A Document Against Antisemitism
It was on this day in 1965 that the Catholic Church officially stopped blaming the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This groundbreaking statement came after more than a millennium of…
The Jews of Amsterdam
October 27, 1275 is noted as the first time the name “Amsterdam” was recorded as the name of a settlement in the Netherlands, near a dam on the Amstel River. That small fishing village…
The First Rabbi in America
The first ordained rabbi to serve in an American congregation was Rabbi Abraham Joseph Rice (originally Reiss, 1800-1862). After studying in Germany, in Wurzburg and then Fuerth, Rice was…
Chayei Sarah 5782-2021
“Raising Jewish Children in a Challenging Environment” (updated and revised from Chayei Sarah 5762-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, opens…
The Yom Kippur War
It would be impossible in this format to provide a full history of the events that led to the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in the fall of 1973. However, in honor of the second ceasefire…
Visiting The Sick
“It was taught: There is no measure [of reward] for visiting the sick. What is meant by, ‘there is no measure for visiting the sick?’ Rabbi Joseph thought to explain that: Its reward is…
The Chazon Ish
Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, known as the Chazon Ish, was considered to be one of the most important rabbinic voices in Europe and Israel in the period before World War II and its…
Leaders to Emulate
Study the history of sages recognized as religious leaders of the Jewish people who are presumed to possess not only superior Torah knowledge but also live lives of righteousness and…
Dear Yenta: The Matchmaker (Shadchan)
“Matchmaker, matchmaker / Look through your book / And make me a perfect match…” (Fiddler on the Roof). With the widespread proliferation of internet dating sites such as eharmony,…