Re’eh 5769-2009
"The Chosen People–Again!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, we once again encounter the challenging concept of the "Chosenness" of Israel. After…
Lech Lecha 5770-2009
"Go for Yourself " by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, the Almighty says to Abram (Genesis 12:1): "Lech l'cha may'ar'tzeh'chah, oo'mee'mo'lahd't'cha,…
Chosen To Write: Chaim Potok
In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with an angel and emerged as Israel, “He who struggles.” In the 20th-21st century, Western Jews spend a great amount of energy wrestling with the world of…
Mikeitz 5771-2010
"Joseph’s Bold Advice to Pharaoh" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph is taken from the dungeon and brought before Pharaoh, where he interprets…
Bereshith 5773-2012
“What is Heaven?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening parasha of the book of Genesis, parashat Bereshith, contains the dramatic biblical account of the physical creation of the…
Sophie Udin, An Energy to Organize
There are some people who are born with a natural energy to do and to organize. Sophie Udin (1896 - 1960) was just such a woman. She was still a young child when her parents emigrated…
The Aleppo Codex
The story of the Jewish people is one of wandering, exile and redemption. It is therefore not surprising that many items precious to Jewish life have followed similar paths. An excellent…
The Netziv
At most yeshivot, the primary focus of study is on the Oral Law (as compiled in the Talmud and later legal compendiums), leaving the study of the written Tanach (the five books of…
Chosen To Write: Chaim Potok
In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with an angel and emerged as Israel, “He who struggles.” In the 20th-21st century, Western Jews spend a great amount of energy wrestling with the world of…
Shtreimels and Spodiks
One of the most distinctive pieces of clothing in the diverse world of Jewish life is the shtreimel, the round fur hat worn by Chassidic men. In the modern world, where the vast majority…