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,…

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Sir Moses Montefiore

Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) had an extraordinary impact on the world. Beginning a career in general business, Montefiore quickly gained one of the 12 brokers licenses allowed to…

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Learn the Jewish History of Arizona

Before you travel to or through Arizona, learn its rich Jewish history.

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Dancing on Ice

Competing for artistic and athletic mastery on ice has been part of the fun of winter long before the Winter Olympics, and Jews have often taken part in the joy of ice skating. In…

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The Source of Leadership

Great leaders can move mountains...or at least, masses of people. Ezra the Scribe was just such a leader, and it was his charisma and wisdom that inspired the Jews to leave their…

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Shabbetai Zvi, False Messiah

Born in Smyrna, Turkey, in 1626, Shabbetai Zvi was considered a promising Talmudic scholar who showed strong skills in the study of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). However, he was noted…

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Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5775-2015

"Having Thoughts About False Gods" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, the Torah strictly prohibits Jews…

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Judaism vs. Hellenism

Judaism vs. Hellenism Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? What was there about Hellenism…

Shoftim 5778-2018

"Identifying the True Prophet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, we, once again, encounter the difficult challenge of identifying the true prophet who…

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Re’eh 5764-2004

"Identifying a True Prophet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, the Torah warns the Jewish people not to follow false prophets. The difficulty with this…

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