Learn about the Maccabees!
Studying about the protagonists through whom God performed miracles, enables greater understanding about God and His love for the Jewish people.
Chanukah Blessings
The Jewish people have said this prayer daily for thousands of years. On the first night of Chanukah, one candle/wick in oil is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding…
The Story of Chanukah
Around the year 167 B.C.E., the Syrian-Greek rulers of Judea tried to force the Jews to assimilate into Hellenic culture. They summoned the Jews to the town squares where they were forced…
Eden in the Garden State
The first residents of the current state of New Jersey were Dutchmen from New Amsterdam (New York) who settled Jersey City in 1614. Some historians claim that in 1655, some Jews from New…
An Historical Dip
Parashat Vayeshev can certainly be a strong candidate for saddest Torah portion of the year, as we encounter the tragedy of the hatred borne by Jacob’s sons for their brother Joseph, the…
The Best Type of Bagel
December 11th is celebrated as “Have a Bagel Day.” Jewish Treats has already covered the history of the bagel, the popular pastry favored in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. But, the term…
Identify Yourself as a Jew
Thank God American Jews are not required to wear identifying marks, such as the yellow star worn during the Holocaust. Wear something that bears your Jewish pride or identifies you as a…
An Egyptian Treasure Trove
The 12th of Kislev marks the 104th anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Solomon Schechter, who died on November 19, 1915 in New York City. Born in 1847 in Moldavia to a family of Chabad…
Va’eira 5780-2019
“G-d Hardens Pharaoh's Heart: Reconciling Omniscience with Free Will” (revised and updated from Va’eira 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Va'eira,…
Meet Me at the JCC
If you ask a cross-section of Jews what they associate with the “JCC,” you may get a variety of answers. That is because the JCC offers a large swath of services to a very large variety…