The Story of Chanukah
Around the year 167 B.C.E., the Syrian-Greek rulers of Judea tried to force the Jews to assimilate into Hellenic culture. They summoned the Jews to the town squares where they were forced…
This Tomato Was Grown Where?
The view of Judaism is that humankind has the unique ability to synthesize the physical and the spiritual elements of life. Hence, Jewish law requires Jews to recite a blessing over food…
Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person…when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
Healthful and Healthy
Be conscious about how your diet affects your health. Remember, staying healthy is a mitzvah!
Go Vote! It’s an American and Jewish Value!
Voting in free and fair elections is one of the most profound privileges that Americans and citizens of other democratic countries enjoy. Almost 700,000 American soldiers* have died in…
Vayeira 5783-2022
“Sodom: The Home of Institutionalized Evil” (updated and revised from Vayeira 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have lived in Sodom?…
Lech Lecha 5783-2022
“The Two Birds of Israel” (updated and revised from Lech Lecha 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parsha, parashat Lech Lecha, Avram (his name had not yet been…
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah
Tonight starts the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, literally the Gathering of the Eighth, a connected yet independent holiday, that immediately follows Sukkot. During the seven days of…
Grab the Opportunity
Perform an extra good deed or mitzvah on Hoshana Rabbah to improve your chances of being granted a year full of blessing. To learn more about the significance of Hoshana Rabbah as the…
Everyone Does the Wave
One of the main mitzvot of the holiday of Sukkot is the waving of the Four Species: citron (etrog), palm branch, myrtle and willow. Trying to understand this mitzvah metaphorically, our…