Happy Ravenniversary
From time immemorial, the Hebrew calendar has been the subject of great debate. The following discussion underscores the extent of this debate. Two weeks prior to the Children of Israel’s…
Happy Birthday Adam
Adam Richard Sandler was born September 9, 1966 in New York City to Judith (Levine) and Stanley Sandler, who descended from Russian Jewish immigrants on both sides. When Adam was 6, the…
Va’etchanan 5779-2019
“The Torah’s Radical Approach to Parenting” (Revised and updated from Va’etchanan 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This past Saturday evening (August 10th) and Sunday…
The Month of Av
The months of the Jewish year are called in the Torah by number only (the first month, second month, etc.) Over time, during the exile, the months assumed the names given to them by host…
Of Shamrocks, Snails and Survivors: the life of Rabbi Isaac Herzog
Rabbi Isaac Herzog, the State of Israel’s first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, passed away, at age 70, on this date - the 19th of Tammuz – sixty years ago, in 1959, corresponding to July 25th.…
Korach 5779-2019
“Controversy Versus Conflict” (Revised and updated from Korach 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Korach, tells of the ill-fated controversy between…
Bamidbar 5779-2019
“The Trials of Being a Public Figure” (Revised and updated from Bamidbar 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, we encounter a…
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…
The Flying Rabbi
On October 24, 2011, a memorial to the Jewish chaplains of the United States Armed Services was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery. The 14 Jewish chaplains whose names were…
Her Other Name
Do you have a Hebrew name that’s different than your legal name? The custom of giving children both secular and Hebrew names is not a modern tradition, but rather goes back to ancient…