North American Shtetl
The word shtetl, invokes images of the pre-Holocaust Eastern European Jewish community. It might come as a surprise, therefore, that there actually are shtetlach in North America! Here…
Vayeira 5765-2004
"The Benefit of Broad-heartedness" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayeira, we read of the miraculous birth of Isaac. At the ripe old age of 90, long after…
The Jewish Ghost Town of Utah
As a dry wind blows across the dusty plains just south of Gunnison, Utah, a traveler might be shocked to stumble upon a small, gated Jewish cemetery. Indeed, the burial ground is so small…
Honoring 9/11
Today is the 19th anniversary of the devastating attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and several other targets in 2001. There are stories to be told of many heroes, people…
The Flying Rabbi
Today, Jewish Treats presents a short bio of Rabbi Louis Werfel (1916-1943). Rabbi Werfel attended Yeshiva College and the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), both schools…
President William Howard Taft – Friend of the Jews
Jewish Treats presents a quick look at the relationship of President William Howard Taft (1857 – 1930) and the Jewish people. Taft’s presidency (1909 – 1913) overlapped the era of massive…
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the Father of Modern Hebrew
The official language of Israel is Hebrew, but until the end of the 19th century, almost no one spoke Hebrew colloquially. Lashon Hakodesh, the holy tongue, was used only for prayer and…
Sisterhood Power
Carrie Obendorfer (1872-1961) knew the power, joy and motivation of organized women. Her mother founded and led the Cincinnati branch of the National Conference of Jewish Women (NCJW). It…
West Point
Several years ago, the Jewish news media delightedly reported that Rachelle David was the first female graduate of an Orthodox Jewish high school to be accepted to West Point. It is a…
An Interesting Philologist
Language is considered to be one of the unique characteristics of humankind. Lazarus (Eliezer Solomon) Geiger believed that there was a great deal to learn about humanity from studying…