Hail the Holy Pomegranate
The pomegranate is a funny sort of fruit. Rather than eating the flesh and throwing away the seed, as a person does when eating an apple or orange, pomegranate seeds are eaten and the…
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, literally the Night of Crystal, but generally translated as the Night of Broken Glass, was a tragic turning point in the fate of Germany’s Jewish community. The…
Never Again
Recent inflammatory statements and acts of antisemitism remind us of the words found in the Passover Haggadah: "In each generation there are those who rise to destroy Jews." It behooves…
A Poet and A Martyr
Hannah Senesh (Szenes) was born in Budapest, Hungary, to an assimilated, middle-class Jewish family. An avid diarist from the age of 13 until her death, Hannah maintained a personal…
Remember
Make sure to recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by Jewish heroes and heroines, making it possible for Judaism to continue to flourish.
Rabin Shot
It has been 27 years since Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995. Born in Jerusalem on March 1, 1922, Rabin grew up in Tel Aviv. He entered the military service in 1941 when…
Our Words Matter
Our words really matter, especially when it comes to controversial topics that tend to inflame. Before speaking, consider the possible ramifications and impact of your words upon those…
The Jews of Panama
The history of the Jews in Panama is similar to Jewish history in other South and Central American countries. Conversos (Jews who publicly recanted the Jewish faith and adopted…
The First Inquisition
Although it was not the first inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition* was unique from its very inception on November 1, 1478, because it was controlled by a monarch rather than the church.…
Lech Lecha 5783-2022
“The Two Birds of Israel” (updated and revised from Lech Lecha 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parsha, parashat Lech Lecha, Avram (his name had not yet been…