The Thanksgiving Synagogue Service
While Thanksgiving is most certainly an American festival of gratitude, its founders prominently articulated its religious underpinnings, which ultimately find their source in Judaism.…
Bloomies
When one thinks of the common denominator of many of the upscale national clothing store chains in the U.S., one finds that many have Jewish names, such as Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks…
Simchat Torah 5781-2020
“Celebrating Torah” (Updated and revised from Simchat Torah 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Because of the festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we do not read…
A Phoenix in Bnei Brak
Fifty years ago, on September 3, 1969, corresponding to the 20th of Elul, Rabbi Joseph S. Kahaneman, known to the world as the “Ponevezher Rav,” passed away. Who was this man, and what is…
Minsk, Pinsk and Dvinsk?
Dvinsk, also known as Daugavpils or Duenaburg, is Latvia’s second largest city, situated 140 miles southeast of Riga, Latvia’s capital (Dvinsk is the city’s Russian name). Dvinsk became a…
Pale of Settlement,Planover Minyan,Dvinsk,Jewish,baltic,russian,Rabbi Kook,Judaism
Minsk, Pinsk and Dvinsk?
Dvinsk, also known as Daugavpils or Duenaburg, is Latvia’s second largest city, situated 140 miles southeast of Riga, Latvia’s capital (Dvinsk is the city’s Russian name). Dvinsk became a…
The Girl in the Red Coat
Except for one girl's red coat depicted in a scene taking place in the Krakow Ghetto, and the opening and closing scenes in Steven Spielberg’s 1994 Academy Award winning “Schindler’s…
Beauty and the Bess
On December 14, 2014, one of the most talked-about American Jews from the 1940s passed away. Bess Myerson, born in the Bronx on July 16, 1924, became the first and only Jewish "Miss…
Word Magic
If you have ever heard that the magical word "Abracadabra" is Hebrew, then you may enjoy today's Jewish Treat highlighting the etymological connection of some common English words and…
Why Were Scouts of the Promised Land Needed?
The most devastating punishment meted out by God in the Torah is described in this week's parasha. God commands Moses to send 12 scouts - one representing each tribe - to…