The Top 10 Things to do on Lag B'Omer

1. Light Bonfires: Commemorates the intense light that Rabbi Shimon ben Yochi brought to the world. 
2. Shoot Bows and Arrows: Symbolizes rainbows, which were not seen during Shimon ben Yochi’s time. 
3. Go to Rabbi Shimon ben Yochi’s Tomb/Go to Meron: Shimon ben Yochi died on this day and his tomb is in Meron. 
4. Children’s Parades: The Lubavitcher Rebbe started this tradition as a sign of Jewish unity. 
5. Eat Carob 
6. Get Married 
7. Get a Haircut 
8. Dance 
9. Listen to Music 
10. Party 

* Lag B'Omer is the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, on the 18th day of the month of Iyar. The Omer is the 49 day period between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot, and is a time of semi-mourning. Because it is a time of semi-mourning, several activities are not allowed (marriage, haircut, dance, party, listen to music) except for the 33rd day of the Omer, the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochi, who is traditionally said to have written the Zohar (the book of the Kabbalah). In Judaism, death dates are celebrated more than birth dates, because when you celebrate on the death date, you are celebrating everything that this person accomplished during his or her life.

Not too many books on this holiday, 

but click above to see a children's book on Lag B'Omer and Shavuot

The Top 10 Things You Wish You Could do on Shabbat, But Can't

1. Driving: Driving involves creating fire in an engine, and starting a fire is prohibited. 
2. Watching T.V.: Even if you’re watching, “The 10 Commandments,” you’re still not allowed. 
3. Turning on/off Lights: Lots of people get around this buy putting their lights on timers on Shabbat. 
4. Buying Anything: You can’t carry money on Shabbat so you can’t buy anything. 
5. Using Your Computer: No Facebook, no Microsoft Word, no Wikipedia, nothing! 
6. Using the Phone: No cell phone, no house phone, no voice over IP, no GoogleVoice, no Skype. 
7. Turning on a Fan, Air Conditioner, or Heater: All involve using electricity, so it’s prohibited. 
8. Using an Oven/Microwave: Cooking and baking are not allowed. 
9. Turning Your Alarm Clock Off: If you forget to turn off your alarm for Shabbat, you’ll be regretting this mistake Saturday morning. 
10. Taking Photographs: Whether it’s digital or not, no photos allowed. 

* There are thirty-nine specified prohibited activities on Shabbat. Through rabbinic legal analysis, these thirty-nine activities have been expanded to encompass activities that did not exist in biblical times, but are in our modern times. Many of the prohibited activities can be done by putting devices on timers, and also having a non-Jew (a Shabbos goy) do them for you.

Click the cover above to see a book on a guide to observing Shabbat.

The Top 10 Things to do at Shabbat Dinner

1. Lighting Shabbat Candles: This act brings in Shabbat the prayer for it is traditionally sung by the women of the home. 
2. Kiddish: This blessing is said before drinking wine, and thanks G-d for bringing forth the “fruit of the vine.” 
3. Motzi: This blessing is said before eating bread. It thanks G-d for bringing forth bread from the earth. 
4. Blessing Over the Children: The father blesses his sons and daughters and asks G-d to make his sons like Ephraim and Menashe, and his daughters like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. 
5. Washing Hands: After you drink the wine, and before you do the motzi, you should wash your hands for a spiritual cleaning. 
6. Song for the Wife (Eshet Chayil): The husband sings this song that praises his wife for all she has done for the family. 
7. Eating Chicken: While not a law, it seems like no Shabbat meal is a real Shabbat meal without some kind of chicken. 
8. Birkat HaMazon: The grace after the Shabbat meal. 
9. Devar Torah: A little Torah teaching during the meal is good for the soul. 
10. Singing: There’s lot of singing at the end of Shabbat dinner.

Click the cover above see the Shabbat dinner cookbook on Amazon.

The Top 10 Plagues

1. Death of the Firstborn: The firstborn sons of the Egyptians were killed by the Angel of Death. Many Jews do not realize that the Angel of Death also killed the first born cattle as well. 
2. Darkness 
3. Locusts 
4. Hail 
5. Boils 
6. Pestilence (Livestock Disease) 
7. Flies or Wild Animals 
8. Lice 
9. Frogs 
10. The Waters Turned to Blood

* The ranked order above is the reverse chronological order of the Plagues that befell the Egyptians, since the Plagues were said to increase in severity. The Pharoah would not let the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. It was only after G-d inflicted ten plagues on the Egyptians that Pharoah finally decided to let the Hebrews go.

Click the book cover above to get the story of Passover 

and learn more about the Plagues.

The Top 10 Passover Foods

1. Matzah Ball Soup: A dumpling made from ground up matzah, eggs, and oil, then rolled into a ball and dropped into some chicken broth. 
2. Charoset: Every Jewish ethnic community has their own special recipe. Ingredients often include: apples, red wine, walnuts, dates, figs, raisins, and cinnamon. 
3. Gefilte Fish: A combination of carp and pike fish rolled into a ball of deliciousness. Usually eaten with horseradish. 
4. Matzah Brei: Matzah, softened and stir fried with egg, and often eaten with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet version, or salt and pepper for a non-sweet version. 
5. Matzah Kugel: Just like the real thing, only it uses kosher for Passover noodles and kosher for Passover bread crumbs. 
6. Matzah (plain): Matzah is supposed to be “The Bread of Affliction,” but some people find it delicious by itself. 
7. Matzah Pizza: Add some kosher for Passover spaghetti sauce and some cheese on top of a piece of Matzah, and voila! 
8. Manischewitz Coffee Cake: Some say this coffee cake tastes better than “real” coffee cake. 
9. Macaroons: Meringue-like cookie made with almonds and coconut. 
10. Egg White “Bread” Rolls: We clever Jews figured out a way to make bread rise without yeast...egg whites!

Click above to get the New York Times Passover Cookbook on Amazon!

The Top 10 Days of Fasting

1. Yom Kippur: The Torah actually never says to fast on this day, only to “afflict your soul.” 
2. 9th of Av: Commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem. 
3. 17th of Tammuz: Commemorates several tragic events, one of which was the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem that eventually led to the destruction of the Second Temple. 
4. Fast of Gedaliah: Commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah, a righteous governor of Judah. This fast is the day after Rosh Hashanah. Just when you thought you had another week to prepare for the Yom Kippur fast, this one sneaks up on you! 
5. 10th of Tevet: Commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. 
6. Fast of the First Born: First born children are supposed to fast to commemorate not being subjected to the Tenth Plague that killed the first born Egyptians. 
7. Fast of Esther: Commemorates the fasting of the Jewish people so that Queen Esther had the courage to confront the king. 
8. 7th of Adar: Some Jews fast on this day, the day Moses died (he was also born on this day too). 
9. Wedding Day: There is a tradition for the bride and groom to fast the day of their wedding. The fast is broken with the first glass of wine during their wedding ceremony. 
10. Personal Fast Day: A person can fast any day for the purpose of a personal need or request.

The Top 10 Ways to Spell (C)han(n)uk(k)a(h)

          Spelling                      Google Hits

1. Hanukkah                  20.7 million
2. Chanukah                  6.5 million
3. Hannukah                  1.4 million
4. Chanukka                  1.1 million
5. Hanukah                   1.0 million
6. Chanuka                    0.9 million
7. Chanukkah               0.5 million
8. Hanukka                   0.4 million
9. Channukah               0.3 million
10. Chanukka                 0.3 million

* If you take all combinations of whether (C)han(n)uk(k)a(h) starts with a “C” or with an “H,” whether there are one or two “N”s, one or two “K”s, or whether the holiday ends with an “H” or not, there are 16 possibilities. Some variations are more popular than others (retrieved from http://www.google.com on February 27, 2012).

Someone actually wrote a book with this as the title! 

Click the book cover above to see the book on Amazon.

The Top 10 Jewish Holidays

1. Yom Kippur: The mother of all holidays! One day of fasting and you're absolved of all your sings for the year.  Not a bad dea.
2. Rosh Hashanah: Hard to deny the Jewish New Year the #2 spot as the second of the High Holidays.  It begins the 10 days of repentance.
3. Passover: The most widely celebrated Jewish holiday of all.
4. Sukkot: Nothing beats sitting int eh sukkah and eating a dinner under the stars.
5. Purim: The Halloween of Judaism, but we're not trying to scare away evil spirits.
6. Hanukkah: While actually a very minor holiday, it gets overly recognized because of its proximity to Christmas
7. Shavuot: Celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people.
8. Simchat Torah: Celebrates the conclusion of the reading of the Torah.
9. Tu B'Shevat: A holiday that celebrates trees.
10. Lag BaOmer: Jews celebrate this holiday by lighting bonfires.

* Many consider Shabbat to the be the holiday that outranks any other holiday. While not a holiday in the commonly understood sense of the term for most Jews today, if you want to call Shabbat #1, then you have no choice but to give Lag BaOmer the boot! It’s your call.  Learn more about the Jewish holidays from by clicking on the cover of the book you can get on Amazon below.