Chukat 5777-2017
“Moses’ Painful Words of Comfort” Among the diverse themes found in parashat Chukat, we learn of the death of Aaron. According to tradition, on the first day of Av, in the fortieth and…
Va’eira 5778-2018
“Participating in the Communal Pain” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, marks the commencement of the redemption of the People of Israel from their…
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.…
The Buttonwood Jews
On the 17th of May, 1792, 24 businessmen met under a buttonwood (sycamore) tree and made an agreement to deal only with one another and to set a .25% commission rate on all…
Before Michigan
The foundations of Michigan’s Jewish community were laid by the German Jews who came to America in the 1840s and spread out across the continent. Jewish history in Michigan, which became…
Judah Touro
Unlike many of the great philanthropists recorded in history, Judah Touro (1775-1854) was neither the scion of old money nor a man famed for his incredible business talents. His…
For Your Eyes Only
Did you know that according to the U.S. Postal Service, willfully and knowingly reading someone else's mail is a federal offense. That’s right, even that department store bill addressed…
The Buttonwood Jews
On the 17th of May, 1792, 24 businessmen met under a buttonwood (sycamore) tree and made an agreement to deal only with one another and to set a .25% commission rate on all transactions.…
Moses’ Sons
The inherent desire to have one’s legacy last into the future is, most likely, the root of the laws of primogeniture (the special inheritance of the firstborn son). And while the laws…
Evacuation Day
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called upon the American people to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. In New York, however, there was already a holiday…