Passover II 5773-2013
“The Final Days of Passover: A Call For Modesty in Jewish Life” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Midrash, in Shemot Rabba 23:5, speaks of a purported conversation between G-d and Israel…
Devarim 5773-2013
"The Price of Disunity" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, the fifth book of the Bible, Deuteronomy, begins. Parashat Devarim is always read on…
Bereshith 5775-2014
“The Sad Destiny of the Firstborn Children” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald A prominent feature of the book of Genesis is the struggle for family leadership between the firstborn and the…
Naso 5775-2015
“The Fine Nuances of Jealousy” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Naso, includes the very challenging portion about the Sotah, the woman who is suspected of being…
A Jewish Treats Guide to Visiting the Zoo
Throughout the world, April 8th is celebrated as “Zoo Lovers Day.” The first zoo of record was built in 1752 at the behest of Emperor Francis I in Vienna, Austria. Although it was built…
How the Hechsher? Is it Kosher?
In addition to enabling the mass production of dry goods, clothing and automobiles, the industrial revolution allowed for the commercial production and distribution of prepared foods.…
Grandmaster R
When Szmul Rzeszewski (1911-1992) was five years old, his father showed him how to play chess. Three years later, the boy was a recognized child prodigy who gained acclaim giving…
The Paralympics’ Jewish Roots
The competitive spirit of this year’s Summer Games in Rio did not end with the Closing Ceremony. From September 7 - September 18, 2016, thousands of athletes with physical disabilities…
No Chance to Compete
The International Olympics were conceived as a competition meant to foster peace and comradery. Alas, that lovely ideal has often been too difficult for people to live up to. One…
A Unique Olympic Record
The story of Otto Herschmann is one of triumph and tragedy. One of the few Olympic athletes to ever win medals in two different sports, Herschmann was also the only athlete to receive a…