Calligraphy
In honor of National Handwriting Day, which is today, Jewish Treats explores the unique calligraphy practiced by a Jewish sofer (scribe). The Hebrew letters used in a Torah scroll, as…
Chanukah and Divine Order
Chanukah always overlaps with at least one Shabbat (if not two), and since Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days, the holiday always coincides with the…
Lancaster Jews
Many people do not realize that Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to the famous Amish community, was one of the few active Jewish communities during the colonial era and has the fourth oldest…
Hail the Holy Pomegranate
The pomegranate is a funny sort of fruit. Rather than eating the flesh and throwing away the seed, as a person does when eating an apple or orange, pomegranate seeds are eaten and the…
Weekly Message,Vayeilech,Yom Kippur
Vayeilech/Yom Kippur 5783-2022
“Difficult Transitions” (Updated and revised from Vayeilech/Yom Kippur 5769-2008) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On the last day of his life, Moses seals the new covenant with the People…
The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz
Everyone knows about fasting on Yom Kippur. There are, however, several other fast days on the Jewish calendar that are not nearly as well known. One of the prominent fasts is the Fast of…
Korach 5782-2022
“Korach’s Rebellion: Why is the Jewish Community Losing So Many of its Best and Brightest?” (updated and revised from Korach 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha,…
Parasha of The Month
This Shabbat we will read Parashat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of “The Month.” The Torah portion that is read as the Maftir (additional reading) after the conclusion of the reading of the…
A Pleasant Song Composed
The liturgy of the synagogue has developed over the span of Jewish history. Some parts of the service– such as the Shema, which is a recitation of Biblical text – originate from Judaism’s…
Chanukah and Divine Order
Chanukah always overlaps with at least one Shabbat (if not two), and since Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days, the holiday always coincides with the…