End of Year Gift Exchange

There is a great deal of gift-giving going on at this time of year. Beyond friends and family, many feel obligated to give end of the year gifts to local specialists (such as one’s hair…

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Taking Stock

Use these days of Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the Ten days of Repentance, to take stock of, and address your past actions.

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Taking Stock and Moving Forward

Utilize this Shabbat, known as Shabbat Shuva, to contemplate how to repent for prior transgressions and how to improve going forward. We are taught in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers,…

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Shushan Purim on Shabbat

Shushan Purim on Shabbat When Shushan Purim, observed in walled cities in Israel, coincides with Shabbat, the holiday is…

Devarim 5768-2008

"Establishing the Rightful Owners of the Land" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald According to tradition, the entire book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, was spoken by Moses in the last five weeks of…

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History of the State Since 1948

History of the StateSince 1948 Table of Contents the war of independence population shifts 1956- the sinai campaign 1967 –…

Vayikra 5761- 2001

"Moses, The Leader With A Calling" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Vayikra, G-d calls Moses from the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle, and gives him…

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Shavuot 5766-2006

"Appreciating Shavuot" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Of all the major holidays and festivals of the Jewish people, the one that is least known and least appreciated is the festival of…

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Vayikra 5780-2020

“Moses, a Leader with a Calling” (Revised and updated from Vayikra 5761-2001)   by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayikra, G-d calls Moses from the…

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The Buttonwood Jews

On the 17th of May, 1792, 24 businessmen met under a buttonwood (sycamore) tree and made an agreement to deal only with one another and to set a .25% commission rate on all…

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