A Hero of Science

Today’s Treat presents the sad, brief biography of Edward Israel (1859-1884). The son of the first Jewish family to settle in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Israel had an avid interest in science…

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More Than a Financier

Known as the Juden Kaiser (the Jewish Emperor), Rabbi Samson Wertheimer was a man of incredible accomplishment. Born in Worms in 1658, he was educated in the yeshivot of Worms and…

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The Tribe of Zebulun

As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact on the history and behavior of the tribe members who…

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With Your Permission

Dear Miss Manners: Yesterday, a friend knocked on my door. I invited him in and he proceeded to grab a snack out of the fridge, watch a movie on my TV and then hopped on to my exercise…

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Twice the Tithe

Charity (tzedakah) is an integral part of both Jewish life and Jewish law. And while giving charity is most certainly a value that goes beyond the bounds of any specific religion, in…

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With Your Permission

Dear Miss Manners: Yesterday, a friend knocked on my door. I invited him in and he proceeded to grab a snack out of the fridge, watch a movie on my TV and then hopped on to my exercise…

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Emor-Yom Ha’atzmaut 5763-2003

"The Counting of the Omer and the Celebration of Israel's Independence" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Emor, coincides with the celebration of Yom Ha'atzma'ut,…

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Haazinu 5765-2004

"Judging Others Favorably and its Impact on Our Own Judgment" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming Shabbat is known in the Jewish calendar as Shabbat Shuva--the Sabbath of Return. It…

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Rosh Hashana 5781-2020

“A Message for the High Holy Days: ‘Export, Export!’” (updated and revised from Rosh Hashana 5763-2002)   by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   Beginning this Friday evening,…

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