The Jews of Luxembourg
When the small European nation of Luxembourg became independent in 1815, there were fewer than 100 Jews in the country. The earliest records of Jewish residence in Luxembourg, however,…
Lech Lecha 5766-2005
"Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Although the birth of Abram (Abraham's original name) is recorded at the end of parashat Noah (Genesis 11:26), it is in…
Bereshith 5775-2014
“The Sad Destiny of the Firstborn Children” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald A prominent feature of the book of Genesis is the struggle for family leadership between the firstborn and the…
Inauguration Oil
Elected U.S. presidents are inaugurated on January 20th. But, it wasn’t always that way. The Congress of the Confederation set March 4, 1789, as the date for “commencing proceedings” of…
The Jew Who Played for Germany
It is impossible to imagine what the thoughts of Rudi Victor Ball were when high ranking Nazi officials asked him to rejoin his German ice hockey teammates and play for Germany in the…
Telephone, Gramaphone, Helicopter…Emile Berliner
Emile Berliner (May 20, 1851 - August 3, 1929) came to America to avoid being drafted as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War. A native of Hanover, Germany, Berliner had trained as a…
What’s Yiddish for Radio?
World Radio Day (February 13) was created by UNESCO in order to honor the incredible and diverse contribution radio has made to the world. Not only has radio broadcasting allowed for the…
A Failed Bid For Asylum
Political intrigue has been part of statehood since the formation of the very first kingdom. Often what one person thinks of as patriotism is seen by others as treason, It is usually the…
Telephone, Gramaphone, Helicopter…Emile Berliner
Emile Berliner (May 20, 1851 – August 3, 1929) came to America to avoid being drafted as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War. A native of Hanover, Germany, Berliner had trained as a…
The Jew Who Played for Germany
It is impossible to imagine what the thoughts of Rudi Victor Ball were when high ranking Nazi officials asked him to rejoin his German ice hockey teammates and play for Germany in the…