Jewish Treats

History for Everyone

Barbara Tuchman, born January 30, 1912, never earned a doctorate in history, but the books that she authored injected new life into the layman’s study and understanding of history. While…

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Jewish Treats

Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement

The Mussar movement, the formal study and program of ethical improvement, was developed in the mid-nineteenth century by Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883). Rabbi Israel’s family name was…

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Weekly Message,Yitro

Yitro 5783-2023

Yitro 5783-2023 “Why G-d Can Not Share the Limelight” (updated and revised from Yitro 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, the Al-mighty…

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Jewish Treats

Random Acts of Kindness

An entire generation of North Americans hear the words “random acts of kindness” and immediately think of Oprah Winfrey. Without question, the former queen of afternoon television has…

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Jewish Treats

A Twentieth Century Jewish Poet

In honor of World Poetry Day, Jewish Treats presents a brief biography of Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980). Born and raised in New York City, Rukeyser attended Vassar College and Columbia…

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Jewish Treats

Israel’s Memorial Day

The State of Israel’s independence, as well as its continued survival, is a modern-day miracle. But it has come at great cost in human lives and to its citizens. Therefore, before Israel…

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Jewish Treats

Thank You, Mom

Mother’s Day is a day set aside to show the moms in our lives how much we appreciate them. It’s a sweet and wonderful idea…but according to the Torah, every day is Mother’s Day! The very…

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Weekly Message,Kedoshim,Acharei Mot

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5783-2023

“The Jewish Attitude Toward Sexuality” (updated and revised from Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Both of this week’s parashiot, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim,…

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Jewish Treats

Kissing the Mezuzah

A person might easily think of the mitzvah of mezuzah as a passive mitzvah. Simply recite the blessing before affixing the mezuzah to the doorposts of the house, and it is done. While…

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Jewish Treats

The Jews’ Hospital of New York

Healthcare is a topic that is frequently in the news these days and is a major part of the current public discourse. Before it became standard practice for governments to fund public…

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