“…You Border on the Adriatic”
For many Americans, knowledge of Albania may derive from a famous scene in the sitcom “Cheers,” where “Coach” helps “Sam” study geography via the use of songs. They did this by singing,…
The Longest 250 Miles: Sadat’s Bold Flight
Imagine America’s foremost enemy addressing a joint session of Congress? You can’t; it’s almost impossible to envision such a scenario actually taking place. But such a miraculous event,…
The Four Mitzvot of Purim
This year, Purim will be celebrated on Thursday, March 1st (beginning Wednesday evening, February 28th, after sunset). Four mitzvot are associated with the holiday: Megillah Reading -…
Where to Wear Tefillin
While Jewish Treats has previously discussed the requirements for kosher tefillin (Click here for a full description of tefillin, including the…
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…
The Four Mitzvot of Purim
This year, Purim will be celebrated on Sunday, March 12th (beginning Saturday evening, March 11th, after sunset). Four mitzvot are associated with the holiday: Megillah Reading - Book of…
A Love Song For Shabbat
The relationship between God and the Jewish people is often compared to a marriage. This is one of the reasons why Lecha Dodi (Come My Beloved)*, the refrain of which refers to…
The Story of Irena Sendler
Despite the fact that Irena Sendler was recognized in 1967 by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, her story was mostly unknown until 1999. That…
How Hot?
At what temperature does water begin to cook? According to Jewish tradition, that temperature is known as yad soledet bo, hot enough that “one pulls one’s hand away.” It was an…
What Happened in North Africa
During the Holocaust, European Jewry was almost completely decimated, and the importance of sharing that history is becoming even more important as the last surviving witnesses of the…