Re’eh 5783-2023
"The Sanctity of Land and its Implications” (updated and revised from Re’eh 5765-2005) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Among the topics discussed in this week’s parasha, parashat…
Korach 5763-2003
"Korach's Rebellion: Why is the Jewish Community Losing So Many of its Best and its Brightest?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Korach, tells the fascinating…
Shemini 5772-2012
"The Efficacy of the Oral Code" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, we read of the first full sacrificial service that was offered in the recently…
Re’eh 5776-2016
“Preserving the Sanctity of Sacred Objects and Sacred Ideas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Very soon after the opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, the Torah, in…
The Girl in the Red Coat
Except for one girl's red coat depicted in a scene taking place in the Krakow Ghetto, and the opening and closing scenes in Steven Spielberg’s 1994 Academy Award winning “Schindler’s…
A Synagogue Tour
Throughout history, synagogue architecture has been as varied as the latest styles and the laws of the land (for instance, many cultures prohibited building synagogues taller than…
The Girl in the Red Coat
Aside from the opening and closing scenes in Stephen Spielberg’s 1993 Academy Award winning “Schindler’s List,” the entire movie was presented in black and white, except for one girl’s…
Celebrating with a Parade
Name a Jewish celebration that is not a wedding that includes a chuppah, music and dancing. The answer is a Hachnassat Sefer Torah, literally “Welcoming the Torah Scroll,” the ceremony of…
A Pleasant Song Composed
The liturgy of the synagogue has developed over the span of Jewish history. Some parts of the service – such as the Shema, which is a recitation of Biblical text - originate from…
The Charleston Synagogue(s)
Charleston, South Carolina is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the United States. The 1669 charter for the Carolina Colony explicitly included liberty of conscious for…