Eikev 5779-2019
Eikev 5779-2019 “Feast or Famine--What Judaism Says About Food” (Revised and updated from Eikev 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, the…
Va’etchanan 5779-2019
“The Torah’s Radical Approach to Parenting” (Revised and updated from Va’etchanan 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This past Saturday evening (August 10th) and Sunday…
“Kafkaesque”
Franz Kafka was born into a Jewish family on July 3, 1883 near the Old Town Square in Prague, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Franz was the eldest of six children (two tragically died in…
Naso 5779-2019
"Traditional Judaism: Fundamentalist or Ascetic" (Revised and updated from Naso 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter the…
Bechukotai 5779-2019
“The Big ‘IF.’ The Gift of Free Choice” (Revised and updated from Bechukotai 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week’s parasha, parashat Bechukotai, is one of the…
Behar 5779-2019
“Wronging One Another, the Torah’s Unique Viewpoint” (Revised and updated from Behar 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Behar, we twice…
Israeli-German Relations
On the 11th of Iyar, 1965, corresponding to May 13, Israel officially established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of (West) Germany (FRG). This event is quite notable since…
A Jewish Treats Guide to Visiting the Zoo
Throughout the world, April 8th is celebrated as “Zoo Lovers Day.” The first zoo of record was built in 1752 at the behest of Emperor Francis I in Vienna, Austria. Although it was built…
Metzorah 5779-2019
“The Ultimate Value and Sanctity of Human Life in Judaism” (Revised and updated from Metzorah 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Metzorah, continues the…
Hester Panim
One might think that the Book of Esther is a heroic tale about Mordechai and Esther saving the Jewish people through diplomatic skill (Click here to read a summary of the Book of Esther),…