More Than “Because”
While the majority of the meanings of the words in the Torah are forthright, some appear to be syntax anomalies. One excellent example is the word “eikev,” which is used in Deuteronomy…
Armistice
Many people assume that the end of a war implies that a peace treaty has been signed. Actually, there are several ways to end a military conflict: truce, cease-fire, armistice or…
The Tribe of Ephraim
As descendants of the original 12 sons of Israel, the lives and personalities of the descendants of Jacob significantly impacted on the history and behavior of the future tribe members…
Mosquitoes No More
There are few insects as disliked as the mosquito. When people wonder about the purpose of annoying bugs, the mosquito is the first one whose existence they question. (As a point of…
How Many Tribes?
The challenge to name the number of tribes of Israel would fall into the category of “easy” by trivia fans. However, the term “The Twelve Tribes of Israel” can be enumerated in…
Conquering the Desert
One of the great miracles of the State of Israel has been its ability to transform desert into blooming arable land. In 1867 Mark Twain described the land in one of his memoirs: “The…
A Constitutional Congregation
What does the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania have to do with the oldest synagogue in that state? Congregation Mikveh Israel (Originally Kaal Kadosh Mickve Israel) was founded in the 1740s…
The Tribe of Naphtali
As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact on the history and behavior of the tribe members who…
A Woman In Charge: Bessie Gotsfeld
Mizrachi Women of America (MWOA, known today as AMIT - Americans for Israel and Torah) began as part of Mizrachi of America (AMIT’s original name). Its separate identity was the direct…
Hadassah: The Women’s Zionist Organization of America
In the year 1912, there was no state of Israel, women had not yet earned the right to vote in the U.S., and Henrietta Szold (Baltimore 1860 - Jerusalem 1945) was inspiring Jewish women…