Publishing A Solution
While Theodor Herzl is generally credited as the father of modern Zionism, he was not the first to call for the modern, political rebirth of a Jewish nation. Only in 1895 did Herzl come…
Re’eh 5772-2012
“The Gift of Self Esteem” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, contains many fascinating themes. Among the most fascinating and challenging are the laws…
What’s in a (Last) Name?
When using proper names in the Jewish ritual, such as receiving an Aliyah to the Torah, marriage, divorce, on conversion documents, on tombstones or in memorial prayers, Jews are…
Vayakhel 5765-2005
"Bezalel's Artistic Legacy" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Vayakhel, is one of the few instances (cf. parshat Ki Tisah, Exodus 31:1-6) in which the Torah…
Sukkot 5764-2003
"The Seven Protective Divine Clouds" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot acknowledges our profound gratitude to the A-lmighty who watched over our ancestors after the exodus…
Vayakhel 5784-2024
“Bezalel's Artistic Legacy” (updated and revised from Vayakhel 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald When this week’s parasha, parashat Vayakhel, lists the abundant talents of Bezalel,…
Inside or Outside?
Seder night is an event pregnant with tradition and ritual. As the Hagaddah instructs, “we are obligated to see ourselves as if we ourselves were slaves in Egypt.” So much of the Seder…
National Freedom Day
Not many people are aware that today, February 1st, is National Freedom Day in the United States. National Freedom Day was initially advocated for by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr…
A Civil Rights Leader
Rabbi Arthur Joseph Lelyveld was a man of incredible activity. While he made his mark on history with his activism, the number of Jewish organizations with which he associated is…
A Historical Overview of Jews in Morocco
Jews have lived in Morocco for thousands of years. Jewish nomadic tribes integrated into all aspects of Moroccan life even before the Mohammedan conquest of Morocco, which occurred in the…