Putting Life Into Perspective
Consider moments during the past year that seemed, on the surface, to be particularly bleak, but in hindsight, when looking at the bigger picture, things turned out much better than…
Swiss Jews
A Jewish presence in Switzerland can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Until the 19th century, Jews in Switzerland were restricted in both residence and employment. While there were…
9/11 and Jewish History
The attack on the continental U.S. homeland on September 11, 2001 changed the entire complexion of the United States. Almost 200 years had passed since the last attack on the U.S.…
The Jewish Ghost Town of Utah
As a dry wind blows across the dusty plains just south of Gunnison, Utah, a traveler might be shocked to stumble upon a small, gated Jewish cemetery. Indeed, the burial ground is so small…
Kee Teitzei 5784-2024
“The Revolution that Started with a Fence” (updated from Kee Teitzei 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The extraordinary number of themes that are found in Parashat Kee Teitzei make…
Happy Birthday Adam
Adam Richard Sandler was born September 9, 1966 in New York City to Judith (Levine) and Stanley Sandler, who descended from Russian Jewish immigrants on both sides. When Adam was 6, the…
Awareness
Be aware of the things that affect your judgment of other people and try to remain non-judgmental in your approach. In the first chapter of Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, we are…
Seeking God in Elul
In anticipation of the High Holy Days and during the High Holy Days themselves, Psalm 27 is recited twice daily, from the beginning of the month of Elul through the conclusion of the…
A Gift For Life
Did you know that Jewish law frowns upon elective surgery? After all, as any doctor will tell you (or all those release forms will make you realize), there is no surgery that is totally…
I Am To My Beloved
The Biblical verse that most epitomizes the emotion of love is: “Anee l’dodi v’dodi lee” – I am to my beloved, and my beloved is to me (Song of Songs 6:3). The ideal love relationship,…