Is It Kosher?

All natural produce in its original form is kosher -- including fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Once anything is processed -- such as frozen foods, canned goods, repackaged goods,…

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They Called Him “Two-Gun”

The nickname “Two-Gun” evokes images of a rough-shaven cowboy in the Wild West. Actually, the nickname belonged to one Morris “Moishe” Cohen. An immigrant child from Poland to London,…

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Mikeitz 5771-2010

"Joseph’s Bold Advice to Pharaoh" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph is taken from the dungeon and brought before Pharaoh, where he interprets…

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Flying Aces

On November 11, 1918, at 11:11 AM, the death and destruction of World War I came to an end. It was the conclusion of an immense catastrophe that left a death toll on both sides that was…

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Chayei Sarah 5771-2010

“What Shall I Do, My Parents Hate Him?!” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, we encounter the world’s first shidduch (arranged marriage) and the…

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Kee Teitzei 5770-2010

"Caring for Workers and Domestic Animals" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Kee Teitzei, contains an array of rather impressive, indeed, revolutionary, laws…

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Halachic Authorities

The connection between Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (the Tur, Barcelona, Spain, 1269-1340), Rabbi Joseph Caro (Safed, Israel, 1488-1575) and Rabbi Moshe Isserlis (Cracow, Poland, 1520 - 1572) is…

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Breaking the Fast

Breaking the Fast Many people eat together and have little dinner parties, while some synagogues have “Purim Parties or…

Will Not Eat Green Eggs and Ham?

Which is more “treif” (generic term used for non-kosher foods): a McDonalds’ burger or a ham sandwich from the corner deli? The answer is neither. Non-kosher food is non-kosher food. A…

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No Cheeseburgers

Why don’t Jews eat meat and milk together? Because the Torah says: “Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Lo t'vashail g'di ba'cha'laiv eemo.) To the modern Jew, however, this phrase…

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