Jewish Treats

Symbolic Foods

Since Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment, it is customary to eat simanim*, foods with symbolic meanings that invoke God’s blessing. We also recite a short prayer before eating them.…

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Jewish Treats

A Meaningful Act of Kindness

We are all at a loss of how to deal with the tragic unfolding events in Israel. On the one hand, we feel helpless seeing the horrific images from Israel and reading the tragic stories…

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Jewish Treats

His Tricks Were Quite a Treat

It is commonly acknowledged that the magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) set the standard for all performing magicians to come. Many people are also aware of the fact…

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Jewish Treats

Keeping Ethical

Pirkei Avot is commonly translated as "Ethics of Our Fathers" because many of its statements focus on ethical behavior. For those striving to be ethical, “Nittai the Arbelite says: Keep…

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Jewish Treats

The Thanksgiving Synagogue Service

While Thanksgiving is most certainly an American festival of gratitude, its founders prominently articulated its religious underpinnings, which ultimately traces to a source in Judaism.…

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Jewish Treats

On One Foot

Jewish Treats was asked to summarize the Jewish faith in one tweet. For those unfamiliar with the “X”/Twitter format, that means in 280 characters or less, which seems, at first glance, a…

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Jewish Treats

Natural Born Athlete

In the world of sports, Bobbie Rosenfeld had, what a person might call, the “magic touch.” As it was once noted: “The most efficient way to summarize Bobbie Rosenfeld’s career…is to say…

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Jewish Treats

The Challenge of a Cup of Tea

How do you make a cup of tea? Seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? Tea is easy. Simply take a mug, fill it with hot water, and then just add a tea bag. Let the tea steep, and remove…

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Jewish Treats

Hardened Hearts of a Leader

Upon the death of North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il twelve years ago, the press rehashed what was known about the repressive regime, certainly causing many to wonder how any leader could cause…

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Jewish Treats

The Foolishness of a Hardened Heart

Learn from the mistakes made by Pharaoh and other tyrants and the futility of trying to control others. Human nature sometimes compels us to reject personal responsibility and…

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