v’Zot Habracha-Simchat Torah 5776-2015
“The Confluence of v’Zot Habracha and the Holiday” (originally posted in 5770-2009) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The festival of Simchat Torah, the rejoicing with the Law, is one of two…
Kee Tavo 5775-2015
“Making The Final Commitment” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tavo, Moses continues to deliver his final message to the Jewish people. Shortly before…
I Am To My Beloved
The Torah verse that 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…
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…
American Archivist
Selma Stern-Taeubler (1890-1981) was a natural achiever. Not only was this doctor’s daughter the first woman to be accepted to Baden-Baden’s Gymnasium in Germany, she even graduated from…
An Encyclopedic Work
When Rabbi Yaakov Culi arrived in Constantinople, Turkey, in 1714, he did not expect to find a Jewish community lacking Jewish knowledge. While the city was home to some of the great…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
Today, Jews all over the world are observing the fast of Tisha b’Av. It is on this day that the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and Second Temples. The…
The First World War and the Jews
A great deal has been written about the devastation that resulted from the First World War, which left millions dead, thousands maimed and a generation devastated. For those who have…
Why Vow?
The framework of Jewish life is set by Jewish law. And, while Jewish law covers almost all aspects of life, there is a great deal of latitude for personal choice within Jewish law. That…
Professional Proofers
Jewish life centers around the Torah, which, for thousands of years, has been transmitted from generation to generation. With such an extended chain of transmission, it has often been…