Jewish Treats

Ushpeezin (pronounced Oo’shpee’zin)

During the festival of Sukkot, the sukkah is intended to be our home. For example, since dining normally takes place in the house, on Sukkot, dining takes place in the sukkah. Because the…

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Jewish Treats

Singing Praises

“…The prophets of the Jewish people ordained that the Hallel be recited on special occasions and celebrations [like Yom Tov], and at times of national deliverance from peril, in gratitude…

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Jewish Treats

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…

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Jewish Treats

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.…

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Jewish Treats

Name Change

It is not a coincidence that cultures around the world share a belief in the power of given names. In Judaism, it is believed that parents are granted a flash of ruach hakodesh, Divine…

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Jewish Treats

Offer Assistance

If you are told that someone’s Hebrew name has been changed or that a Hebrew name was added to an individual’s name, try to find out if you can be helpful to them during a time that may…

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Jewish Treats

His Tricks Were Quite a Treat

It is commonly acknowledged that the magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) set the standard for all performing magicians to come. Many people are also aware of the fact…

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Jewish Treats

Leah’s Story

On the morning after Jacob was to marry Rachel, he woke to find that his new bride was actually Rachel’s older sister Leah. The Midrash records that Jacob said to Leah: “Deceiver,…

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Jewish Treats

President William Howard Taft – Friend of the Jews

Jewish Treats presents a quick look at the relationship of President William Howard Taft (1857–1930) and the Jewish people worldwide. Taft’s presidency (1909–1913) overlapped with the era…

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Jewish Treats

Painting Our People

Born on December 26, 1902, in Rahachow, Belarus (in the Pale of Settlement), Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan was a Jewish painter who celebrated his Jewish heritage and the Jewish world in his…

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