North Star State’s First Jewish Senator
Rudolph Ely Boschwitz was born on November 7, 1930, in Berlin, Germany to his Jewish parents Lucy (Dawidowicz) and Eli. When he was 3, coinciding with Hitler’s rise to power, the…
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, literally the Night of Crystal, but generally translated as the Night of Broken Glass, was a tragic turning point in the fate of Germany’s Jewish community. The…
Sigd, The Ethiopian Holiday
While most of the Jews of Ethiopia–the Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian community is properly called, have made aliyah and rejoined the global Jewish community, they have their own unique…
Toledot 5784-2023
Urgent message: Given the most challenging situation in Israel at this time, I urge all to pray for the bereaved families, the hostages, the missing and the many casualties. Please try…
What Are Tefillin?
The common translation of tefillin is “phylacteries,” which is a Greek word meaning amulet. “And you shall bind them [the words that I command you today] for a sign upon your arm, and…
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…
Accepting Wisdom
“Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? An individual who learns from all people, as it is said (Psalms 119:99): ‘From all those who taught me, I gained understanding’” (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the…
Shemot 5784-2024
“The Message of the Burning Bush” (updated and revised from Shemot 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, we read of G-d’s revelation to Moses at…
Book Respect
Because of the centrality of the Torah in Jewish life, the Jewish people are known as “The People of the Book.” Perhaps the Jewish people could also be known as “The People of the Books,”…
Your Jewish Life Coach
Do you have a life coach? For those unfamiliar with the term, life coaches work to help their clients determine and achieve their personal goals. While life coaching as a profession in…