Sukkot 5770-2009

"Sukkot: The Dialectic of a Festival" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot is referred to in the Torah (Exodus 34:22) as "Chag Ha'ah'sif," the festival of the ingathering. It…

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Simchat Torah 5781-2020

“Celebrating Torah” (Updated and revised from Simchat Torah 5764-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Because of the festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we do not read…

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The Seventh Of Av

One Scriptural verse (Kings II 25:8-9) notes that the Babylonians came to the Temple Mount on the 7th of Av while another verse ( Jeremiah 25:12) claims it was on the 10th of the month.…

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So Where Are You From?

When reading about Judaism, one often comes across the terms “Ashkenazim” and “Sephardim.” While these names are ethnic subdivisions of the Jewish world, they are actually based on…

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So Where Are You From?

When reading about Judaism, one often comes across the terms “Ashkenazim” and “Sephardim.” While these names are ethnic subdivisions of the Jewish world, they are actually based on…

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Yom Kippur 5781-2020

“The Thrill of Coming Home” (updated and revised from Yom Kippur 5761-2000) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There are certain times in the Jewish calendar that are regarded as propitious…

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Sukkot 5781-2020

"I'm Dreaming of a Warm Sukkot" (updated and revised from Sukkot 5762-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The joyous festival of Sukkot, which begins Friday evening, October 2nd,…

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Crash Course in Basic Judaism with Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald on Zoom

Crash Course in Basic Judaism on ZoomJoin Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald for a Crash Course in Basic Judaism Forward to a…

Duties of the Heart

The concept of “being spiritual” is often assumed to be a fairly recent one, resulting, perhaps, from the enlightenment’s deconstruction of organized religion.  The idea of…

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The Source of Leadership

Great leaders can move mountains...or at least, masses of people. Ezra the Scribe was just such a leader, and it was his charisma and wisdom that inspired the Jews to leave their…

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