B’ha’a’lot’cha 5784-2024
“The Message of the Trumpets" (updated and revised from B'ha'a'lot'cha 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha, the Torah, in Numbers…
The Disputation of Paris
The month of June, in the year 1240 C.E. was not a good time for the Jews of Europe. The trouble began with a Jewish apostate named Nicholas Donin. Wanting, perhaps, to prove his loyalty…
How Fortunate We Are
Consider how lucky we are today to be able to study the Talmud freely in multiple languages with full translation.
The Importance of Dad
In honor of Father’s Day, Jewish Treats presents this classic Treat on the importance of a father. Where does a child learn to be a mentsch (a decent person)? From his/her parents!…
Celebrate Father’s Day
Reach out to a father you admire and wish him a Happy Father's Day.
It’s About the Relationship
Marriage, in the context of Jewish law, is a practical agreement by which, at its most basic, a woman is guaranteed support and protection, and a man has the prospect of progeny to carry…
For Peace
Always do what you can to promote a peaceful relationship between a husband and wife. Aaron, Moses’ brother, was known as someone who sought to make peace wherever possible. In the first…
Give Them a Choice
There is an oft-cited Midrash (Sifrei, Dvarim 343) describing how God offered the Torah to the other nations of the world before He gave it to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. According…
Chag Sameach
NJOP and Jewish Treats wish you a Chag Sameach, a wonderful and meaningful Shavuot holiday.
The Book of Ruth
Ruth was the Moabite wife of Machlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, a wealthy Hebrew couple who had fled Bethlehem during a bitter famine. Elimelech’s family had settled in…
A Virtuous Woman
Study the Book of Ruth to more fully appreciate Ruth's extraordinary kindness and the remarkable turn of events that impacted Jewish history. Click here to read the Book of Ruth in both…
Shavuot 5784-2024
Shavuot 5784-2024 “Abba’s Final Shavuot” (updated and revised from Shavuot 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Our father, of blessed memory, Moshe Aharon Buchwald, whom my sisters…
Naso 5784-2024
“A Lesson from the N’seeim--the Tribal Leaders” (updated and revised from Naso 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Naso, is almost always read…
Preparing for the Torah
Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…
Time to Prepare
Use this Shabbat and the Sh’loshet Y’mei Hagbalah, the three days that follow before Shavuot to learn more about and to delve into the wisdom of the Sages by visiting NJOP’s Shavuot…
Jewish Treats,Shavuot,Shavuot Resources
Feast of Weeks
Shavuot, which we begin celebrating next Tuesday night (June 11th), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states that…
Get a Head Start
Prepare for Shavuot by downloading our free eBook "Jewish Treats on The Ten Commandments" by clicking here.
The Jews’ Hospital of New York
Healthcare is a topic that is frequently in the news these days and is a major part of the current public discourse. Before it became standard practice for governments to fund public…
Kosher Food
If you or a family member require hospital care, ask whether kosher food is available.
Lions and Jerusalem Day
The original city of Jerusalem, conquered by King David from the Jebusites, is now known as Ir David, situated in the Silwan neighborhood, south of the Temple Mount. Over time, Jerusalem…
Celebrate Jerusalem Day
Learn more about the connection that Jews have had with Jerusalem over the last 3,000 years through the powerful video presentation delivered several years ago by the late former Chief…
Bamidbar 5784-2024
“Lessons from Traveling in the Wilderness” (updated and revised from Bamidbar 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the people of…
Make Me the High Priest
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a), relates the strange story of a non-Jewish man who wished to convert to Judaism in order to ultimately become the High Priest of Israel. He believed that, in this…
It’s OK to Ask
Don't hesitate to ask questions about Jewish life and Jewish law.
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,…
Jewish Trailblazer
Appreciate Jewish trailblazers like Justice Louis Brandeis who, as the first Jew confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, broke through the glass ceiling, opening the door for other Jewish…
Bowing Down
Because it was customary for idol worshippers to bow fully to the ground before their idols, Jews refrain from bowing down (with the exception being during the Yom Kippur service).…
Awareness
Be aware that some items that appear as art are really considered statues in Jewish law.
Kissing the Mezuzah
A person might easily think of the mitzvah of mezuzah as a passive mitzvah. Simply recite the blessing before affixing the mezuzah to the doorposts of the house, and it is done. While…
Divine Protection
Whether you touch or kiss a mezuzah, bear in mind the mezuzah's symbolism of Divine protection of the Jewish people.