Al Hanisim, For The Miracles
Most Jewish holidays are marked not only by feasting and celebrations, but also by special prayers. On Biblical holidays, such as Passover and Rosh Hashana, these special prayers include…
In Tune
Can you read Jewish music? No, not the sheet music to Fiddler on the Roof or Havah Nagillah. Trope, the musical cantillation used by Torah readers to sing-chant the holy…
Al Hanisim, For The Miracles
Most Jewish holidays are marked not only by feasting and celebrations, but also by special prayers. On Biblical holidays, such as Passover and Rosh Hashana, these special prayers include…
The Tragedy of Jealousy
The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) relates that “Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students...and all of them died in one period of time because they did not act with respect toward each…
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…
May His Name Be Erased
“Purim Holiday/Purim Holiday/A big holiday for the Jews Masks and noisemakers/Songs and Dance/Let’s make noise rash rash rash.” (Classic Hebrew Purim Song - Hava Nareesha Rash Rash Rash)…
The Tribe of Asher
As the forefathers of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob impacted on the history and behavior of the tribe members who descended from…
Serach’s Seranade
When perusing the list of the generations of Jacob found in Genesis 46, one gets a strange sense that there was a powerful genetic predisposition in Jacob's family for male children.…
Purim’s Villainess
Anyone familiar with the basic Purim story knows that the primary enemy of the Jewish people was Haman. What most people do not realize is that there are several other "lesser" villains…
Modeh Ani / I Give Thanks
Modeh Ani is recited upon waking, to acknowledge the miracle of being alive every day. Mo’deh ani li’fa’nech’ah melech chai v’kayam, she’heh’cheh’zarta bee nishmatee b’chemla--raba…