Kee Tisah 5774-2014
“Moses Argues with G-d to Save the Jewish People from Destruction” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, features the tragic saga of the Golden Calf, and…
Tazria,Weekly Message,Metzorah,Yom Ha'atzmaut
Tazria-Metzorah-Yom Ha’atzmaut 5775-2015
“Finding the Silver Lining” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Tazria, the first of this week’s double parashiot Tazria-Metzorah, we encounter the laws of צָרָעַת Tzaraat, the…
The Story of Irena Sendler
Despite the fact that Irena Sendler was recognized in 1967 by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, her story was mostly unknown until 1999. That…
With This Ring…
The traditional Jewish wedding band is remarkable only in its particular simplicity. The ring used in the marriage ceremony is customarily made of a single solid band of metal that…
The Jews of Turkey: A Historical Overview
Given Turkey’s proximity to the Land of Israel, it is not surprising that there has been a Jewish presence in that country since at least the 4th century B.C.E, when the land was Roman…
The Jews of Crete and the Purim of Candia
The Jewish presence on the Island of Crete is rather ancient, with records of a Jewish community in Crete going as far back as the early Roman Empire. Living under the rule of the…
Continual Presence
The tumultuous record of Jewish history has led many to wonder how Jews can remain faithful to the Torah. But the very exiles and persecutions that might shake our faith are mentioned in…
Judah The Prince
Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, begins: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it…