Jewish Treats

The Great Sea Monster

In honor of World Ocean Day, we present a Treat about the Great Sea Monster. For most of history, sea monsters were considered among the greatest perils of sea travel. Most probably, the…

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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

Vanity of Vanities

Most people are unknowingly familiar with the beginning of the third chapter of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) because of the 1965 hit song by The Byrds: “To everything – turn, turn, turn/There…

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Jewish Treats

The Great Hoshana

Rosh Hashana is known as the Day of Judgment (Yom Hadin), the day on which God judges every person. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day on which God finalizes His verdict on the…

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Jewish Treats

Hail the Holy Pomegranate

The pomegranate is a funny sort of fruit. Rather than eating the flesh and throwing away the seed, as one does when eating an apple or orange, pomegranate seeds are the parts that are…

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Jewish Treats

The Bird of Thanks

On Thanksgiving Day, it is customary in the United States to eat a turkey dinner. The Hebrew name for turkey is “tar’negol hodu,” literally, an “Indian Rooster.” It came by this name…

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Jewish Treats

Chanukah Yum

While Jewish holidays are known for their food (except Yom Kippur, of course), most of them are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget matzah or…

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Jewish Treats

Thoughts for the Heart

In honor of American Heart Month, and because caring for your own health is part of two Torah mitzvot of “V’nish’martem me’od l’naf’sho’tay’chem” and “hatzalat n’fashoat” (guarding and…

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Jewish Treats

The Fast of Esther

The Fast of Esther will be observed tomorrow, March 21st which coincides with the 11th of Adar on the Hebrew calendar. While the Fast of Esther is normally observed on the 13th of Adar,…

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Jewish Treats

The Four Mitzvot of Purim

This year, Purim will be celebrated beginning Saturday evening, March 23rd, and continue through the following day, Sunday, March 24th. Four mitzvot are associated with the holiday:…

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