Kee Tisah 5778-2018
Safeguarding the Covenant by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, focuses primarily on the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses' successful invocation of…
Shemot 5779-2018
“Getting the Jews Out of Egypt-–Two Views” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, we read of the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt by Pharaoh, as well as the…
Chukat 5779-2019
“Can Death Be Sweet?” (Revised and updated from Chukat 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Chukat, we learn of the death of Aaron at Mt. Hor.…
Mishpatim 5780-2020
“The ‘Sophisticated’ and ‘Unsophisticated’ Criminal” (updated and revised from Mishpatim 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, is a…
Naso 5769-2009
"An Extreme Lifestyle" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter two particularly challenging themes. We read of the Sotah, a woman suspected of…
Does the Torah Support the Belief in Extraterrestrial Life?
Today, July 2nd, is celebrated world-wide, as "World UFO Day." It all started on July 2, 1947, when W.W. "Mac" Brazel discovered a metallic object on his Roswell, NM ranch. The U.S.…
Impeachment and the Jewish Tradition
On February 24, 1868, a U.S. president was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time. Three months later, the U.S. Senate acquitted President Andrew Johnson. 35…
The Law of Return
On July 5th, 1950, corresponding to the 20th of Tammuz, the Israeli Knesset unanimously passed the “Law of Return ”(LoR). The timing of the bill’s passage was intended to coincide with…
Celebrating Chanukah at the White House
When the Founding Fathers of the United States created the role of President, they created a chief executive who functions as both head of state and commander of the armed forces. In the…
Green Jews
Aside from Senator Bernie Sanders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield – aka “Ben and Jerry’s” – people normally do not associate the Green Mountain State with Jews. Although some scholars…