Shavuot 5783-2023
"The Concept of 'The Chosen People'" (updated and revised from Shavuot 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald On this coming weekend, Jews will celebrate the festival of Shavuot, which…
Learning the Truth of Your Heritage at Age 59: The Amazing Story of Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright broke a glass ceiling when she became the first woman U.S. Secretary of State on January 23, 1997. A few weeks later, at age 59, Madeleine learned that her parents,…
Thank You Nurses
Today, May 12th, is International Nurses Day, and so, Jewish Treats honors a woman who made a tremendous impact on the world of public health. Lillian D. Wald (1867–1940) was born to…
Take A Sabbatical
It is interesting that the two most common professions which offer sabbatical leaves are academia and clergy. These two professions are fields in which practitioners devote a great deal…
Bechukotai,Weekly Message,Behar
Behar-Bechukotai 5783-2023
“The Revolutionary Nature of Shemita and Yovel” (updated and revised from Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Behar, the first of this week’s two…
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…
Yom HaAtzma’ut
On the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, in the year 5708, corresponding to May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was born. On that day, the British Mandate was terminated, and Jewish…
Acharei Mot,Weekly Message,Kedoshim
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5783-2023
“The Jewish Attitude Toward Sexuality” (updated and revised from Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Both of this week’s parashiot, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim,…
The Passover Story in Brief
On Passover, we commemorate the exodus from Egyptian slavery. The following is a brief summary: Jacob’s family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, Jacob’s son who had…
West Point
In 2015, 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…