Observance and Prayer Outline

Passover Observanceand Prayer Outline The Seder night, when family and friends gather together to commemorate our redemption…

Lech Lecha 5773-2012

"To the Land that I Will Show You" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, G-d instructs Abram (his name had not yet been changed to Abraham), to begin…

Read More

Holy Times and Places

Tonight is the twenty-fourth annual SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA program, sponsored by NJOP (National Jewish Outreach Program). Tonight, SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA is being…

Read More

Laws and Customs of Shavuot

ShavuotLaws and Customs Table of Contents Festival Laws The Book of Ruth Customs Shavuot is a low-key, pensive holiday,…

It’s At the Lost and Found

Many a comic strip cartoon has tried to gain a laugh by focusing on the strange objects returned to the “lost and found” department of large stores or buildings. Anyone who has ever…

Read More

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5775-2015

"Having Thoughts About False Gods" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, the Torah strictly prohibits Jews…

Read More

Two Mondays and a Thursday

The Jewish calendar includes two week-long, Torah-ordained holidays: Passover and Sukkot (the latter of which ended a little over a week ago).* These holidays fill our spiritual needs…

Read More

Can the Theory of Evolution and God Co-Exist?

On this “Darwin Day,” commemorating the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809, we address the issue of Darwin’s own belief in God, given his authorship of the famed Theory of…

Read More

Caveat Emptor…Let the Buyer Beware (And the Seller Too)

Today is “Black Friday,” the day on which retailers across America try to assure their profits for the year by offering outrageous sales. Each store tries to outsell its competitors,…

Read More

Taking Stock and Moving Forward

Utilize this Shabbat, known as Shabbat Shuva, to contemplate how to repent for prior transgressions and how to improve going forward. We are taught in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers,…

Read More