The Incomplete Repentance
“Repentance” sounds like a grand and powerful word. In truth, the most important adjective that must be attached to the act of repentance is the word “sincere.” At one time or another, we…
Weekly Message,Devarim,Tisha b'Av
Devarim-Tisha B’Av 5761-2001
"Eichah, The Annual Search for Meaning and Introspection" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Devarim, is the parasha which is always read on the Shabbat that…
Vayeitzei 5765-2004
"Rachel: Portrait of a Matriarch" Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, we are given perhaps the most extensive and most intimate view of Mother Rachel. We…
Vayeitzei 5781-2020
“The Role of Mother Rachel in Jewish History” (updated and revised from Vayeitzei 2000-5761) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, we encounter Jacob…
The First Ten
If the children of Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai, why did Moses come down bearing only “two tablets of testimony” luchot ha’aidoot (Exodus 32:15), on which the Ten Commandments…
Passover Story in Brief
On Passover, we commemorate the exodus from Egyptian slavery. The following is a brief summary: Jacob’s family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, Jacob’s son and the…
The Jewish Reveille
The Hebrew month of Elul which began this past Sunday night and Monday, brings with it a few changes to the prayer service, one of which is the blowing of the shofar every morning (except…
The Board of Deputies
The contemporary Jewish community of England began to form in the late 17th century, after a nearly 400 year ban on Jewish settlement. While the majority of the Jews who initially came to…
Radio Man
The World Day of Radio, that is held annually on February 13th, was approved by the 26th General Conference of UNESCO on November 3, 2011. Its goal is to emphasize the importance of radio…
Paying For Gold
The most infamous sin of the Jewish people was the sin of the Golden Calf: When God presented the People of Israel with the Ten Commandments, the people were overwhelmed at hearing the…