Passover 5778-2018
Originally Published 5774-2014 “The Opening Act” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As every good scriptwriter, playwright or novelist knows, the opening act of a television presentation, a…
Shelach 5778-2018
“Moses Called Hoshea the Son of Nun, ‘Joshua’” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach-Lecha, the tragic story of the scouts is recounted. The scouts’…
Mishpatim 5780-2020
“The ‘Sophisticated’ and ‘Unsophisticated’ Criminal” (updated and revised from Mishpatim 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, is a…
Emor 5780-2020
“Death, and the Kohanim--the Children of Aaron” (updated and revised from Parashat Emor 5762-2002) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, the…
Celebrating Bar Ilan University
Would you believe that the founding of Israel’s second largest university (33,000 students) was conceived “deep in the heart of Dixie"? Two years after Israel’s founding in 1948, the…
Travelin’
Ever feel nervous just before the start of a trip? Ever have sleepless nights before boarding an airplane? Perhaps these hesitations connect back to a time when travel, whether by road or…
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…
Celebrating Bar Ilan University
Would you believe that the founding of Israel’s second largest university (33,000 students) was conceived “deep in the heart of Dixie”? Two years after Israel’s founding in 1948, the…
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…
Unicorns
Young girls often wish for fairies, and brash youth dream of dragons. There is a delightful allure to the legends of fantastical creatures. But, according to the Midrash, not all such…