Vanity of Vanities
Most people are unknowingly familiar with the beginning of the third chapter of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) because of the 1965 hit song by The Byrds: “To everything – turn, turn, turn/There…
Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
Tonight starts the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, literally the "Gathering of the Eighth," a connected, yet independent, holiday that immediately follows Sukkot. During the seven days of…
Prayers for Israeli Soldiers
These are difficult days for the Jewish people. Vivid print descriptions and horrific images are being circulated of the atrocities committed against Jews living in Israel in recent days.…
Ezer K’Negdo
Today’s Treat begins with a short, sweet story about the great Tzaddik of Jerusalem, Rabbi Aryeh Levine, and his wife, Hannah. One day, Mrs. Levine hurt her foot and needed to see a…
The Flying Rabbi
On October 24, 2011, a memorial to 14 Jewish chaplains of the United States Armed Services was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery. The 14 Jewish chaplains whose names were inscribed…
Living in The Pinch
In honor of National Tennessee Day, Jewish Treats presents a brief history of the Jewish community of Memphis. American Jewish culture thrives upon the communal memory of New York City’s…
Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back
While Jewish prayer has many aspects that are introspective, prayer is also designed to serve as a vehicle of communication with the Divine. The central focus of every prayer service is…
Jewish Work in Diabetes
Today is World Diabetes Day. Not so long ago, diabetes was often thought of as a “Jewish disease.” This was before doctors and scientists understood genetics. The idea of diabetes as a…
The Bird of Thanks
On Thanksgiving Day, it is customary in the United States to eat a turkey dinner. The Hebrew name for turkey is “tar’negol hodu,” literally, an “Indian Rooster.” It came by this name…
Albania and the Jews
Albania, which today marks its Independence Day, is a small Balkan country with an almost minute Jewish population. While it was never a country with a large Jewish population, there have…