Re’eh 5776-2016
“Preserving the Sanctity of Sacred Objects and Sacred Ideas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Very soon after the opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, the Torah, in…
Eikev 5776-2016
“Caring for the Weak and the Vulnerable" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Among the important mitzvot found in this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, the Torah bids the Jew to be G-dlike by…
A Unique Olympic Record
The story of Otto Herschmann is one of triumph and tragedy. One of the few Olympic athletes to ever win medals in two different sports, Herschmann was also the only athlete to receive a…
The Littlest Mountain
When the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai, God gave them the Torah. Scholars and academics have spent lifetimes debating the exact location of Mount Sinai. The Sinai peninsula is…
Mimouna
Jews rejoice on Passover to celebrate their redemption from slavery in Egypt. Because of Passover’s connection to redemption, there is much hope that the final redemption will soon be at…
Ellen Lipkis Letter
A Note from Ellen Lipkis Dear Rabbi Buchwald, Thank you for always being there for the Lipkis family. It is not easy for me to express all that I would like to say to you. Words are not…
A Famous Family of Translators
In the early Middle Ages, the global Jewish community was basically divided between those living in lands controlled by the church and those in lands controlled by the Arabs. The dominant…
The Salty Ghettos
It is a fairly well-known fact (perhaps due to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice) that Jews in many European cities were forced to reside in ghettos. The first of these areas of restricted…
The Might of the Pen
The fact that today is National Ballpoint Pen Day offers Jewish Treats the opportunity to introduce Lazlo Biro, the Hungarian-Jewish inventor of the now ubiquitous ballpoint writing…
The Littlest Mountain
When the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai, God gave them the Torah.Scholars and academics have spent lifetimes debating the exact location of Mount Sinai. The Sinai peninsula is…