Shalom! 

In this twenty fourth episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I discuss the holiday of Purim, which commemorates the saving of the Jews from an evil man named Haman. The story of Purim is recounted in the Book of Esther, who is known for saving the Jewish people; we read the Book of Esther on Purim (also known as the Megillah) to understand what occurred between Haman, Esther, Mordechai, and many other characters during the time period. I discuss the baking of hamantaschen, which are triangular filled baked goods in the shape of Haman’s hat, filled with sweet fillings; they are popular pastries that Jews eat on Purim. I also talk about the making of mishloah manot baskets, which are filled with sweets, toys, and money that the Jewish people donate to the poor during Purim. Listen to this episode to find out what I will be doing with these baskets this year!

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Shalom! 

In this twenty third episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I talk about the most popular public and private colleges/universities that Jewish students attend. As someone who is currently in the college application process, the Jewish atmosphere on campus is one of my top factors when choosing which colleges to apply to. The presence of Jewish organizations, a Jewish studies major, and a Kosher food option in the dining hall are all important factors for Jewish teenagers to consider when applying to college. Listen to this episode to learn about several statistics about Jewish students in college and to find out what BU, NYU, and Tulane all have in common!

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Shalom! 

In this twenty second episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I talk about Anne Frank’s story including her upbringing, her time spent hiding in the Secret Annex in the Netherlands, and the events that followed the discovery of the hiding place by Nazi police. Anne Frank is  famous for her diary, which she wrote during the two years that she spent hiding from the Nazis along with her sister, Margot, her parents, Otto and Edith, the Van Pels family, and Fritz Pfeffer. Listen to this episode to become educated on the history of the family as well as the hardships that they went through during the Holocaust. It’s extremely important that Anne Frank’s story has been spread all over the world and that her diary has been translated into 70 languages to ensure that such horrific events never happen again.

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this twenty first episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I talk about the stigmas and stereotypes associated with converting to Judaism and go over the realities and actual facts about the conversion process. I meet with my Rabbi biweekly for dinner and discuss various Jewish topics, and last week, the discussion was about converting to Judaism. I had many takeaways from my Rabbi which completely changed my perspective about the conversion process, and I share all of them in this episode! Listen to this episode to hear a specific story about Shammai’s vs Hillel’s approach on converting to Judaism!

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this twentieth  episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I cover the most recent Jewish Holiday, Hanukkah! Hanukkah is an eight day festival that represents the oil lasting for eight days in the second temple after its destruction in second century B.C. A little phrase I like that describes Hanukkah is “Imagine if your cellphone was at 10% but lasted 8 days… now you understand Hanukkah!” Foods that are fried in oil are typically eaten on Hanukkah to represent the miracle of the oil; these foods include latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts), and gelt (chocolate coins). Listen to this episode to learn about the game of dreidel and how gelt is used in it!

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this nineteenth episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I discuss Chavruta, a valuable lesson that the Torah teaches us. Chavruta means “friend” in Hebrew, but in the Torah, it is interpreted as a learning partner. In life, it’s super important to have someone alongside of you that can help you learn and succeed; simultaneously, you can also learn from them. Examples of a Chavruta in life could be a friend, romantic partner, business partner, or someone you look up to or admire. Can you think of someone who is a Chavruta in your life?

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Shalom! 

In this eighteenth  episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I discuss the establishment of various Jewish communities in my life. I am so thankful to live in a part of the world where there is religious freedom and being Jewish is something that I’m able to be overly open about. Sharing my passion for Judaism with others is super important to me, and I am thrilled to be part of several Jewish communities, where I am able to express my inner Judaism. Listen to this episode to find out which Jewish communities I am already part of and which ones I strive to join in the near future!

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this seventeenth episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I discuss a topic I learned about in Hebrew college: Yetzer Ha-Tov vs. Yetzer Ha-Ra. Your drive to do something good is your inner Yetzer Ha-Tov, which is also known as a positive inclination. Your drive to do something bad is your inner Yetzer Ha-Ra, which is also known as an evil inclination. In this episode, I give multiple examples about these two topics and how they intertwine with each other and how they apply to one topic at the same time. Listen to this episode to find out one of the things in my life that I consider a Yetzer Ha-Tov but at the same time a Yetzer Ha-Ra. In everything good, there’s something bad; in everything bad, there’s something good. 

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this sixteenth episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I cover the most recent Jewish Holiday, Simchat Torah. The translation of Simchat Torah is “rejoicing in Torah,” which is exactly what this holiday celebrates and consists of. Simchat Torah is filled with happy and loving dancing and singing in the synagogue. All the Torahs are taken out of the arc, and people parade around with them in circles, celebrating the gift of the Torah from G-d. The end of the Book of Deuteronomy is read followed by the beginning of the Book of Genesis, representing the full cycle of readings from the Torah. Listen to this episode to find out what the little kids in my synagogue parade around with, since they are unable to hold the heavy Torah!

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!

Shalom! 

In this fifteenth episode of “Nadine’s Vocal Jewish Journal,” I cover the most recent Jewish Holiday, Sukkot. Sukkot represents the many years that the Jews spent in the desert to get to the Promised Land, now known as Israel. The word “sukkot” literally means “hut,” and every year, families come together and build these huts (also called sukkahs) to live in for 8 days and 7 nights. Sukkahs are decorated inside with various colors, hanging ornaments, and any craft that kids make. Main symbols of Sukkot are the etrog, lulav, hadas, and aravah. Listen to this episode to find out what these items are!

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You can follow my instagram @nadine.litvak and DM me with any suggestions or feedback! You can also send me an email at [email protected]!