A Document Against Antisemitism
It was on this day in 1965 that the Catholic Church officially stopped blaming the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This groundbreaking statement came after more than a millennium of…
America’s First Synagogue
In 1656, Shearith Israel, became the first synagogue that was established in the territory that came to be known as the United States. The synagogue, also known as the Spanish and…
Finally Buried
On the 4th of Adar 1307, the Maharam of Rothenburg was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Worms–fourteen years after his death. The rabbi’s remains were released from the fortress of…
The History Around Purim
The story of Purim takes place at the very end of the era known in Jewish history as the Babylonian Exile. King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian legions destroyed the Temple and…
The Fast of Esther
Tomorrow, the 13th of Adar, is the Fast of Esther. “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I…
A Turn in History
While many people know that Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, a fair number would struggle to tell you why the day is significant. On May 5, 1862, the Mexican Army was unexpectedly…
Bechukotai 5782-2022
“Ma’aser Shay’nee--The Second Tithe” (updated and revised from Bechukotai 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Toward the very end of this week’s parasha, parashat Bechukotai, we…
In Arkansas
Jewish life in Arkansas began in 1825 with the arrival of Abraham Block to the town of Washington in Hempstead County, Arkansas. For Block and his family, however, it was a very lonely…
The Rebbe
Jews worldwide observe the yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, on the 3rd of Tammuz, which is observed…
Yiddish in Shanghai
During World War II, Japanese-occupied Shanghai, China, became a haven for Jewish refugees, most notably the students of the Mirrer Yeshiva. After the “Battle of Shanghai” in 1937, the…