History for Everyone
Barbara Tuchman, born January 30, 1912, never earned a doctorate in history, but the books that she authored injected new life into the layman’s study and understanding of history. While…
Vayigash 5783-2022
“Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers: The Triumph of Jewish Identity” (updated and revised from Vayigash 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In a very real sense, according to…
Painting Our People
Born on December 26, 1902, in Rahachow, Belarus (in the Pale of Settlement), Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan was a Jewish painter who celebrated his Jewish heritage and the Jewish world in his…
Mikeitz 5783-2022
“In Those Days, in These Times” (updated and revised from Mikeitz 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As we have previously noted, the story of Joseph may be seen as the story of an…
Samuel Gompers, Labor Leader
Jewish Treats presents a brief biography of Samuel Gompers, a man who helped transform the early American Labor Movement. Born in London, England, on January 27, 1850, Gompers was the son…
Vayeishev 5783-2022
“The Two Sides of Joseph” (updated and revised from Vayeishev 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There are few characters in world literature who are as gifted, dynamic,…
Vayishlach 5783-2022
“We Can Forgive the Arabs for Killing Our Children...” (updated and revised from Vayishlach 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As we increase our knowledge of Torah, we cannot help…
Jews in the Land of Lincoln
The first known Jewish resident of what is now the state of Illinois was John Hays, a grandson of a New York Jew, who moved west to Cahokia, IL in 1793. Hays was a farmer and trader who,…
All-American Giver
Mervin Pregulman earned his initial fame as a college football star, but his real success was achieved later as a man of business and as a philanthropist. Born in Lansing, Michigan, on…
The Thanksgiving Synagogue Service
While Thanksgiving is most certainly an American festival of gratitude, its founders prominently articulated its religious underpinnings, which ultimately find their source in Judaism.…