We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in a position to fulfill the vow.

In neither of the two Torah references to the holiday of Rosh Hashana (Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:1), is there a specific mention of the shofar, the ram’s horn. Only the Teruah, the sound made by the shofar, is noted. So why do we only use the shofar on Rosh Hashana when the same sound can be made on another instrument?

There are a lot of attractive, intelligent, classy women out there who’d love to meet the right man. Sadly, they may have already gone out with him, but wouldn’t have given him a second chance because of mistakes he made on the first date.

One of the new holidays that has gained traction due to internet calendars is “Positive Thinking Day,” celebrated this year on September 13th. With only three days left until Rosh Hashana, Jewish Treats can think of no better time of year to highlight the important message of positive thinking.

Rosh Hashana, the head of the year, is the day on which God determines the fate and fortune of both individuals and communities for the year to come. It is assumed that on this day God determines exactly how much money one will earn in the coming year. As it says, “All of a person’s earnings are fixed in the time from Rosh Hashana until (and including ) Yom Kippur, except for his expenses for Shabbat, holidays and expenses incurred in teaching his children Torah” (Beitza 16a).

Autumn is on the horizon, and if you’re like me, you’re hotly anticipating the fall premieres of some of your favorite shows. So what do you do when you’re at a friend’s viewing party and you’ve got your eye on a cute, single acquaintance who also happens to love your favorite show as much as you do? You whip out a cheesy pick-up line, of course! And we’ve got a list that’s guaranteed to get you through some of the most popular shows on the fall slate (or get you slapped – it’s all in the delivery).

Most of us think us think of apples as an “eat out of hand snack,” a delicious pie filling, or as a mostly-pastry kitchen ingredient. However, apples are actually one of the most versatile ingredients being used in savory and pastry applications around the world.

The shofar is one of the most recognizable symbols of Rosh Hashana. Although it is preferable that a shofar be fashioned from a ram’s horn, the horn need only come from a kosher animal.* However, not all the horns of a kosher animal are usable, for instance cows’ horns and deer antlers are solid bone and cannot be fashioned into a shofar, whereas the horns of animals such as rams are made of keratin and can be hollowed out to become a shofar.

No prayer so thoroughly captures the Jewish people’s dual relationship with God as Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King.”

Dig through a purse or wallet and you might find (among the receipts and other notes) a fortune from a fortune cookie offering ancient wisdom and insight that you believed was meant specifically for you. Drawing from my private practice and the workshops and classes I’ve taught, I’ve compiled my own “fortunes,” that I call love notes. I’ve shared these with clients and students as notes designed to help singles meet their goal of finding their soul mate. As you read these love notes, I hope you will find a couple that speak directly to you.