Observance and Prayer Outline

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

Two Jews and the 501 Blues

Most people own at least one pair of jeans, if not several. The original, and most widely known, brand of jeans are the Levi 501 Blues, named after the company founded by Levi Strauss.…

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Bo 5771-2011

"‘Is This What You Call Borrowing?’--Revisited" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In a previous analysis of parashat Bo (5768-2008), we presented a number of responses to the question of how…

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Light and Happiness

What is the connection between the holiday of Purim and Havdalah, the ceremonial conclusion of Shabbat? The simple answer is the single verse from the Book of Esther that is recited by…

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Light and Happiness

What is the connection between the holiday of Purim and Havdalah, the ceremonial conclusion of Shabbat? The simple answer is the single verse from the Book of Esther that is recited by…

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The Royal Family and the Jews

On February 6, 1952, Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne of “the United Kingdom and her other realms and Territories” upon the death of her father, King George VI. While the Queen is…

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Shelach 5760-2000

"Finding Meaning in the Rituals" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, Parashat Sh'lach, concludes with the well-known third paragraph of the Shema prayer concerning…

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Shelach 5779-2019

"Finding Meaning in the Rituals" (Revised and updated from Shelach 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   This week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, concludes with the well-known…

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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,…

Behar-Bechukotai 5773-2013

"The Value of a Woman" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Bechukotai, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Behar-Bechukotai, we learn of the laws of valuations--the practice…

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