Jewish Treats

Roman Vishniac: Beyond the Photographs

The poignant photographs of the  shtetl by Roman Vishniac (published in his 1986 book, A Vanished World) very much shaped the cultural memories of the…

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Jewish Treats

Lose The Leather

Once a year, Jews around the world make a unique, and not always attractive, fashion statement by wearing clunky sneakers or fuzzy slippers. (The Talmud records that the sages wore…

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Jewish Treats

Seeking God In Elul

Psalm 27 is read twice daily from the beginning of the month of Elul through the holiday of Sukkot in order to help each Jew develop a beautiful relationship with the Divine. “One thing…

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Jewish Treats

From Holy God To Holy King

On Rosh Hashana, God judges the world (and all the people therein), but their fates are not sealed until 10 days later, on Yom Kippur. It is during these ten days that we must present a…

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Jewish Treats

Two Days As One Day

How many days is Rosh Hashana? It seems the simplest of questions, since all around the world, no matter where you may be, Rosh Hashana is celebrated for two days (as opposed to the first…

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Jewish Treats

A Pair of Psalms

“You will eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10). There are few pleasures shared by cultures around the world as the pleasure of eating. Because it is human…

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Jewish Treats

The Death of Aaron

In every generation, there are men and women who truly make an impact on the world. These incredible individuals are honored both in life and in death, particularly at their time of…

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Jewish Treats

The Three Ts

On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we declare: "Repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil of the decree!" In Hebrew, these constitute the 3 Ts:Teshuva, Tefila and Tzedaka.…

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Jewish Treats

Waterloo Waterlooplein

On June 18, 1815, Napoleon and his armies were defeated by the Seventh Coalition, an alliance of British and European forces. It was the end of Napoleon’s march across Europe. It was also…

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Jewish Treats

Holiday Greetings

The standard pre-Rosh Hashana greeting of “K’tiva v’chatima tova”("May you be written and sealed for good”) is deduced from a Talmudic discussion concerning the three heavenly books…

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