Balak 5781-2021
"Words of Eternal Truth from the Evil Prophet Bilaam” (updated and revised from Balak 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we encounter Balak,…
Virginia is for Lovers…of Israel
While cities like Charleston, Philadelphia and New York contained Jewish communities during the pre-revolutionary period, Virginia, the largest of the colonies, did not. Individual Jews…
Tithe Means Tenth
Ideally, people would have no qualms about supporting those in need. The Torah, however, recognized that charity is not necessarily a person’s first instinct and therefore specifies a…
Personal Responsibility
In the beginning, there was…taking responsibility for one’s own actions. This important lesson is found in the very first portion of the Torah not once, but twice. Adam and Eve were given…
The Jews of Amsterdam
October 27, 1275 is noted as the first time the name “Amsterdam” was recorded as the name of a settlement in the Netherlands, near a dam on the Amstel River. That small fishing village…
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…
Historical Shabbat
Before visiting Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue, study its rich and fascinating history. While many prayers and blessings are recited in synagogue, there…
Can You Be The Tenth?
That the Hebrew word “minyan” derives from the infinitive “lim’not,” to count or number, is not at all surprising. A minyan is a quorum of 10, the smallest number necessary to create a…
Skeptic Questioning
Tomorrow, January 13th, is International Skeptics Day, a day that encourages people to ask questions. Those who are curious might be inclined to ask whether Judaism has any room for…
The Founder of the House of Rothschild
The name Rothschild echoes with a sense of wealth and fame. The House of Rothschild was one of the most powerful financial forces in 19th century Europe, and several members of the family…