Matot-Masei 5769-2009

"The Lesson of the Journeys" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Masei, the second of this week's double parashiot (Matot-Masei), opens with a summary of the travel itinerary of the…

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Sukkot I 5767-2006

"Sukkot - The Festival of Joy" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot is regarded as the most joyous of all the Jewish holidays. In fact, there is not a single reference in the…

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The Fast of Esther

Ta’anit EstherThe Fast of Esther A fast day is observed in commemoration of the 3 days of fasting by Esther, Mordechai and the…

In the Negev

All wars are tragic and dramatic, but the battles fought in 1948 were all the more so given the differing sizes of the two warring parties. The day after Israel declared its independence,…

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Rahel the Poetess

The poetry of Rahel has been described as both lyrical and sad, reflecting the challenges of her relatively  brief life and her passion for the Land of Israel. Rahel Bluwstein Sela…

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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 and my maidens will also fast in like manner; and so…

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Fast of Esther

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day; I and my maidens will also fast in like manner; and…

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The Fast of Esther

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day; I and my maidens will also fast in like manner;…

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The Bene Israel of India

Early in the era of the Second Temple, a terrible shipwreck occurred on the Indian coast. Fourteen survivors, seven men and seven women, made it to shore. Settling in the Indian village…

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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 and my maidens will also fast in like manner; and so…

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