Feature: Being Jewish: A Journey in Time and Place

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to a Passover Seder. Good. So do you remember the story about the four children (it’s often called the “four sons” before things became more gender sensitive)? There’s the wise child, the rebellious child (often called the “bad” child), the simple child and the child who doesn’t know enough to know what he doesn’t know. (He’s usually called the quiet—or God forbid—“dumb” child.) I didn’t want to call this an “Idiots” this or a “Dummies” that because, frankly none of your reading this column are either dummies or idiots. Hey, after all, you're smart enough to navigate the "Interwebs" and find this little corner of the World Wide Web! But really what this really comes down to is Jewish Basic Training. It’s the stuff you probably either knew way back when and filed for later use (and then misplaced the key)—or stuff that now you have kids (or grandkids) you think you should know. So join me. Just follow the (blue and white) brick road...

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• Movie Review: Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

  Sholem Aleichem, from whom the world knows Fiddler on the Roof is the subject of a fantastic new documentary.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Sep 16, 2011

• Jewish and Truly Perplexed

  Welcome to "Being Jewish: A Journey in Time and Place." Here you will find a lot to discover about being Jewish.

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Sep 14, 2011

• "Never Again" in an Age of Indifference: In Remembrance of the Six Million

  Yom Hashoah is about remembering the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, but its commemoration means so much more.

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on May 01, 2011

• My Grandmother's Gefilte Fish: Not Only for Passover!

  Nothing beats homemade gefilte fish for Passover (Pesach).

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Apr 17, 2011

• Karpas: The Ultimate Passover Hors D'oeuvre

  Plagued by the "fifth question" of "when do we eat"? Use karpas and a well-equipped veggie tray to forestall hunger until "shulchan orech."

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Apr 07, 2011

• The Great Latke-Hamantashen Debate Comes to Blogcritics

  Latkes vs. Hamantashen: weigh in on your opinion!

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Dec 01, 2010

• Book Review: Crafting Jewish by Rivky Koenig

  Chanukah crafts and recipes are just for starters in this new, beautifully illustrated book.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Nov 30, 2008

• Book Review: The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy

  A lovely telling of one of the Bible's most compelling tales, the story of Deborah.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Sep 06, 2008

• Hippocrates v Maimonides: The Ethics of Dr. Gregory House, Part II

  Does Dr. Gregory House practice medicine using any sort of ethical framework? Maybe Maimonides can provide the answer.

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Aug 09, 2008

• Movie Review: Fugitive Pieces

  Jeremy Podeswa's film stars Stephen Dillane as a Holocaust survivor unable, years later, to let go of the memory of his sister.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Jul 13, 2008

• DVD Review: A Generation Apart

  A unique documentary examines through personal narrative what it means to be the child of Holocaust survivors.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Apr 28, 2008

• Music Review: Jewmongous - Taller than Jesus

  Just in time for Passover, Sean Altman's comedy-pop CD features "They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let's Eat!)"

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Apr 13, 2008

• Book Review: Seder Stories by Nancy Rips

  Presents 101 stories, anecdotes, quips and quotes about the week-long celebration of Passover.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Mar 04, 2008

• DVD Review: The Jewish Americans

  Now on DVD, PBS' three-part series The Jewish Americans traces the history of this small but influential part of the American experience.

  Review by Barbara Barnett — on Feb 16, 2008

• Mike Huckabee, God, and the Constitution

  Does Republican candidate Mike Huckabee really mean to suggest that we change the US Constitution to meet God's standards?

  Opinion by Barbara Barnett — on Jan 18, 2008