Archaeologists from the Israel Museum and colleagues found residue of cannabis containing THC on an altar in the ancient Israelite temple of Tel Arad. Apparently, the discovery in this 2,700-year-old temple south of Tel Aviv, Israel, is the first proof that ancient Jews used weed in rituals. From the BBC News:

Researchers concluded that cannabis may have been burned in order to induce a high among worshippers.[...]

Frankincense was found on one altar, which was unsurprising because of its prominence in holy texts, the study's authors told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.[...] However, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) - all compounds found in cannabis - were found on the second altar.

"Cannabis and Frankincense at the Judahite Shrine of Arad" (Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University) Read the rest

My friends at Reboot, the Jewish arts and culture nonprofit, are hosting a free Passover concert stream today at 2pm PDT / 5pm EDT with a killer lineup! The show, "Reboot Ideas: Liberation Through Music," features Nicki Bluhm (The Gramblers), Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars), Jeremiah Lockwood, and Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave). Dayenu! Tune in here on Zoom.

And check out the calendar of upcoming Reboot Ideas sessions here!

L'Chaim! Read the rest

Yesterday was the first night of Hanukkah. From the International Space Station, astronaut Jessica Meir tweeted the image above and the following: "Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate it on Earth! #HappyHanukkah"

Read the rest

Brace yourself. President Trump and others in the image above are facing an imminent criminal prosecution showdown, but tomorrow Donald is due to give 'Hanukkah remarks' again. Have some popcorn handy, this should be bonkers. Read the rest

What do you call someone who derives pleasure from the bread of affliction?

A matzochist.

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Why do we have a Haggadah at Passover?

So we can Seder right words.

Share your own in the comments! Happy Passover! Read the rest

The late-great comedienne Joan Rivers was a frequent guest on Martha Stewart's daytime show. One year for Passover, they built gingerbread-like houses with sheets of matzo and decorated them with other kosher foods including macaroons, chocolate, dried fruits, and nuts. Such a cute idea!

Watch:

Happy Pesach to those of you out there who celebrate! Read the rest

The terror attacks against Jewish folks in America continue. No one seems to care. Read the rest

My friends in Reboot and Partners In Crime opened a fantastically cool Reboot Hanukkah Pop-Up Shop on Union Street in San Francisco (and online too)! The physical shop is only open this weekend and there are terrific events for the whole family including a lunch concert today by blues guitarist Luther Dickinson, a reading/signing tomorrow afternoon by the inimitable Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) and Lisa Brown, Lego Menorah Making, and a Sunday evening screening of Tiffany Shlain and Julie Hermelin's new film 50/50!

Reboot Hanukkah Pop-Up Shop Read the rest

Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, a prolific author, and an outspoken activist for peace and human rights. He died Saturday, at 87 years old. Read the rest

A man wearing a mask takes part in a parade marking the Jewish holiday of Purim outside the Bialik Rogozin school in Tel Aviv, Israel March 22, 2016. Read the rest

Polyhai's tutorial for creating a tiki-mug menorah is all the sholem aloha you need for eight nights of candlelit grog-swilling. Read the rest

In France, police are searching for three terrorism supporters who stabbed a Jewish school teacher at a Jewish school in Marseille. Read the rest

The festival of lights, indeed. (Thanks, Jordan Kurland!)

Read the rest

The amazing Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues) and Theodore Gray created a fantastic embroidered stop-motion animation of my favorite traditional Passover song "Chad Gadya." Read the rest

Engineering, Architecture and Planning students at Technion--Israel Institute of Technology are remembering the story of Moses this Passover as only engineers, architects and planners can. Read the rest

Happy new year! Read the rest

Photo: ICE HSI. Click to enlarge.

In Washington today, US officials and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum representatives announced the seizure of a long-lost diary maintained by a close confidant of Adolf Hitler.

The recovery of this historical document was the result of an extensive investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The author of the so-called "Rosenberg Diary" was Alfred Rosenberg, a leading member of the Third Reich and of the Nazi Party during World War II.

Rosenberg was one of the intellectual authors behind key Nazi beliefs, including persecution of Jewish people, expansionist “lebensraum” (living space) ideology, the "master race" theory, and the rejection of modern art as "degenerate." He was tried at Nuremberg, sentenced to death, and hanged on October 16, 1946, after having been convicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The diary will eventually be displayed in the Holocaust Museum. More photos, video from the press conference where the seizure was announced, video of Rosenberg speaking, and more of the story behind this important historic artifact are below. Read the rest