Jewish Treats

The Reluctant Rabbi

Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Schwadron (1835-1911) learned modesty and dedication to Torah study from his special father, Reb Moshe, who constantly reviewed different sefarim (holy books) while…

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Jewish Treats

Lions and Jerusalem Day

The original city of Jerusalem, conquered by King David from the Jebusites, is now known as Ir David, situated in the Silwan neighborhood, south of the Temple Mount. Over time, Jerusalem…

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Jewish Treats

Making it Transfusable

In 1901, Karl Landsteiner (June 14, 1868–June 26, 1943) discovered that people have different types of blood, and by 1909 he was able to begin labelling the different blood types. Born in…

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Jewish Treats

Not So Freedom Summer

On June 21, 1964, one of the most heinous and scandalous murders took place in U.S. history, shocking the country. Andrew Goodman, 21, a native of the Upper West Side of Manhattan,…

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Jewish Treats

The Book Of Jonah

The Book of Jonah is one of the best known stories in the Bible and is read during Mincha (the afternoon service) on Yom Kippur because of its powerful message of repentance. God…

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Jewish Treats

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…

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Jewish Treats

Sigd, The Ethiopian Holiday

While most of the Jews of Ethiopia–the Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian community is properly called–have made aliyah and rejoined the global Jewish community, they have their own unique…

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Jewish Treats

Chanukah: What’s the Mitzvah?

Here’s a quiz: What is the primary mitzvah of Chanukah? a) Eating latkes (potato pancakes) b) Giving Chanukah gifts or gelt (money) c) Publicizing the miracle of the oil that lasted 8…

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Jewish Treats

Jews in the Land of Lincoln

The first known Jewish resident of what is now the state of Illinois was John Hays, a grandson of a New York Jew, who moved west to Cahokia, IL in 1793. Hays was a farmer and trader who,…

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Weekly Message,Emor

Emor 5783-2023

“Striving for Perfection” (updated and revised from Emor 5766-2006) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, the theme of “perfection” appears repeatedly in…

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