The History Around Purim

The story of Purim takes place at the very end of the era known in Jewish history as the Babylonian Exile. King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian legions destroyed the Temple and…

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The History of the Knesset

The founders of the State of Israel did not have much time to set up and plan the specifics of government. So, it is not surprising that the country emerged from its fight for…

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Israel’s Memorial Day

The State of Israel’s independence, as well as its continued survival, is a modern-day miracle. But it has come at great cost in human lives and to its citizens. Therefore, before Israel…

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Shemini 5783-2023

“The Little Steps that Lead to Big Accomplishments” (updated and revised from Shemini 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As the narrative of this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini,…

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Korach 5783-2023

"The Power of Strife" (updated and revised from Korach 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Korach, we learn of the frightful rebellion of Korach and…

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Mission: Impossible

If you were to search the famous “Hollywood Walk of Fame” in Los Angeles for a star with the name “Solomon Krakovsky,” you would be on a mission impossible. Solomon Krakovsky, who…

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The Letter Lamed

The word lev, which means heart, begins with a lamed. When the Hebrew letters are lined up, it is not surprising to…

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Jabotinsky

When Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky was born on October 18, 1880, in Odessa, it was virtually inconceivable that he would become a staunch advocate for the resettlement of the Jewish…

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North Star State’s First Jewish Senator

Rudolph Ely Boschwitz was born on November 7, 1930, in Berlin, Germany to his Jewish parents Lucy (Dawidowicz) and Eli. When he was 3, coinciding with Hitler’s rise to power, the…

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Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht, literally the Night of Crystal, but generally translated as the Night of Broken Glass, was a tragic turning point in the fate of Germany’s Jewish community. The…

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