An Island Community
As the chill of winter settles in, Jewish Treats brings you warm thoughts of the Caribbean - of Barbados to be exact. The first known Jews to arrive on Barbados were refugees from the…
Make Me the High Priest
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) relates the strange story of a non-Jewish man who wished to convert to Judaism in order to ultimately become the High Priest of Israel. He believed that, in…
The Bnei Menashe of India
It is the belief of the Bnei Menashe of Northeastern India that their legendary forefather Manmasi,* was actually Menashe the son of Joseph and that their communities are the remnants of…
Vayakhel-Pekudei 5773-2013
"The Jewish Connection" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week’s double parashiot, Vayakhel-Pekudei, the reading of the Book of Exodus is concluded. The exacting architectural and…
Lord George Gordon
As few members of the British aristocracy have converted to Judaism, the conversion of Lord George Gordon* (1751 - 1793) was a matter of note in British society.…
Eikev 5772-2012
"Loving the Stranger" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, the Torah boldly pronounces the positive mitzvah of loving the stranger. In Deuteronomy 10:19,…
About The In-Laws
An often stated comment by parents of newly married children is that they have “gained a son or a daughter.” And while much has been written about the commandment to honor one’s mother…
The Strange Tale of Jose Diaz Pimienta
Today’s Jewish Treat brings you the strange tale of Jose Diaz Pimienta (1688-1720) who was burned at the stake in an auto-de-fete in Cadiz (Spain) on July 25, 1720. Although born to…
A Convert of the Inquisition
The first auto-de-fe (live human burning) of the Spanish Inquisition took place in 1481. The Inquisition was not, as many believe, an institution set to destroy the Jewish people, but…
Make Me the High Priest
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) relates the strange story of a non-Jewish man who wished to convert to Judaism in order to ultimately become the High Priest of Israel. He believed that, in this…