A Song For The Dove
Most songs written for Shabbat (zmirot) focus on either God’s resting from creating the world on the seventh day or on the relationship of the Jewish people to Shabbat. The Sabbath song…
Memorial Day – Francis Slanger
Not many Jewish women have had ships named in their memory, but it is an honor that Lieutenant Frances Slanger earned without question. One of four nurses who braved the waves and the…
Rising Early
Anthropologists, sociologists and others who study the ways of different cultures all recognize the importance of language in understanding a people. It is commonly stated (whether true…
Priorities: The Lessons of Reuben and Gad
From early in our lives, we are drilled about “priorities.” It usually begins, in earnest, during the high school years, as teenagers are pushed to think about the future, to get their…
Ah’nay’noo / Answer Us
On public fast days, the following prayer asking for communal forgiveness is added by the prayer leader to the repetition of the Amidah during morning and afternoon services. An…
Shiva Call
Consoling the mourner (often referred to as paying a shiva call) is one of the most fulfilling, and challenging, mitzvot. One who is going to console mourners (menachem avel) should…
Mitzvah With A Shovel
The Jewish customs surrounding death, burial and mourning are intended to provide both respect for the departed and comfort for the mourners. One such custom that may seem startling or…
Shoftim 5780-2020
"Security for Citizens and Caring for Guests” (updated and revised from parashat Shoftim 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, we encounter…
Re’eh 5767-2007
"Prohibition Against Excessive Grief" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, we learn of the prohibition of excessive mourning and grief for those who pass…
Pinchas 5781-2021
"Loving the Land of Israel” (updated and revised from Pinchas 5762-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn the fascinating tale of five…