A Diplomat to Romania
In July 1944, it was announced that a new Liberty ship under construction was to be named for Benjamin Franklin Peixotto (November 1834-September 1890). The descendant of a distinguished…
Jews in the Land of Lincoln
The first known Jewish resident of what is now the state of Illinois was John Hays, a grandson of a New York Jew, who moved west to Cahokia, IL in 1793. Hays was a farmer and trader who,…
Tooning Machines
There are not many people whose names appear as a dictionary entry, and even fewer whose names have become adjectives. As of 1966, however, the name “Rube Goldberg” took on an official…
Serach’s Serenade
Upon perusing the list of the generations of Jacob found in Genesis chapter 46, it is likely to conclude that there was a powerful genetic predisposition in Jacob’s family for male…
They Make Us Laugh
When the hit comedy Funny People was released in movie theaters (2009), it was frequently noted in the Jewish press that almost all of the comic actors in the film, including the…
Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement
The Mussar movement, the formal study and program of ethical improvement, was developed in the mid-nineteenth century by Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883). Rabbi Israel’s family name was…
Vayikra 5783-2023
“The ‘Sacrifice’ that Lasts Forever” (updated and revised from Vayikra 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On this Shabbat, synagogues around the world, commence reading of the book…
Draw on the Inspiration
Take some of the uplifting elements of the Passover experience and enjoy a delicious treat or two today in honor of Isru Chag, the name designated for the day that follows the holiday.…
Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom Hashoah, is observed each year on the 27th of Nissan, which is today. Jews around the world will mark Yom Hashoah (Officially Yom Ha’zikaron La’shoah V’ha’g’vurah, which translates to…
Shemini 5783-2023
“The Little Steps that Lead to Big Accomplishments” (updated and revised from Shemini 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As the narrative of this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini,…