Scapegoat
The Jewish people have often been cast as the proverbial “scapegoat.” When millions died during the Black Plague, the Jews were accused of poisoning the wells. Blood libels accusing Jews…
What Happened in SHUM?
While most people know about the horrors of the Crusades, many do not realize that there were, in fact, many Crusades over a period of four hundred years, and that most of these Crusades…
Jewish Matchmaking
“Matchmaker, matchmaker / Look through your book / And make me a perfect match…” (Fiddler on the Roof). With the widespread proliferation of internet dating sites such as eHarmony,…
The Jews’ Hospital of New York
Healthcare is a topic that is frequently in the news these days and is a major part of the current public discourse. Before it became standard practice for governments to fund public…
Shavuot Resources,Jewish Treats,Shavuot
Feast of Weeks
Shavuot, which we begin celebrating next Tuesday night (June 11th), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states that…
The Disputation of Paris
The month of June, in the year 1240 C.E. was not a good time for the Jews of Europe. The trouble began with a Jewish apostate named Nicholas Donin. Wanting, perhaps, to prove his loyalty…
What A Player
Today marks 178 years since the first official game of baseball was played on June 19, 1846. In honor of this anniversary, today’s Jewish Treat presents a brief biography of a unique…
Study an Ethical Blueprint
Study Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, and recognize how much there is to glean from this incredible ethical blueprint. In the second chapter of Pirkei Avot, there is an especially…