Vayeitzei 5762-2001
"From Ish Tam to Business Mogul: The Transformation of Jacob" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald As this coming week's parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, opens, we encounter Jacob as he arrives in…
The Workmen’s Circle
One probably associates Yiddish with a language spoken by East European immigrants to the United States in the early decades of the 20th century, and the lingua franca of insular…
A Taste of Shakespeare
Yiddish theater, which saw its heyday in the early decades of the twentieth century, played an important role in the lives of the American Jewish community. More than just entertainment…
More Than A Book Seller
Sholem Yankev Abramovitsh, born on January 2, 1836, to a poor family near Minsk, had a traditional religious Jewish childhood. After his father passed away when he was 13, …
A Publisher of Books
A businessman, a Zionist, a refugee and a publisher, Salman Schocken lived a life driven by his passion for words. Born in Posen, Germany, on October 29, 1877, Schocken was the second son…
The Elder of Slabodka
One who chooses to study the history of the development of the twentieth century rabbinic leadership will likely come across the name “Slabodka.” The town for which the renowned yeshiva…
Franz Rosenzweig
To students of Jewish philosophy, the works of Franz Rosenzweig are a must read. Those who simply enjoy learning about the lives of fascinating Jews may also enjoy this introductory…
A Poet from the Ashes
"There is nothing in the world for which a poet will give up writing, not even when he is a Jew and the language of his poems is German." One can only imagine the great burden Paul Celan…
Mr. Adams’ Attitude
In honor of President’s Day, Jewish Treats presents an overview of the interesting viewpoint on Jews held by the second President of the United States, John Adams. In 1808, after his…
Belarus, China, Jerusalem and Brooklyn: The Odyssey of the World’s Largest Yeshiva
For 125 years, from 1814 until 1939, the Mir Yeshiva served as a beacon of elite Torah study on the European continent. Situated in the small town of Mir in Belarus, the yeshiva was…