In American Ghost: A Family’s Haunted Past in the Desert Southwest, award-winning author Hannah Nordhaus treats us to a genealogical detective story that combines memoir, cultural history, and ghost hunting in her quest to discover the truth about her great-great-great-grandmother.

I had always thought of Jewish cemeteries as solemn places – but that was before going to a hilloula (festivity) 30 years ago in the Moroccan town of Ouazzane on Lag BaOmer, the Jewish holiday that falls on the 33^rd day between Pesach and Shavuot.

Hardly a week goes by without news of religious extremists committing atrocities against people of other faiths in the name of God or some other holy cause. As a result, “religion” itself has been put on trial. Is religion to blame for the moral failures of the world, as some charge, or is it humankind’s best hope for peace?

Most people have at least heard of Amazon’s groundbreaking television show, Transparent, which along with transgender actress Laverne Cox of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and movies such as Tangerine, are pushing transgender stories from the margins into the mainstream. But to single out Transparent simply for highlighting a topic that’s still taboo in most of the television world is to overlook the other half of the show’s DNA – its significant reliance on Jewish themes and customs to weave its tale. It may seem an arbitrary combination, as the show is based in part on creator Jill Soloway’s own Jewish family and transgendered parent, but advocacy for LGBTQ rights has a long history among progressive Jews.

Following an impressive festival run, Son of Saul is set to open in a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 18.

“It’s true. All of it: The Dark Side, the Jedi. They’re real.”

These are the first words we hear from Han Solo, the former smuggler and member of the Rebel Alliance, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It’s been almost 40 years since the original Star Wars film hit the big screen, but its stories in the theater, books, television, video games, and other media highlight themes that continue to resonate with us today.

In particular, the Star Wars mythology can be understood through a Jewish lens.

Before attending the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbeine’s new production of the Di Goldene Kale (The Golden Bride), I expected to see an ensemble of old-timers on stage. Who else, I thought, can speak Yiddish and act?

To my surprise, the 20-member cast of

Looking for a good book to give your favorite bibliophile this Hanukkah? Staff of the Union for Reform Judaism recommend a few of their favorites, whether classics or new, that would make for great gifts. What would you add to the list?

1. All-of-a-Kind Family

I used to always joke that I was “Jew-ish” – mostly just the nose and neuroses. Out of fear of being lumped into a category, with all its associated stereotypes and expectations, having a sense of humor about my background was my defense mechanism.

Perhaps it