Top of the Class
Among the scholars quoted in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers, are clusters of sages who are interconnected whether due to being from the same city, are part of the same generation or…
Bnei Brak – A Unique City
In Israel, there are any number of towns that identify themselves as primarily religious. There are none, however, that are as distinct or well-known for being as intensely religious as…
Korach 5783-2023
"The Power of Strife" (updated and revised from Korach 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Korach, we learn of the frightful rebellion of Korach and…
On the Canadian Prairie
Thirty-three years old at the time of his immigration, Grodno-born Rabbi Israel Isaac Kahanovitch (1872-1945), was called to Winnipeg, Manitoba, after spending a year Pennsylvania. He had…
Kafkaesque
Franz Kafka was born into a Jewish family on July 3, 1883 near the Old Town Square in Prague, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Franz was the eldest of six children (two tragically died in…
Thoughtful Questions
When someone poses a question, be sure to consider the seriousness of the question and the potential ramifications. When studying Torah, both the written and oral law, it is critical to…
Does Life Begin at 40?
In 1932 Walter Pitkin published his popular self-help book, Life Begins at Forty. Truthfully, before the 20th century, life expectancy, on average, rarely exceeded 40. The number 40 is…
Devarim 5783-2023
“Building a ‘New’ Sanctuary” (updated and revised from Devarim 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, is always read on the Shabbat that…
Splitting the Atom
Those who follow movie news know that one of the biggest films of 2023 has been "Oppenheimer" which chronicles the career of the famous Jewish American theoretical physicist J. Robert…