Jewish Treats

The Five Prohibitions of Yom Kippur

“…on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all…for on that day God will forgive you and cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before God”…

Read More

Jewish Treats

The Perfect Species

At this time of the year, Jews around the globe head out in search of the perfect lulav and etrog (lulav refers to the grouping of lulav, hadassim and aravot, which, together with the…

Read More

Jewish Treats

On One Foot

Jewish Treats was asked to summarize the Jewish faith in one tweet. For those unfamiliar with the “X”/Twitter format, that means in 280 characters or less, which seems, at first glance, a…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Adopting Moses

In this week’s Torah portion, Shemot, Pharaoh issues his edict directing the Jewish midwives; “When you deliver the Hebrew women, and you see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Judaism at the Barber

On February 20, 1816, Rossini’s classic opera, The Barber of Seville, premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. In tribute, Jewish Treats will address the Torah’s instructions for…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Asking for Prayers

People “network” for many different reasons. Some people use networking to promote their businesses; others to share jokes or recipes. In many circles, networking, such as that found on…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Chol Hamoed

Most holidays in Western society last for a single day, which is often extended into the weekend. And, while most people are aware that Chanukah is celebrated for eight days, many people…

Read More

Jewish Treats

First You and Then You

From a broad perspective, the opportunity for all members of a prayer service to participate in a Torah reading service is an important statement on Jewish inclusion. In reality, however,…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Scapegoat

The Jewish people have often been cast as the proverbial “scapegoat.” When millions died during the Black Plague, the Jews were accused of poisoning the wells. Blood libels accusing Jews…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Don’t Shame The Name

The concept of “Chilul Hashem,” desecration of God’s name is first mentioned in the Torah in Leviticus (22:32), when the Jewish people are commanded: “You shall not shame My Holy Name;…

Read More