Weekly Message,Vayishlach

Vayishlach 5782-2021

“Yisrael: The People Who Wrestle with G-d” (updated and revised from Vayishlach 5762-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayishlach, after having lived…

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Jewish Treats

Writers in a Terrible Place

“The Day of the Imprisoned Writer” (November 15th) was established by PEN International to recognize and provide support for writers who use their skills to fight political repression.…

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Jewish Treats

Jews in the Fold

Yesterday, November 11th, was celebrated internationally as National Origami Day. Origami is a compound Japanese term: ori means folding and kami means paper. Origami was created in the…

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Jewish Treats

For The Medal of Honor: The Story of PFC Leonard Kravitz

On March 6, 1951, a platoon of American soldiers serving in the Korean War came under heavy fire by the Chinese Army near Yangpyeong, Korea. When the platoon’s Machine Gunner was wounded,…

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Jewish Treats

Kindness Without Fanfare

There is a fascinating story in the Talmud that demonstrates the importance of being conscientious when doing something for another person: Mar Ukba had a poor man in his neighborhood…

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Weekly Message,Vayeitzei

Vayeitzei 5782-2021

“From Ish Tam to Business Mogul: The Transformation of Jacob” (updated and revised from Vayeitzei 5762-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeitzei,…

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Jewish Treats

Hail the Holy Pomegranate

The pomegranate is a funny sort of fruit. Rather than eating the flesh and throwing away the seed, as one does when eating an apple or orange, pomegranate seeds are eaten and the flesh…

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Jewish Treats

Rabin

Today is the 26th anniversary of the death of Yitzchak Rabin, who was assassinated on November 4, 1995. Born in Jerusalem on March 1, 1922, Rabin grew up in Tel Aviv. He entered the…

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Jewish Treats

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…

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Jewish Treats

A Jazz Master

While known later in his career as the "King of the Clarinet", some are surprised to learn that Jewish jazz legend Artie Shaw actually got his start playing the saxophone. Today's Jewish…

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