Preparing for the Torah

Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…

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The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating this Thursday night (May 25th), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states that…

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Green Cheesecake At Midnight

The holiday of Shavuot has three well-known, and well-loved, customs: Decorating our Homes and Synagogues with Plants and Flowers: According to the Midrash, at the time of the giving of…

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Western Wall History

The Western (Wailing*) Wall is the most accessible holiest location in Jewish life. With 28 rows of massive stones above ground (and 17 below), the wall itself is physically breathtaking.…

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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…

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The Surgery Is Elective

In the late twentieth century, there was, according to anecdotal evidence, an epidemic of “deviated septum” among American Jewish girls. The implication, along with many not-so-funny…

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Thank You, Mom

Mother’s Day is a day set aside to show the moms in our lives how much we appreciate them. It’s a sweet and wonderful idea…but according to the Torah, every day is Mother’s Day! The very…

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Behar-Bechukotai 5783-2023

“The Revolutionary Nature of Shemita and Yovel” (updated and revised from Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Behar, the first of this week’s two…

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A Taste of Shakespeare

Yiddish theater, which saw its heyday in the early decades of the twentieth century, played an important role in the lives of the American Jewish community. More than just entertainment…

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Yom HaAtzma’ut

On the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, in the year 5708, corresponding to May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was born. On that day, the British Mandate was terminated, and Jewish…

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