Jewish Treats

Roman Vishniac: Beyond the Photographs

The poignant photographs of the  shtetl by Roman Vishniac (published in his 1986 book, A Vanished World) very much shaped the cultural memories of the…

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Jewish Treats

The Jews of Jamaica

As in many countries of the “New World,” the Jewish history of Jamaica begins with conversos, the secret Jews who fled Spain. They came to the New World seeking not only new…

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Jewish Treats

Everyone Does The Wave

One of the main mitzvot of the holiday of Sukkot is the waving of the four species: citron (etrog), palm, myrtle and willow. Trying to understand this mitzvah metaphorically,…

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Jewish Treats

Father-In-Law Day

Jewish Treats would like to wish a happy Father-in-Law’s Day to all our readers to whom it applies. There are two prominent portraits of fathers-in-law in the Torah: Laban and Jethro.…

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Jewish Treats

A Different Set of Loaves

There are several well-known connections between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The most obvious of these is that the celebration of Shavuot is dependent on the count…

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Jewish Treats

Traveling Man

When Rabbi Jacob Levi Saphir (1822-1886) was 10, his family moved from Oshmiani, a town in the greater municipality of Vilna, to the city of Safed, Palestine (Israel). By the time he was…

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Jewish Treats

A Lesson in Jewish History from Cotopaxi, Colorado

When Jacob Milstein met Michael Heilprin, it seemed divinely ordained. Heilprin was involved with the Hebrew Emigrant Aide Society (HEAS - later known as HIAS), and Milstein was the…

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Jewish Treats

Green Cheesecake at Midnight?

The holiday of Shavuot has three well-known, and well-loved, customs:Decorating our homes and synagogues with plants and flowers: According to the Midrash, at the time of the giving…

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Jewish Treats

Reb Yaakov

In traditional circles, leading rabbinic personalities are often referred to as gedolim, which can best be translated as “great ones.” Those who acquire this title are usually renowned…

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Jewish Treats

Is It Almost Spring?

February 2nd, is Groundhog Day, when thousands breathlessly wait to see if the groundhog is scared into six more weeks of hibernation by the sight of his shadow. This tradition reveals…

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