Wind Power
When the European Wind Energy Association launched the first Wind Day in 2007 (which became Global Wind Day in 2009 in coordination with the Global Wind Energy Council), it was probably…
As the Wind Blows
The Torah is full of fascinating, unexpected and, some might say, poetic connections. Many of these associations are not obvious because they are spread throughout the many texts of…
West Point
Last spring, the Jewish news media delightedly reported that Rachelle David was the first female graduate of an Orthodox Jewish High School to be accepted to West Point. It is a…
West Point
Several years ago, the Jewish news media delightedly reported that Rachelle David was the first female graduate of an Orthodox Jewish high school to be accepted to West Point. It is a…
In West Virginia
West Virginia, which became a state on this day in 1863 after breaking away from the more southernly aligned State of Virginia, is not generally thought of as a state with a wealth of…
Miracle of the Sea
The splitting of the sea is one of the most dramatic and well-known scenes in the Torah. It is the final, grand event of the exodus from Egypt, after which the Children of Israel were…
B’shalach 5774-2014
“Analysis of the ‘Shira,’ the Song of Moses Crossing the Sea” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, as they cross to freedom through the parted waters…
Jews in the Land of Lincoln
The first known Jewish resident of what is now the state of Illinois was John Hays, a grandson of a New York Jew, who moved west to Cahokia in 1793. Hays was a farmer and trader, who, in…
Articles,Judaism Resources,Holidays,Holiday ResourcesUncategorized
History of the State Since 1948
History of the StateSince 1948 Table of Contents the war of independence population shifts 1956- the sinai campaign 1967 –…
Homestead Bride
The Homestead Act of 1862, which was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, opened up a huge swath of the western United States to settlement. In order to claim…
Curly-Headed White Chief with One Tongue
On May 30, 1854, President Franklin Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which officially defined the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and opened up a significant part of what became…
Va’etchanan 5780-2020
“The Mandate for Parental Involvement in Jewish Education” (updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we…
Va’etchanan 5761-2001
"The Mandate for Parental Involvement in Jewish Education" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Va'etchanan, we encounter not only the Ten Commandments, but also…
Bamidbar 5769-2009
"Bringing Order to the Camp of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the people of Israel are instructed to build a camp in the wilderness. G-d…
The Fall of the Wall
Today, November 9, is marked on some calendars as World Freedom Day in tribute to the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The collapse of the iron curtain changed the world and…
A Light Unto the Sunshine State
What U.S. cities enjoy the largest Jewish populations? You probably included New York, Los Angeles and Miami, which are indeed the three cities, in order, with the largest Jewish…
Jewish Geography
If you were lost in the wilderness, would you know which way was north? The classic natural tracking maneuver is to look up at the sky and find the north star. It is interesting then to…
Shemot 5780-2020
Shemot 5780-2020 “Developing Commitment to Judaism: A Lesson from an Egyptian Prince” (updated and revised from Shemot 5760-1999) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's…
Va’eira 5767-2007
"Even a Hardened Heart has a Silver Lining" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In last week's parasha, parashat Shemot, G-d instructed Moses that when he finally confronts Pharaoh he should…
Re’eh 5765-2005
"The Sanctity of Land and its Implications" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Among the topics discussed in this coming week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, is the sanctity of the Land of Israel.…
Sources Commentators
Abarbanel (1437-1508, Spanish statesman, philosopher and commentator) Achad Ha’Am (Asher Zvi Hirsh Ginsberg, 1856-1927) AJOP (Association for Jewish Outreach Programs) Akeidat Yitzchak…
A Jewish Boy Goes to Hollywood
Joshua Charles Malina, a prominent Jewish American actor, was born January 17, 1966 in New York City. His father, an investment banker and Broadway producer, and mother, moved to…
Re’eh 5768-2008
"A Tale of Two Mountains" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, Moses sets before the Jewish people a blessing and a curse, assuring them that the blessing…
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…
A Brief History of the Jews of Georgia
Located between Russia and Turkey, at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia was, until the mid-1800s, a place of relatively little anti-Semitism. According to tradition, Jews first…
“He Was the Best Man We Had”
(Quote by David Ben Gurion) In early 1948, knowing that the untrained and disorganized Jewish fighting forces could not withstand a true battle for the Promised Land, David Ben…
The Jewish Major General
Jewish Treats; presents a mini-biography of Major General Julius Klein (1901-1984), who served his country in both World Wars. Born in Chicago, Klein was the descendant of Prussian and…
Bamidbar 5765-2005
"Lessons from Traveling in the Wilderness" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the people of Israel are counted, the structure of the tribal…
Guilty By Association?
Historic references to David Salisbury Franks (c. 1740-1793) do not mention anti-Semitism. Franks had a far more serious cloud hanging over him--the unfortunate honor of serving as an…
A Brief History of the Jews of Georgia
Located between Russia and Turkey, at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia was, until the mid-1800s, a place of relatively little anti-Semitism. According to tradition, Jews first…