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…
He is Always There
When reciting Ha’nayrot Halalu after lighting the menorah, remember how G-d brought salvation to the Jewish people during the events that transpired on Chanukah.
The 25th of Kislev
It is not uncommon to find that significant events in Jewish history occurred in different years, but on the same day on the Jewish calendar. For instance, Tisha b’Av (9th of Av), the day…
Get Inspired
Let the holiday of Chanukah be an inspiration to dedicate yourself to include more Jewish learning in your daily life. Consider purchasing a Jewish text to study or to attend a class on a…
Vayeishev 5784-2023
Urgent message: Given the most challenging situation in Israel at this time, I urge all to pray for the bereaved families, the hostages, the missing and the many casualties. Please try to…
The Story of Chanukah
Around the year 167 B.C.E., the Syrian-Greek rulers of Judea tried to force the Jews to assimilate into Hellenic culture. They summoned the Jews to the town squares where they were forced…
Prepare for Chanukah
Stock up on oil or candles and prepare your menorah, dreidels and gelt, Yiddish for coins, in anticipation of the upcoming holiday of Chanukah that begins on Thursday evening, December…
Diplomacy, Prayer, Action
As every diplomat knows, there is a time to talk, a time to pray and a time to take action. This very lesson is recorded in the Torah. When Jacob encounters his murderous brother Esau…
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…
Jews in Mississippi
In honor of "National Mississippi Day," Jewish Treats is proud to share a brief history of the Jews in Mississippi. In 1804, a year after the “Louisiana Purchase” was concluded, the…
Jewish Mississippi
When traveling, try to learn the Jewish history of the places you plan to visit.
Rachel’s Tomb?
Kever Rochel, the Tomb of Rachel, in Bethlehem is considered to be the third holiest site in Jewish tradition, after the Temple Mount and The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The…
On Your List Copy
If you visit Israel, make certain that Rachel's Tomb is on your itinerary.
Albania and the Jews
Albania, which today marks its Independence Day, is a small Balkan country with an almost minute Jewish population. While it was never a country with a large Jewish population, there have…
Acknowledge the Righteous Among the Nations
Learn more about those who were deemed to be amongst the "Righteous Among the Nations" and delve into the stories describing their heroic efforts to save Jews in the most difficult of…
Vayishlach 5784-2023
Urgent message: Given the most challenging situation in Israel at this time, I urge all to pray for the bereaved families, the hostages, the missing and the many casualties. Please try…
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…
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Study the Torah, the blueprint for Jewish life to learn how to more fully embrace this adage and become a mentsch in the process.
Leah’s Story
On the morning after Jacob was to marry Rachel, he woke to find that his new bride was actually Rachel’s older sister Leah. The Midrash records that Jacob said to Leah: “Deceiver,…
Know Your Matriarchs
Study this week’s Torah portion of Vayeitzei to appreciate the relationship of the Matriarchs/Sisters, Rachel and Leah. While the biblical narrative surrounding the Matriarchs, Leah and…
The Bird of Thanks
On Thanksgiving Day, it is customary in the United States to eat a turkey dinner. The Hebrew name for turkey is “tar’negol hodu,” literally, an “Indian Rooster.” It came by this name…
Say Thank You
Think of ways to say thank you in a distinctively Jewish way to people so they know that you mean it.
The Thanksgiving Synagogue Service
While Thanksgiving is most certainly an American festival of gratitude, its founders prominently articulated its religious underpinnings, which ultimately traces to a source in Judaism.…
Thanksgiving Openers
As you plan for your Thanksgiving meal, consider using Torah subjects as topics for discussion.
World Hello Day
In 1973, Brian and Michael McCormack created "World Hello Day" as a reaction to the Yom Kippur War. College students at the time, the McCormack brothers started a campaign encouraging…
Smile!
If you smile when you talk to people, even when speaking to them remotely, you will likely make them happier.
Vayeitzei 5784-2023
Urgent message: Given the most challenging situation in Israel at this time, I urge all to pray for the bereaved families, the hostages, the missing and the many casualties. Please try…
Bostoner
Boston is a famous and historic American city, with a rich early American flavor. So, it might therefore be surprising to learn that Boston is the home of its own unique chassidic sect.…
Open Your Heart
Learn from the example of the Bostoner Rebbe and extend welcoming invitations to Jewish college students in your community.
Isaac, Son of Abraham
Born to aged parents (Sarah was 90, Abraham was 100), Isaac was Abraham’s sole heir. This meant more than inheriting his wealth, it meant becoming the leading advocate of monotheism.…