Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5777-2017

“Judging Others Favorably” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, has 38 negative and 13 positive mitzvot and…

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Strings of Red

Do an online search for the terms “red string” and “Judaism” and you will find a preponderance of discussions about the propriety of wearing a red string as a sign of bracha (blessing) or…

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Young Man…

The Jewish community has an incredible penchant for organizing and for creating organizations. Indeed, American Jewish life is an alphabet soup of acronyms, and one of the best-known is…

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Counting Shabbat

“And the maiden [Esther] pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily provided her with her ointments, along with her appointed rations, and with the seven maids, which…

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Let’s Hear Your Shpiel

Traditional Jewish life is rarely associated with theater or satire, but Purim is a time for turning things on their head. The Spiel (pronounced/also written: shpiel or schpiel), best…

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Terumah 5777-2017

“ זִיכּוּי הָרַבִּים - Meriting the Broader Jewish Community” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Terumah, we read of the commandment to build a Tabernacle, a…

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It’s All In How You Go

Living a Jewish life does not just happen on holidays or Shabbat or when looking for a good, kosher snack. Judaism is a way of life that is meant to influence everything one does, every…

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B’shalach 5777-2017

“Miriam Leads the Women in Song" This week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, is known as the parasha of the “Shira,” the Torah portion that includes the song that Moses sang after the…

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Beautiful

Teach the children in your life about the special and unique beauty of Jewish life. 

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Light One Candle

“Light one candle for the Maccabee children, with thanks that their light didn’t die...” Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary wrote these words in a song that cried out for the pain of…

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