Placing A Veil
One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the badeken. The term badeken* is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…
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 for her…
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…
The Founder of the House of Rothschild
The name Rothschild echoes with a sense of wealth and fame. The House of Rothschild was one of the most powerful financial forces in 19th century Europe, and several members of the family…
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,…
The Book of Ruth
Ruth was the Moabite wife of Machlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, a wealthy Hebrew couple who had fled Bethlehem during a bitter famine. Elimelech’s family had settled in…
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…
First on the Court
Born in 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky, Louis Dembitz Brandeis was the child of European immigrants who maintained a minimal Jewish identity. However, his maternal uncle, Lewis Dembitz,…
Serving the Public
As proclaimed by the United Nations, June 23rd is “Public Service Day.” In honor of this designation, today’s Jewish Treat introduces Sherut Le’umi, the National Public Service system of…
Thoughtful Questions
When someone poses a question, be sure to consider the seriousness of the question and the potential ramifications. When studying Torah, both the written and oral law, it is critical to…