Observance and Prayer Outline

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

Sukkot 5774-2013

"Half for You, and Half for G-d" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In parashat Emor, the Torah states that creative labor is forbidden on the first and seventh day of the festival of Passover.…

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Sukkot 5770-2009

"Sukkot: The Dialectic of a Festival" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot is referred to in the Torah (Exodus 34:22) as "Chag Ha'ah'sif," the festival of the ingathering. It…

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Passover 5770-2010

"The Festival of Liberation" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald If one were to look at the world from a truly impartial perspective, one might conclude that all human beings are equal, all days…

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Sukkot 5771-2010

“A Turning Point for Humankind” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald To most observers, Sukkot is a festival that is closely associated with the celebration of nature. The Torah (Exodus 34:22)…

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Remembering Bergen-Belsen

The spring brings with it annual anniversaries that mark the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, death camps and a day of renewed life for tens of thousands of survivors of the Shoah.…

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Remembering Bergen-Belsen

The spring brings with it annual anniversaries that mark the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, death camps and a day of renewed life for tens of thousands of survivors of the Shoah…

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Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah

- Shemini Atzeret / Simchat TorahThe Gathering of the 8th Shemini Atzeret, literally the Gathering of the…

Haazinu-Sukkot 5773-2012

"Yom Kippur: A Prelude to the Festival of Sukkot" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The four days between Yom Kippur and the festival of Sukkot are important transitional days. As often…

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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,…