom from Bondage to the New Lost Tribes — Not a Pesach Story is MyPanim’s take on the different ways to to find a meaningful Judaism in a contemporary world.

What will leave a better impact on our kids? Modern Orthoprax and Heterodox wonder in Nickelodeon vs. The Midrash Says: Which is Better?

This is a season of transition. Here Comes the Sun, from the Edible Torah, highlights one of the ways we mark the change of seasons.

Holy Blossoms, Batman! Rabbi Matt Carl also addresses seasonal changes with a guest post on The Jew & The Carrot.

Ima 2 Seven shares the importance of Making for Yourself a Rabbi … Aseh l’cha Rav.

This week’s Torah portion offers the basis for Parshablog’s Ibn Ezra and the Transsexual Rabbits.

Achas L’Maala V’Sheva L’Matta shares the latest in Book 2 and the Eye of the Storm

Been writing about food? Shimshonit is Seeking KCC Submissions.

And yasher koach to Tablet for having the courage to criticize in “What’s the Deal with ‘Heeb’?”

Personal

Are you adherent to the “Finish What You’ve Started Rule” when it comes to reading? Then you’ll enjoy what Verbatim has to say in I’ll Finish it Later.

A much-needed holiday provided Around the Island the opportunity to visit another island. See the stunning results in Cloudy Skies over Ireland’s Eye.

Reb Nachman of Bratslav described his faith as waxing and waning like the moon. I think that Chavi would agree in A Spiritual Drought.

Leah writes with searing honesty about how a seder experiences brought feelings of inadequacy to the surface in A Tale of (Two) Seders.

Another Passover experience that belongs here because of its emotional weight is Charlie’s First Passover from Jew Eat Yet?

Pesach also brings forth memories from one of the Redefining Rebbetzins in 14 Years or 14 Days and from me, Frume Sarah, in From Generation to Generation.

A Mother in Israel shares how one conversation can bring back Memories of a Bathing Suit.

The torch is passed in From Generation to Generation over at Isramom. And happy 85th to Risa’s mom! Ad me’ah v’esrim.

In Limbo for Yizkor, over at On the Fringe, explores what happens when different customs are in conflict.

Everyone has a story…and you should hear this one from the JazzRabbi

Jack share some reflections from his grandmother’s funeral in It is a Hand Up – Not a Hand Out

The years go so quickly. In the Pink shares a Touching Moment.

What a difference a year makes! Elianah-Sharon and Our First Heart-i-versary — Part I and Part II

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And that concludes this week’s edition of Haveil Havalim. I hope that you enjoy these varied posts!!

Next week will be hosted by Simply Jews. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Haveil Havalim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.