Brotherly and Sisterly Love on Tisha B’av
The theme of “unconditional love” can be found in the Tisha b’Av kinnot, as the ideal that was absent during our history’s lowest moments. In kinnah number 26, the author, Elazar HaKalir,…
The Forced Closing of the “Ivy League” Yeshiva
The idea of a school with a dual curriculum, teaching both Judaic and general subjects is not too farfetched. Dozens, if not hundreds, of such private schools can be found around the…
Gummi Worms, Gelatin and Jews
Today is Gummi Worm Day, celebrating the popular sweet and sour candy, which was created by the German confectionary company, Trolli. Gummy Bears were created in 1922 by another German…
The Importance of Dad
In honor of Father's Day, Jewish Treats presents this classic Treat on the importance of a father. Where does a child learn to be a mentsch (a good person)? From his/her parents!…
Serach’s Serenade
When perusing the list of the generations of Jacob found in Genesis 46, one gets a strange sense that there was a powerful genetic predisposition in Jacob's family for male children.…
Jews and Chocolate Chips
Happy National Chocolate Chip Day, not to be confused with National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, which falls annually on August 4th. Legend maintains that chocolate chips, also known as…
Dinah, The Daughter of Jacob
Dinah, the seventh and youngest child of Leah and Jacob, was born the same year as her half-brother Joseph. In fact, the Talmud (Brachot 60a) notes that Leah specifically prayed that…
Ein Gedi
No tour of Israel can be complete without a visit to the Judean desert. Aside from climbing the famed fortress of Masada, you can actually float in the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth,…
No Strings Attached
Deuteronomy 16:18 states: "...You shall not take a bribe, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts just words." Although this statement of Jewish law is written in…
Yonah of Geronah
It is a fact of history that students have frequently been at the center of radical movements, often under the influence of a teacher or mentor. This was the case of Rabbi Yonah of…