Abraham
Kristallnacht: A Lesson for All Time

Kristallnacht: A Lesson for All Time

The Holocaust, a systematic attempt to exterminate the Jewish people carried out by the German Nazi party during World War II, is a dense cloud of darkness in human history that should never be forgotten lest we descend again into the...

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A Relationship Under Pressure

A Relationship Under Pressure

By Rabbi Elie Mischel As we read about the awe-inspiring and history-altering moments of Abraham and Sarah’s life, there is another, parallel story that we read about in the Bible – the story of their relationship.  It’s a more subtle...

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Wherever You Go, There You Are

Wherever You Go, There You Are

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I have a special personal connection with this week’s Torah reading. 31 years ago, I was a chef in a fancy restaurant in Manhattan. I had a cool motorcycle and lots of cash to party and play. I had long hair and...

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Do You Walk With God or Before God?

Do You Walk With God or Before God?

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The Biblical story of Noah is probably the most universally known story. Everyone knows that Noah built an ark, brought in the animals and saved his family. But perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the...

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A Renewed Covenant with an Unexpected Partner

A Renewed Covenant with an Unexpected Partner

I bought my house a few years ago. I understand that buying a home is serious business but I was totally unprepared for the thick pile of pages I had to sign. When I finished signing one pile of documents, the bank officer produced...

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Moab: A Nation Worse than Amalek?

Moab: A Nation Worse than Amalek?

When I went away to college and began dating seriously, with every girl I met I heard that voice in the back of my mind that had been put there since my bar mitzvah; make sure she’s Jewish. It seriously limited my options but greatly...

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Why Were the Jewish People Given the Land of Israel?

Why Were the Jewish People Given the Land of Israel?

Who wouldn’t want free real estate? So when God first approached Abraham and said he was giving his descendants the land of Israel, of course, he said ‘yes!’  But why did God make the offer? Was it because the Jewish people were so...

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The Truth About Jacob’s Lentil Stew

The Truth About Jacob’s Lentil Stew

Esau returned home from the field to find Jacob cooking lentil stew. Famished from a tiring day of hunting, Esau demanded that Jacob give him some lentil stew to eat, Jacob agreed on the condition that Esau would sell him his birthright....

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