Math and Science
Born in Bialystock, Poland on March 31, 1810, Hayyim Selig Slonimski completed writing his first textbook on mathematics when he was only 24 years old. Alas, finances were so tight that…
Berlin’s Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary
On May 11, 1820, a child was born in Prussia who would, as a grown man, almost single-handedly change the face of German Jewry. Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer attended yeshiva in Hanover, and,…
Passover II 5782-2022
Passover II 5782-2022 “Counting the Omer” (Revised and updated from Passover II 5768-2008) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Emor, we learn of the mitzvah of counting the Omer. In…
Do you Shukle?
If you’ve ever watched a traditional prayer minyan (quorum), or even just the prayers of a traditional Jew, you might wonder what all the motion and body movement is about. Forward-back,…
Jewish Educational Heroine
Recognize the significant role that Vichna Kaplan played in launching the Beth Jacob schools for Jewish girls in America. As a result of Vichna Kaplan’s herculean efforts, thousands of…
People of the (Printed) Book
Johannes Gutenberg, credited as the developer of the printing press, published the Gutenberg Bible in 1445. Printing technology transformed the way people learned. International literacy…
The Jews of Amsterdam
October 27, 1275 is noted as the first time the name “Amsterdam” was recorded as the name of a settlement in the Netherlands, near a dam on the Amstel River. That small fishing village…
Focus on Your Blessings
Transform feelings of jealousy by focusing on the blessings you have in your life. According to the Midrash, the Matriarch Rachel, referred to in in Hebrew as Rachel Emeinu, and in…
Study the Torah
Set aside time to study the Torah each week to gain a better understanding of the Jewish heroes and heroines and their impact upon Jewish history. While the story about Dinah’s abduction…
The Challenge of Fitting In
The weekly Torah reading of Mikeitz (Genesis 41:1-44:17), which almost always coincides with Chanukah, tells the story of the rise of Joseph the son of Jacob from slave to viceroy. And…