Jewish Treats

Symbolic Foods

Since Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment, it is customary to eat simanim*, foods with symbolic meanings that invoke God’s blessing. We also recite a short prayer before eating them.…

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Jewish Treats

Whoever Is Wise

“Return, O Israel, for you have stumbled in your sin” (Hosea 14:2). Let’s face it, none of us really want to hear a fire-and-brimstone reproof of all of the things we’ve done wrong and…

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Jewish Treats

Joined Together as One

Recognize that the significance of picking up the Four Species together at once represents the symbolic joining together of all Jews regardless of background and level of prior Jewish…

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Jewish Treats

Good Neighbors

When considering a move to a new home, be sure to do your due diligence and inquire whether your prospective neighbors are upstanding individuals. Never underestimate the critical…

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Jewish Treats

Know Your Matriarchs

Study the Torah and its commentaries to appreciate the special qualities that the Matriarchs possessed. A closer look at the life of our Matriarch Sarah, details a difficult life, one…

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Jewish Treats

The Three Mitzvot of Sarah

Jokes about dominant Jewish mothers are abundant and frequent. Perhaps this is because, historically, Jewish mothers have been responsible for building the foundation for passionate…

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Jewish Treats

Enhance Your Shabbat

Dedicate quality time to learning the weekly Torah portion on Shabbat to better understand the lives and actions of the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs. We are taught that the actions…

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Jewish Treats

Request Wisdom and Guidance

The decision whether to use diplomacy, prayer or action or all three is not an easy one. Consider approaching a rabbi to seek wisdom and request guidance when faced with a particularly…

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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 Chanukiyah

The term “menorah” is used for both the classic symbol of the holiday of Chanukah and the great seven-branched candelabra that was built in the wilderness following explicit Divine…

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