Animal Instincts
In their natural habitats, every creature on earth helps create a balance that allows the environment to flourish. This biological fact is part of the mechanics of Planet Earth. But the…
The Power of Shabbat
Jewish life ebbs and flows around the celebration of Shabbat. The days of the week are labelled by a count toward Shabbat (Sunday is Yom Rishon, the first day; Monday is Yom Shaynee, the…
The Charleston Synagogue(s)
Charleston, South Carolina is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the United States. The 1669 charter for the Carolina Colony explicitly included liberty of conscious for…
Personal Responsibility
In the beginning, there was…taking responsibility for one’s own actions. This important lesson is found in the very first portion of the Torah not once, but twice. Adam and Eve were given…
The Power of Shabbat
Jewish life ebbs and flows around the celebration of Shabbat. The days of the week are labelled by a count toward Shabbat (Sunday is Yom Rishon, the first day; Monday is Yom Shaynee, the…
Vayakhel 5782-2022
“Defining True Generosity” (updated and revised from Vayakhel 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayakhel, we learn, once again, of building…
Beer
In Tractate Pesachim 107a, beer lovers can find an interesting discussion about the use of beer for kiddush or havdallah. “Rabbi Hisda asked Rabbi Huna: Is it permitted to recite kiddush…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
This coming Saturday night and Sunday, Jews the world over will be observing the fast of Tisha b’Av. It is on this day of the Hebrew calendar that the Jewish people mourn the destruction…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
Next Wednesday night and Thursday (July 26th and 27th), Jews the world over will be observing the fast of Tisha b’Av. It is on this day of the Hebrew calendar that the Jewish people mourn…
Honor The “Hoary Head”
Senior Citizen Day, an annual event observed on August 21st, is a day meant to both honor older citizens and to remind the government that seniors are a large and powerful constituency.…