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…

Read More

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.…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Tu b’Shevat

While it may seem as if winter has just begun, it may be a good time to invoke a bit of optimism and look beyond the turbulent weather and remember that spring is just around the corner.…

Read More

The Tribe of Asher

As the forefathers of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob impacted on the history and behavior of the tribe members who descended from…

Read More

Indirect Damages

“An eye for an eye” as is set forth in this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim (Exodus 21:24), is one of the most commonly quoted phrases from the Hebrew Bible. This phrase, of course, is…

Read More