Masei 5768-2008
"Optimism: The Call of the Hour" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week's parasha, parashat Masei, the reading of the Book of Numbers is concluded. Parashat Masei opens with a…
Terumah 5772-2012
"The Outer Altar" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week's parasha, parashat Terumah, we begin to read a cycle of five Torah portions that extensively describe the building and…
Bamidbar 5777-2017
“The Danger of Seeing the Holy Furnishings” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, concludes with G-d’s stern warning to Moses and Aaron forbidding the…
Va’etchanan 5777-2017
“The Power of Prayer” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we read of Moses’ powerful prayers to be allowed to enter into the land of Israel, and…
The Purim Commitment
What does the holiday of Purim have to do with Jews reconnecting to their Jewish heritage? Purim is more than a celebration of the victory of the Jews over an enemy who wished to…
The Purim Commitment
What does the holiday of Purim have to do with Jews reconnecting to their Jewish heritage? Purim is more than a celebration of the victory of the Jews over an enemy who wished to…
The Meal Before
While there are several fast days on the Jewish calendar, only two are referred to as "major fasts": Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur. They are thus labelled because (1) there is little leeway…
The Resurging Community of Basel
If you are a fan of fantastic beasts, then you might understand how appropriate it can be to compare Jewish communities to the incredible Phoenix bird, which is consumed by flames at its…
The Meal Before
While there are several fast days on the Jewish calendar, only two are referred to as "major fasts": Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur. They are thus labelled because (1) there is little leeway…
Purim Commitment
What does the holiday of Purim have to do with Jews reconnecting to their Jewish heritage? Purim is more than a celebration of the victory of the Jews over an enemy who wished to…