The Blessings of the Amidah: Gratitude

The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The eighteenth blessing is an outright statement of gratitude. It is the longest of the nineteen…

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Sabbath Prayers: Ein Keh’lo’hay’nu/There Is None Like Our God

There is no one (or thing) like God, and, when all is said and done, this is the essence of everything that a Jew says and does. Only God can create the world. Only God can be master of…

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In West Virginia

West Virginia, which became a state on this day in 1863 after breaking away from the more southernly aligned State of Virginia, is not generally thought of as a state with a wealth of…

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For Jewish Youth

Do you know which international Jewish youth organization began in Omaha, Nebraska? In the 1920s, Jewish youth were often excluded from local clubs and organizations. When a group of…

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The Blessings of the Amidah: God’s Might

The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The second blessing is a meditation on God’s might and His role in the basic flow of life. Ah’tah gibor…

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Tu b’Shevat

Tu b'ShevatNew Year for Trees Tu b’Shevat is a rabbinical, not biblical holiday. In fact, it is first…

Re’eh 5776-2016

“Preserving the Sanctity of Sacred Objects and Sacred Ideas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Very soon after the opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, the Torah, in…

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Who Knows One?

How does one transmit basic theology in a fun manner to tired seder guests? The answer is--with song. Many see this as one of the purposes of the Nirtzah, the final section of the…

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Beautiful and Strange Creatures

Summer vacation means different things to different people, but one of the most common tourist activities of the season is a trip to the zoo. From time immemorial, human beings have been…

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Who Knows One?

How does one transmit basic theology in a fun manner to tired seder guests? The answer is--with song. Many see this as one of the purposes of the Nirtzah, the final section of the…

Read More