Toledot 5761-2000

"The Ancient Origins and Practice of Anti-Semitism" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Toledot, we read that Yitzchak follows in the footsteps of his…

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Shelach 5769-2009

"Long-Term Consequences" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Shelach, we are told of the twelve scouts who were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan in…

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Lech Lecha 5774-2013

"Setting the Stage for the Jewish Future" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, the Torah tells of the exploits of Abraham and Sarah. The remarkable…

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Eikev-Tu b’Av 5766-2006

"The Fifteenth of Av" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald For most of the past three weeks, beginning with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz and concluding with the fast of Tisha b'Av, the Jewish…

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The Don’s Commentary

Don Isaac Abrabanel (1437-1508) was one of the greatest statesmen of his time (the second half of the 15th century). He was a financial genius who served in the royal courts of Portugal,…

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“…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,…

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Albania and the Jews

Albania, which today marks its Independence Day, is a small Balkan country with an almost minute Jewish population. While it was never a country with a large Jewish population, there have…

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Toledot 5781-2020

“The Ancient Origins and Practice of Anti-Semitism” (updated and revised from Toledot 2000-5761) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, we learn that…

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Stolen Lives

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the independence of the islands of Sao Tome and Principe from Portugal. The islands, which are located off the western coast of Africa, were mostly…

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A Community Revealed

In 1492, four families in Belmonte, Portugal began to live secret lives that would last for generations. Like many Jews on the Iberian Peninsula, in response to the Inquisition, which…

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