A Look At The Law
There are three types of laws in the Torah...mishpatim, edot and chukim: Mishpatim are basic laws. In fact, mishpatim are generally translated as those laws…
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…
Midwestern Sour Cream
There are a host of Jewish foods that are associated with the American Jewish experience. Most of these, such as blintzes with sour cream, sour cream and bananas, and (of course)…
Shabbat Heroics
Question: What does a Sabbath-observant doctor do when a friend or neighbor needs emergency medical assistance on Shabbat? The answer: Everything necessary. Call an ambulance, cut a…
It’s Electric
In the early 1900s, rabbinic authorities had to determine exactly what electricity was from a halachic (Jewish legal) perspective. The first uses of electricity were, of course,…
Franz Rosenzweig
To students of Jewish philosophy, the works of Franz Rosenzweig are a must read. Those who simply enjoy learning about the lives of fascinating Jews may also enjoy this introductory…
Kosher Salt
The term “kosher” does not usually refer to a style of cuisine, but rather to food that meets the requirements of Jewish dietary laws. However, there are a few products that do use the…
Fleeing In The New World
The history of the conversos, those Spanish and Portuguese Jews who hid their identities by publicly behaving as observant Catholics, is tragic not only for the horrible auto-de-fes (mass…
Well It’s Been A Long Day
Today is the longest day of the year - the summer solstice. Technically, the summer solstice is an astronomical event that occurs when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky.…
Have You Threshed Recently
Not too many people have the opportunity to thresh their own grain nowadays. Even the original physical method of threshing has been replaced by large, automated threshing machines.…