Jewish Treats

Giving Gifts

"One who is diligent in lighting Chanukah candles will have children who are scholars" (Talmud Shabbat 23b).   The desire for scholarly children was actually one of the…

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Jewish Treats

These Lights We Kindle

While the mitzvah of lighting the menorah is an outward-focused mitzvah - the menorah is lit in a window or doorway - it is also an opportunity for personal reflection on the deeper…

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Jewish Treats

The Pope and the Jewish Prayer for Rain

Did you know that several centuries ago, a Pope impacted Jewish law? Most Jewish events of note are based on the Jewish calendar. That’s why it’s surprising to learn that the date when…

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Mikeitz,Weekly Message

Mikeitz 5779-2018

"Why Did You Treat Me So Badly?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is appointed Viceroy of all Egypt. The…

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Jewish Treats

Chanukah Blessings

The Jewish people have said this prayer daily for thousands of years. On the first night of Chanukah, one candle/wick in oil is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding…

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Jewish Treats

The Jewish Holiday A Week before Chanukah

The Mishnah (Rosh Hashana 1:1) declares four calendar dates as “Jewish new years.” On the first day of Tishrei, we celebrate Rosh Hashana as the annual day of judgment for all humanity…

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Jewish Treats

The Story of Degania

Since many of the early settlers in pre-state Palestine identified with the socialist ideology, Kibbutzim (communal farms or settlements) were the desired living arrangement. The first…

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Jewish Treats

First On The Court

Born in 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky, Louis Dembitz Brandeis was the child of European immigrants who maintained a minimal Jewish identity. However, his maternal uncle, Lewis Dembitz,…

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Weekly Message,Vayeitzei

Vayeitzei 5779-2018

“The Deceivers are Deceived” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, we find Jacob fleeing for his life from his brother Esau’s wrath, because…

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Jewish Treats

Memorial Day Museum

Washington, DC, is a city of museums. Beyond the vast assortment of divisions and galleries at the Smithsonian Institute and the many political memorials, there are also smaller museums…

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