Tazria 5782-2022
“Tzaraat—The Spiritual-Dermatological Disease” (updated and revised from Tazria 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tazria, as well as parashat…
First On The Court
Born in 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky, Louis Dembitz Brandeis was the child of European immigrants who maintained a minimal Jewish identity. However, his maternal uncle, Lewis Dembitz,…
B’ha’a’lot’cha 5782-2022
“The Message of the Manna” (updated and revised from B’ha’a’lot’cha 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, Parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha, we encounter the…
Written for Their Sons
Imagine traveling forward 500 years in time and discovering multitudes of people studying something you had written for your child. Imagine walking into a bookstore and finding multiple…
Korach 5782-2022
“Korach’s Rebellion: Why is the Jewish Community Losing So Many of its Best and Brightest?” (updated and revised from Korach 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha,…
Hang Your Hammock
Today is National Hammock Day. Hammocking appears to be the ultimate celebration of the lazy days of summer. As we prepare for the onset of Shabbat later this afternoon, Jewish Treats…
Happy Birthday Maestro!
Not too many people can claim to have entertained the Queen of England, played at a Presidential Inauguration, conducted symphony orchestras, appeared on numerous occasions in Carnegie…
Name Change
It is not a coincidence that cultures around the world share a belief in the power of given names. In Judaism, it is believed that parents are granted a flash of ruach hakodesh, Divine…
The Bird of Thanks
On Thanksgiving Day, it is customary in the United States to eat a turkey dinner. The Hebrew word for turkey is “tar’negol hodu,” literally, an “Indian Rooster.” It came by this name…
Vayeira 5783-2022
“Sodom: The Home of Institutionalized Evil” (updated and revised from Vayeira 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have lived in Sodom?…