Preparing for the Nine Days
The Mishna, in Tractate Ta’anit 27b, teaches that when the month of Av begins, we curtail our joy. Study this overview to prepare for the upcoming “Nine Days” that begin with the onset of…
Watch Your Language
Once upon a time in American culture, defiant children who uttered certain improper words would have their mouths washed out with soap. Today, profanities litter the world of common…
Matot-Masei 5782-2022
“The Massacre of the Midianites: Does Judaism Countenance Genocide?” (Updated and revised from Matot-Masei 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the conclusion of parashat Balak,…
The Hebrew University
Since its first official overseas program in 1955, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem has attracted hundreds of young Jewish adults from both North America and Europe. Hebrew University…
Hang Your Hammock
Today is National Hammock Day. Hammocking appears to be the ultimate celebration of the lazy days of summer. As we prepare for the onset of Shabbat later this afternoon, Jewish Treats…
What a Transformation
With numerous visits each year from commercial tankers, passenger cruise ships and even the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet, Theodor Herzl's vision of Haifa becoming a commercial port has…
Grandmaster R
When Samuel Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski, 1911-1992) was five years old, his father showed him how to play chess. Three years later, the boy was a recognized child prodigy who gained…
The Great Disputation
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban/Nachmanides c. 1194-1270) was one of the great personages of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. He authored commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud and was…
Pinchas 5782-2022
“Can a Perfect G-d Sin?” (Updated and revised from Pinchas 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, is full of fascinating narratives. The parasha…
Get Out
The history of the Jews in Europe can almost be read as a timeline of expulsions. At one time or another, Jews have either been expelled from, or prohibited to settle in, almost every…