Who Was Achashverosh?
“In the third year that Achashverosh, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, sat on the throne in Shushan the capital...With the army of Persia and Medea...(Esther 1:1-2)…
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which is famous for its month-long resistance struggle in April/May of 1943, actually began with an initial uprising on 12 Shevat 5703 (1943). When the Germans…
My Father, Our Father
Many well-known Jewish songs are based on words from the Bible. While a vast majority of them are based on Tehillim (Psalms) one of the most famous is almost a direct quote from Genesis:…
The Talmud And The Popes
If the Torah is the heart of the Jewish people, then the Talmud is the spine--without either one, the Jewish people could not survive. But while the Talmud is essential for Jewish life,…
Sacrifice and Innocence
Inherent in traditional Jewish thought is a longing for the Holy Temple. Many Jews long for the days when columns of smoke rose from the flames of the altar as devout worshipers brought…
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which is famous for its month-long resistance struggle in April/May of 1943, actually began with an initial uprising on January 18, 1943, which corresponded…
Kedoshim 5760 – 2000
"The Revolutionary Idea of Holiness" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat K'doshim, we encounter that magical and revolutionary word which the Torah has…
Mikeitz 5781-2020
“A Dysfunctional Family Becomes Functional” (updated and revised from Mikeitz 5762-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, the soap opera, (just…
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…
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which is famous for its month-long resistance struggle against the Germans in April/May of 1943, actually began with an initial uprising on 12 Shevat 5703…