Jewish Treats

Kitniyot and Gebrachts

Ashkenazi or Sephardi? Hungarian, Yekke (German), Lithuanian?At no other time on the Jewish calendar is it so important to know your ancestry as it is on Passover. What one does or does…

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Jewish Treats

A Different Set of Loaves

There are several well-known connections between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The most obvious of these is that the celebration of Shavuot is dependent on the count…

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Jewish Treats

Setting The Seder Table

Before beginning the Seder, it is important to make certain that everything necessary is available. No Seder table is complete without the following: 1) Three Unbroken Matzot (Kosher for…

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Jewish Treats

Development of the Haggadah

On Passover night we are commanded "v'hee'ga'd'ta" and you shall tell, the story of the Exodus. (Notice the shared root of hee'ga'd'ta and Haggadah.) The Passover Haggadah serves as a…

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Jewish Treats

Setting the Seder Table

Before beginning the Seder, it is important to make certain that everything necessary is available. No Seder table is complete without the following: 1) Three Unbroken Matzot (Kosher for…

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Jewish Treats

Searching for Chametz

On Passover, Jews are commanded to get rid of all “chametz” (leaven) which may be in their possession. To confirm the effectiveness of these efforts, a special search for chametz, called…

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Jewish Treats

Can You Count to 49?

There is a commandment (Leviticus 23:15) to count the 49 days that immediately follow the first night of Passover and, on the 50th night, to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This period…

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Jewish Treats

Singing Praises

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

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Weekly Message,Vayikra

Vayikra 5784-2024

“Parashat Zachor: 'Hating as a Mitzvah'" (updated and revised from Vayikra 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Since the festival of Purim will be celebrated this coming Saturday…

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Balak,Weekly Message

Balak 5767-2007

"The Enemy Within" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the most intriguing and perplexing patterns found in Scripture is the frequent emergence of evil from good and good from evil. Adam…

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