Pinchas 5760-2000
"The Daughters Of Tzelafchad: Legitimate Feminist Claims" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn of the precedent-shattering request of the…
Rosh Hashana 5766-2005
"Actions and their Implications" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The celebration of the Jewish New Year is thoroughly different from the secular New Year festivities. No parties, no bands, no…
Tazria 5776-2016
“Heavenly Reminders” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tazria, focuses on the Biblical malady known as צָרַעַת--Tzara'at, often incorrectly identified as……
The Forced Closing of the “Ivy League” Yeshiva
The idea of a school with a dual curriculum, teaching both Judaic and general subjects is not too farfetched. Dozens, if not hundreds, of such private schools can be found around the…
The Pope and the Jewish Prayer for Rain
Did you know that several centuries ago, a Pope impacted Jewish law? Most Jewish events of note are based on the Jewish calendar. That’s why it’s surprising to learn that the date when…
The Origins of Formal Jewish Education in the United States
Today, thankfully, there are hundreds of Jewish elementary schools in the United States that teach both Judaic and general studies. The paradigm for this movement was the founding of…
If Shabbat Is Saturday, Why Does It Begin On Friday Night?
There Was Evening, And There Was Morning... When following the Gregorian (secular) calendar, it is natural to think of the days of the week as Sunday, Monday....Friday, Saturday, each…
More Than A Book Seller
Sholem Yankev Abramovitsh, born on January 2, 1836, to a poor family near Minsk, had a traditional religious Jewish childhood. After his father passed away when he was 13, …
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…
If Shabbat Is Saturday, Why Does It Begin On Friday Night?
There Was Evening, And There Was Morning... When following the Gregorian (secular) calendar, it is natural to think of the days of the week as Sunday, Monday....Friday, Saturday, each day…