Passover Story in Brief
On Passover, we commemorate the exodus from Egyptian slavery. The following is a brief summary: Jacob’s family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, Jacob’s son and the…
Israeli-German Relations
On May 13, 1965, Israel officially established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of (West) Germany (FRG). This event is quite notable, since Israel was established in the…
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…
The Great Sea Monster
In honor of World Ocean Day, we present a treat about the Great Sea Monster. For most of history, sea monsters were considered among the greatest perils of sea travel. Most probably, the…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
This coming Saturday night and Sunday, Jews the world over will be observing the fast of Tisha b’Av. It is on this day that the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and…
Uprising At Treblinka
The heinous plans of the Nazis seemed too horrible to be credible. Who could imagine “civilized” men conceiving of Operation Reinhard, a plan to oversee the building of Belzec, Sobibor…
A Man of Courage Honored
In 2001, it was recognized that in the course of American history, numerous heroes had been denied consideration for the United States Medal of Honor for extreme valor in battle, due to…
Nitzavim 5781-2021
“Striving to Reach Heaven During the Days of Awe” (updated and revised from Nitzavim 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This past Saturday night, August 28th, or early Sunday…
Kindness Without Fanfare
There is a fascinating story in the Talmud that demonstrates the importance of being conscientious when doing something for another person: Mar Ukba had a poor man in his neighborhood…
A Friendly Emperor
On November 17th, in the year 331 C.E., Flavius Claudius Julianus (also known as Julian) was born. He was the son of the half-brother of Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to recognize…