Israel’s Memorial Day
The State of Israel’s independence, as well as its continued survival, is a modern-day miracle. But it has come at great cost in human lives and to its citizens. Therefore, before Israel…
The Battle of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai
At the time of the Declaration of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948), Kibbutz Yad Mordechai was a five-year-old settlement, ten kilometers south of Ashkelon, just north of the Gaza…
Passover II 5782-2022
Passover II 5782-2022 “Counting the Omer” (Revised and updated from Passover II 5768-2008) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Emor, we learn of the mitzvah of counting the Omer. In…
Not So Freedom Summer
On June 21, 1964, one of the most heinous and scandalous murders took place in U.S. history, shocking the country. Andrew Goodman, 21, a native of the Upper West Side of Manhattan,…
Labor, Technology and the Torah
Labor celebrations have taken place throughout North America since the 1880s, and in 1894, Labor Day became an official U.S. holiday. As students of history are well aware, in the decades…
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah
Tonight starts the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, literally the Gathering of the Eighth, a connected yet independent holiday, that immediately follows Sukkot. During the seven days of…
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
In one of the 20th century’s most memorable and impactful speeches, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, “A day that will live in infamy,” due to the deadly…
Nap Time
Today, March 13th, is National Napping Day. If you’ve had a rough time and are only now slowly recuperating from resetting your clock after “springing forward” on early Sunday morning,…
Shemini 5783-2023
“The Little Steps that Lead to Big Accomplishments” (updated and revised from Shemini 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As the narrative of this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini,…
Israel’s Memorial Day
The State of Israel’s independence, as well as its continued survival, is a modern-day miracle. But it has come at great cost in human lives and to its citizens. Therefore, before Israel…