Neilah: The Final Service
While one may make requests of God or atone for transgressions at any time of the year, the first ten days of Tishrei (from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur) are considered particularly…
Golden Opportunity
Use the prayer of Neilah and the other Yom Kippur prayers as an opportunity to connect with and come closer to God on this auspicious day. As you take the necessary steps to prepare for…
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”…
Post Labor Day Whites
When is it fashionably acceptable to wear white after Labor Day? On Yom Kippur! Many people have the custom of wearing white on Yom Kippur. In the synagogue you will often see women…
Prepare Your Yom Kippur Wardrobe
To better appreciate and experience the significance of the day, set aside something white to wear on Yom Kippur.
For The Sins We Committed
One of the main steps in the process of teshuva (repentance) is for penitents to confess their sins and verbalize their errors. In so doing, those who seek forgiveness for committing a…
Understanding Vidui
When confessing sins before God, it is especially important to understand what is being said. If the Hebrew liturgy is unfamiliar, print out before Yom Kippur and review a translation of…
Remembering October 7th
Today is the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack that took place when Hamas terrorists from Gaza entered Israel and killed over 1,000 Jewish lives, shaking the very foundation of…
Pray For The Safe Return of the Hostages
Take a moment and recite Chapters 121 and 130 of Psalms in the merit that our collective prayers will help hasten the release of the hostages being held in Gaza.
Yom Kippur 5785-2024
“G-d’s Gift to His People on Yom Kippur” (updated and revised from Yom Kippur 5765-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Because of the observance of Yom Kippur, the final weekly Torah…
The Fast of Gedaliah (Tzom Gedaliah)
The Fast of Gedaliah is observed to commemorate the assassination of Gedaliah, the son of Achikam, which is described in the last chapter of the Second Book of Kings. This murder resulted…
Learning From Our Mistakes
The tragedy of the murder of Gedaliah, for which Jews fast today, was a result of Jew-versus-Jew hatred. We must always learn from the tragic lessons of our past, and, instead, embrace…
Holiday Greetings
The standard pre-Rosh Hashana greeting of “K’Tiva Va’Chatima Tova,” May you be written and sealed for good, is deduced from a Talmudic discussion concerning the three heavenly books that…
Send Your Best
On behalf of NJOP, Jewish Treats would like to wish all of our fans and followers “L’shana Tova Tikatayhvu," may we all be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness. To better…
Tashlich
The popular Rosh Hashana tashlich ritual is a tradition that is dear to all the many diverse Jewish communities. Tashlich literally translates as, “You will throw.” But what, exactly, is…
Visit a Body of Water
Make an effort over Rosh Hashana to visit a local fish-filled body of water (lake, river, stream, ocean, etc) in order to perform tashlich. If you are unable during the holiday, the…
Haazinu,Rosh Hashana,Weekly Message
Rosh Hashana/Haazinu 5785-2024
“Jewish Normal, Is Not Very Normal” (updated and revised from Haazinu-Rosh Hashana 5774-2013) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Haazinu, Moses, speaking to the…
Avinu Malkeinu
No prayer so thoroughly captures the Jewish people’s dual relationship with God as does the prayer Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King.” While Avinu Malkeinu is a prayer widely known to…
Our Father Our King
Seize the opportunity to approach God in prayer by recognizing the dual nature of His status as both Our Father and Our King.
Selichot
In addition to the unique prayer services of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays are known for one other service: selichot. A collection of religious poems and verses, selichot…
Appealing for God’s Mercy
As we prepare for the upcoming High Holidays, contemplate the words of the "Thirteen Attributes of God’s Mercy" and recognize the opportunity that we all have to come closer to God. With…
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.…
Shop Now
With Rosh Hashana less than a week away, learn more about and purchase some of the special simanim, the symbolic foods that are eaten on Rosh Hashana, so you will be able to recite the…
Annulment of Vows
“I swear that this time I will lose weight.” “I am going to pray every day…” We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in a…
Be Careful What You Promise to Do
The annual annulment of vows reminds us how careful we need to be when we speak. This is especially true before promising to do something.
Teshuva: To Where Are We Returning?
The process of introspection and repentance in order to accomplish transformation really begins a month before Rosh Hashana, with the advent of the Hebrew month of Elul. During this…
Recall a Better Time
When engaging in introspection during this time of year, try to recall and “return to” a time you are proud of in your past.
Vayeilech,Nitzavim,Weekly Message
Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5784-2024
“Choosing Life” (updated and revised from Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There’s something very distinctive about the arrival of the Jewish New Year. Whenever…
A Phoenix in Bnei Brak
Fifty-five years ago, corresponding to the 20th of Elul, which is today, Rabbi Joseph S. Kahaneman, known to the world as the “Ponevezher Rav,” passed away. Fifty-five years ago,…