You Don’t Say That!
The Torah (Leviticus 24:10-12) records the story of a nameless youth whose mother was an Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. The Torah later identifies the boy’s mother as Shelomith…
Un-Insulted
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” We all know that the words of this common childhood rhyme are hardly true. Words can be far more hurtful than…
For The Medal of Honor: The Story of Leonard Kravitz
On March 6, 1951, a platoon of American soldiers serving in the Korean War came under heavy fire by the Chinese Army near Yangpyong, Korea. When the platoon’s Machine Gunner was wounded,…
All That Jazz
Jewish Treats presents a short biography of Artie Shaw, who often competed with Benny Goodman for the title of “The King of Swing.”: Born in New York City in 1910, Artie Shaw was…
A Poet from the Ashes
"There is nothing in the world for which a poet will give up writing, not even when he is a Jew and the language of his poems is German." One can only imagine the great burden Paul Celan…
The Jewish Major General
Jewish Treats; presents a mini-biography of Major General Julius Klein (1901-1984), who served his country in both World Wars. Born in Chicago, Klein was the descendant of Prussian and…
Chosen To Write: Chaim Potok
In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with an angel and emerged as Israel, “He who struggles.” In the 20th-21st century, Western Jews spend a great amount of energy wrestling with the world of…
Twenties and Thirties
In the last decade or so, it has become commonplace for the media to note the decline of adulthood--meaning that childhood has been prolonged for so long that young adults are remaining…
The First American Jewish Poetess
In celebration of National Poetry Month: When asked to name early American Jewish poets, the first name that comes to most people’s mind is Emma Lazarus. It may therefore be surprising…
Shabbat In The Spring
As spring takes hold of the northern hemisphere, and the hours between sunrise and sunset lengthen, people often spend the long Shabbat afternoon enjoying the outdoors. Even as one soaks…