Chukat 5782-2022
“A Tribute to Miriam, Our Sister” (updated and revised from Chukat 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parshat Chukat, sadly informs us of the death of Miriam.…
Tu b’Av and the Offering of Wood
Tu b’Av, the fifteenth of Av, which is today, was celebrated in ancient times by unmarried maidens who went out on this day to dance in the vineyards hoping to be chosen by an unmarried…
Honoring 9/11
Sunday is the 21st anniversary of the devastating attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and several other targets in 2001. There are stories to be told of many heroes. People…
Rosh Hashana 5783-2022
“Making Each Day Count” (updated and revised from Rosh Hashana 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter (1847-1905), the second Gerrer rebbe and leader of Polish…
Sukkot 5783-2022
Sukkot 5783-2022 “The Seven Protective Divine Clouds” (updated and revised from Sukkot 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The festival of Sukkot acknowledges profound gratitude to…
White Papers
For those who have studied the history of the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, the term “White Paper” is at once familiar and ambiguous. It is commonly understood that…
His Tricks Were Quite A Treat
It is commonly acknowledged that the magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) set the standard for all performing magicians to come. Many people are also aware of the fact…
The Thanksgiving Synagogue Service
While Thanksgiving is most certainly an American festival of gratitude, its founders prominently articulated its religious underpinnings, which ultimately find their source in Judaism.…
Under Cover of Darkness
Of the ten plagues that devastated the land of Egypt, the plague of darkness appears to be the most benign. Certainly, being trapped in the dark is frightening (sensory deprivation is a…
The 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 who had…