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

The Shabbat of Song

Music speaks to the heart, and, not surprisingly, the heart often speaks through music. Thus, when the Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds (aka the Red Sea) and witnessed the destruction…

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Jewish Treats

On the 25th of Kiselv

It is not uncommon to find that significant events in Jewish history occurred in different years but on the same day on the Jewish calendar. For instance, Tisha b'Av (9th of…

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Jewish Treats

A Document Against Anti-Semitism

Fifty-two years ago on this day, October 28th, the Catholic Church officially stopped blaming the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This ground-breaking statement came after more than…

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Jewish Treats

Beating The Willows

During Sukkot, there is a mitzvah to wave the four species (lulav, hadassim, aravot and etrog - palm, myrtle, willow and citron) every day except on Shabbat. In…

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Jewish Treats

The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz

Everyone knows about Yom Kippur. There are, however, several other fast days on the Jewish calendar that are not nearly as well known. (The fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which, this year,…

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Jewish Treats

Hearing About Huldah

Among the many prophets who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, only one prophetess is recorded. Huldah was a descendent of Joshua and Rachav, as well as a cousin of the prophet…

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Jewish Treats

The Language of Unity

The penultimate chapter of the Book of Leviticus begins with a description of the myriad benefits of following in the path of the Torah. Some of the promises include: rains in their…

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Jewish Treats

It Happened In Argentina

Aside from the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem, many tragic events in Jewish history are associated with Tisha b’Av (technically the 9th of Av, but some of the…

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Jewish Treats

What Happened in SHUM

While most people know about the horrors of the Crusades, many do not realize that there were, in fact, many Crusades over a period of four hundred years, and that most of these crusades…

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