Carrying On Shabbat
The last of the 39 melachot* (creative works prohibited on Shabbat) is that of carrying between a private and a public space. How is carrying a creative work? The…
A Crime of Stalin
In 1981, PEN International (an organization of poets, essayists and novelists advocating for freedom of expression and human rights) declared November 15 as the Day of the Imprisoned…
Wind Power
When the European Wind Energy Association launched the first Wind Day in 2007 (which became Global Wind Day in 2009 in coordination with the Global Wind Energy Council), it was probably…
Metzorah 5776-2016
“G-d Has Pity on the Property of Israel” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Metzorah, opens with a detailed description of the purification ritual for the…
The Whole Megillah
Whether it’s a long-winded tale, or a story overloaded with details--it’s called a “whole megillah!” (In “the old country” they would have said “a gantse megillah!”) So what exactly…
A Jar of Manna
While the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, there were few things more miraculous than the manna, the food from heaven that fell like dew so that each morning, except for Shabbat,…
The Jewish History of the Cyclone Roller Coaster
Coney Island’s reputation as a vacation destination began in the early 1800s, when New Yorkers would head to the beaches. Following the Civil War, Coney Island became a true recreation…
The Whole Megillah
Whether it’s a long-winded tale, or a story overloaded with details--it’s called a “whole megillah!” (In “the old country” they would have said “a gantse megillah!”) So what exactly…
Marvelous Manna
“Foodies” everywhere might appreciate the fact that some people see the exceptionally wide variety of textures and flavors that are found in food as proof of God’s desire for humankind to…
The Whole Megillah
Whether it’s a long-winded tale, or a story overloaded with details--it’s called a “whole megillah!” (In “the old country” they would have said “a gantse megillah!”) So what exactly is a…