Annulment of Vows
"I swear that this time I will lose weight” “I am going to pray every day...” We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in a…
Lech Lecha – 5760-1999
"Understanding the Rite of Circumcision" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Toward the end of this coming week's parasha, parashat Lech L'Cha, we read of the covenant of circumcision, Brit…
Matot-Masei 5784-2024
“Taking a Stand Against the Banality of Evil” (updated and revised from Matot-Masei 5766-2006) by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Parashat Matot, the first of this week’s double parashiot,…
Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom Hashoah, is observed each year on the 27th of Nissan, unless that date falls adjacent to Shabbat, which is the case this year. It is therefore being commemorated today, which is the…
Opening Day!
In honor of Opening Day for all of Major League’s Baseball teams today, Jewish Treats presents a look back at one of baseball’s greats and some of the Jewish lessons that may be derived…
Judaism at the Barber
On February 20, 1816, Rossini’s classic opera, The Barber of Seville, premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. In tribute, Jewish Treats will address the Torah’s instructions for…
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, literally the Night of Crystal, but generally translated as the Night of Broken Glass, was a tragic turning point in the fate of Germany’s Jewish community. The…
Pinchas 5783-2023
“The Conundrum of Pinchas: Do His Actions Set an Unacceptable Precedent?” (updated and revised from Pinchas 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas,…
Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom Hashoah, is observed each year on the 27th of Nissan, which is today. Jews around the world will mark Yom Hashoah (Officially Yom Ha’zikaron La’shoah V’ha’g’vurah, which translates to…
Before Michigan
The foundations of Michigan’s Jewish community were laid by the German Jews who came to America in the 1840s and spread out across the continent. Jewish history in Michigan, which became…