Jewish Treats

The Purim Story in Under 300 Words

At the end of an 180-day feast, Achashverosh, the King of Persia-Media, banished (some say, executed) his wife Vashti for refusing to appear at his banquet. He then staged an elaborate…

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Bereshith,Weekly Message

Bereshith 5769-2008

"The Development of Civilization as Recorded in Genesis" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The Torah is not intended to serve as a history lesson or as a chronicle of the development of ancient…

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Weekly Message,Noah

Noah 5769-2008

"Nimrod and the Financial Meltdown" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In Genesis 10, the Torah features a long list of descendants of Shem, Cham and Yafet. It is a litany of begets and begats…

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Weekly Message,Lech Lecha

Lech Lecha 5761-2000

"Lot, Nephew of Avram: The Promise and the Tragedy" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, we encounter the fascinating relationship between…

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Weekly Message,Tisha b'Av,Devarim

Devarim-Tisha B’Av 5767-2007

"Zion Shall be Redeemed through Justice" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On Monday night, July 23 and all day Tuesday, July 24, 2007, the fast of Tisha b'Av, the 9th of Av, will be observed.…

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Chanukah,Chanukah Resources,Articles,JudaismLiteracy,Judaism,Chanukah

Chanukah Heroines

Chanukah Heroines There are two famous stories about women associated with Chanukah, the story of Yehudit and the story of…

Articles,Purim Resources,Purim,Judaism,Purim Origins and CustomsLiteracy,Judaism,Purim

A Brief Synopsis of the Book of Esther

A Brief Synopsis ofThe Book of Esther Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter…

Vayeira,Weekly Message

Vayeira 5762-2001

"The Akeida" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald After four years of preparing d'vrei Torah on the weekly parasha, I've finally decided to bite the bullet and discuss the challenging issue of…

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Passover,Passover Resources,Wisdom,Articles,JudaismLiteracy,Wisdom,Judaism,Passover

The Story of the Exodus

The Story of the Exodus Table of Contents Going Down to Egypt Slavery Redemption From Slavery What exactly were the ten…

Weekly Message,Terumah,Purim

Terumah-Purim 5760-2000

"The Mishkan: Underscoring the Centrality of the Home in Jewish Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat Terumah, we begin a series of four parashiot…

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