Va'etchanan,Weekly Message,Tisha b'Av
Va’etchanan-Tisha B’Av 5762-2002
"Loving the Land of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's Torah portion, parashat Va'etchanan, is an extremely rich parasha. The parasha opens with Moshe's plea to G-d to allow…
Rahel the Poetess
The poetry of Rahel has been described as both lyrical and sad, reflecting the challenges of her relatively brief life and her passion for the Land of Israel. Rahel Bluwstein Sela…
Va’etchanan 5781-2021
“Loving the Land of Israel” (Updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5762-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Va’etchanan, is an extremely rich parasha.…
Italkim, the Italian Liturgy
It is believed by many, that the first Jews to have traveled to the land now known as Italy came to Rome as ambassadors sent by Judah Maccabee (of Chanukah fame). Certainly it was not…
Jiri Mordecai
In celebration of National Poetry Month: One could easily say that the life of Jiri Mordecai Langer (1894-1943) was lived between the two World Wars. Born in Prague to an…
Weekly Message,Haazinu,Rosh Hashana
Haazinu-Rosh Hashana 5775-2014
“Invoking Heaven and Earth” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald It seems so natural to always begin the New Year with parashat Haazinu, the majestic song of Moses, which he sang moments before…
Devarim 5778-2018
“The Final Rebuke" With this week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, we begin to read the fifth and final book of the Torah. The book of Deuteronomy is known in rabbinic literature as…
Tzav 5779-2019
"Remembering Amalek: A Contemporary View” (Revised and updated from Tzav 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Rather than focus on this coming week’s parasha, parashat Tzav, I have…
Liturgical Songs
The poems, zemirot, and songs we sing on Shabbat and Jewish holidays were composed by great and pious scholars and their words are pregnant with meaning. In addition to singing them,…