Presidents’ Day: The Jews and Martin Van Buren
In 1840, the news of the terrible fate of the Jewish community of Damascus (Syria) reached the shores of America and brought the disparate Jewish communities of the young American nation…
Bo 5783-2023
“The Subtle Secrets of the 10 Plagues” (updated and revised from Bo 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Bo, describes the last three of the ten…
Vayeishev 5783-2022
“The Two Sides of Joseph” (updated and revised from Vayeishev 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There are few characters in world literature who are as gifted, dynamic,…
Pom-Enjoyment
Make sure to say the proper blessing over your National Pomegranate Month (November) treats: Ha’etz for the fruit of the pomegranate, and She'ha'kol for pomegranate drinks.
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, literally the Night of Crystal, but generally translated as the Night of Broken Glass, was a tragic turning point in the fate of Germany’s Jewish community. The…
The Yom Kippur War
It would be impossible, in this brief format, to provide a full history of the events that led to the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in the fall of 1973. However, in honor of the…
Symbolic Foods
Since Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment, it is customary to eat simanim*, foods with symbolic meanings that invoke God’s blessing. We also recite a short prayer before eating them.…
Seek Guidance
The decision whether to use diplomacy, prayer or action or all three is not an easy one. Consider approaching a rabbi to seek guidance. Asking a rabbi or scholar for advice is premised on…
Operation Thunderbolt
When Air France Flight 139 left the Tel Aviv airport on the afternoon of June 27, 1976, the passengers and crew could not have imagined the terrifying, yet heroic, events of which they…
Ice Cream Soda Day
With the summer solstice arriving tomorrow, let us contemplate one of summertime’s favorite heat-quenching beverages. June 20th is Ice Cream Soda Day. The ice cream soda, sometimes called…