National Freedom Day
Today, February 1st, is both National Freedom Day and the first day of Black History Month. National Freedom Day was initially advocated for by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr.…
Before Michigan
The foundations of Michigan’s Jewish community were laid by the German Jews who came to America in the 1840s and spread out across the continent. Jewish history in Michigan, which became…
Honoring King
“The Hebrew prophets belong to all people because their concepts of justice and equality have become ideals for all races and civilizations. Today we particularly need the Hebrew prophets…
Mikeitz 5783-2022
“In Those Days, in These Times” (updated and revised from Mikeitz 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As we have previously noted, the story of Joseph may be seen as the story of an…
Chanukah Yum
While Jewish holidays are often known for their food, most of these foods are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget matzah or apples, those are…
Lancaster Jews
Many people do not realize that Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to the famous Amish community, was one of the few active Jewish communities during the colonial era and has the fourth oldest…
Jews in the Land of Lincoln
The first known Jewish resident of what is now the state of Illinois was John Hays, a grandson of a New York Jew, who moved west to Cahokia, IL in 1793. Hays was a farmer and trader who,…
All-American Giver
Mervin Pregulman earned his initial fame as a college football star, but his real success was achieved later as a man of business and as a philanthropist. Born in Lansing, Michigan, on…
You Border on the Adriatic
For many Americans, knowledge of Albania may derive from a famous scene in the sitcom “Cheers,” where “Coach” helps “Sam” study geography via the use of songs. They did this by singing,…
Sigd, The Ethiopian Holiday
While most of the Jews of Ethiopia–the Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian community is properly called–have made aliyah and rejoined the global Jewish community, they have their own unique…