The AJR Center for Judaism and Science has an annual competition for the best student D’var Torah infused with science. Click here to view the entries that have won our לדעת חכמה (Lada’at Hokhmah) Award.
Parashat Noah – 5787
October 13, 2026
Rabbi Cantor Inna Serebro-Litvak ('16)
A D’var Torah for Parashat Noah By Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak A few years ago, when my daughter Emily graduated from high school, we went on a mother-daughter trip to Spain. That was the first time I learned, with Emily’s help, how to easily use Google Translate from text or words, adding it to my toolbar. This was quite a revelation for me! I couldn’t believe the convenience of this technological feature (remember this was four years before AI took over our lives). But at the same time, I felt cheated. I really wanted to be able to speak Spanish, as well as Italian, French, Mandarin – and perhaps other languages fluently. I did eventually add French to my repertoire, along with Russian, English and Hebrew – the three languages I already speak. I confess that my success in learning French can be partially attributed to the Duolingo App. I...
Parashat Bereisheet – 5786
October 6, 2026
Rabbi Michael Kohn
A D’var Torah for Parashat Bereisheet By Rabbi Michael Kohn (AJR 2009) There are numerous cycles embedded within a Jewish year – the daily cycle of prayer, the weekly cycle of ordinary days and Shabbat, the monthly cycle of new moons, and the annual cycle of holidays and festivals. This week we experience another yearly cycle, as we start to read the Torah once more from the beginning. Making our way through the first six days of Creation, we learn that the word “tov”, usually translated as “good”, appears seven times. The light on the first day was tov (Gen 1:4). The land and the seas were tov (Gen 1:10), as were the seed-bearing plants and trees of every kind bearing fruit (Gen 1:12). The two great lights, separating light from darkness were tov (Gen 1:16-18). The great sea monsters, and all the living creatures of every kind that creep…...
Parashat Ha’azinum – 5787
September 14, 2026
Rabbi Matthew Goldstone
A D’var Torah for Parashat Ha’azinu By Rabbi Dr. Matthew Goldstone Prayer fills the season of repentance and it is at this point in the calendar when we read Moses’ final prayer, the last song before his demise: Ha’azinu. It is fitting that Ha’azinu aligns with this season as it includes praise for God, but also recognition of people’s mistakes – some of the main themes of the high holidays. One verse in particular calls out to us at this moment (Deut. 32:20): וַיֹּאמֶר אַסְתִּירָה פָנַי מֵהֶם אֶרְאֶה מָה אַחֲרִיתָם (I will hide My countenance from them, And see how they fare in the end…). Ibn Ezra points out two dramatically opposed ways of reading this verse. One way to understand this verse is that God hides God’s presence because God knows what the people will ultimately do. That is, our actions and fate are predetermined. And, because we will...
Parshiyot Nitzavim-Vayeilekh 5786
September 2, 2026
Cantor Sandy Horowitz
Caring and Compassion A D’var Torah for Parshiyot Nitzavim-Vayeilekh By Cantor Sandy Horowitz For verse after verse Moses has been speaking to the Israelites in the form of commandments and exhortations, the threat of curse and the promise of blessing. Parashat Vayeilekh brings a different tone, somewhat softer, as we near the end of our annual Torah reading cycle. (Spoiler alert – there will be more exhortations after this! But for now, let’s take a pause.) For forty years Moses has led the Israelites on their journey towards the promised land. He has reached the age of 120, and his life, like our Torah cycle, is coming to an end. As the people prepare to cross the river Jordan, Moses has been told by God that he cannot go with them. Surely, he is feeling deep disappointment about being kept from the promised land and about having to give up...
Parashat Ki Tavo – 5786
August 24, 2026
The Ground of Choice A D’var Torah for Parashat Ki Tavo By Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, we are witness to a grand ritual; a dramatization depicting the landscape of choices within which we all reside at all times. One half of the Israelite tribes are told to stand on Mt. Gerizim while the other half of the tribes are to stand on Mt. Ebal. Between the two mountains lies a valley, a middle ground within which the tribe of Levi is to stand. From this middle ground of choice, the Levites call up to those on Mt. Ebal with a series of curses that will result from choices rooted in idolatry, dishonesty, greed and lust. The Levites then call up to those on Mt. Gerizim with a series of blessings that will result from choices to live a life of mitzvot, ethical behavior, honesty...
