Sefer Bereisheet Archives | Academy for Jewish Religion

20 01, 2025

Parashat Vaera – 5785

By Marisa Amith|2025-01-20T16:55:22-05:00January 20, 2025|

Let me ask you this: “As a child, what did you most associate with Christmas? What about Hanukkah? Easter? Passover?” Think about the images you associated with these holidays. Then think about what an evergreen tree has to do with the birth of Jesus; or why eight gifts represent Hanukkah. And how about connecting jelly donuts with the victory of Maccabees over Assyrian King Antiochus and the Hellenistic influence over the Israelites. Better yet, what does a bunny and chocolate eggs have to do with the crucifixion of Jesus? And even more interesting, how does the happy tune of the “Frog” song reflect on the horrifying experience of the one of 10 plagues – which caused so much suffering among Egyptians?

31 12, 2024

Parashat Vayigash 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-12-31T11:15:47-05:00December 31, 2024|

When I was a student at AJR, I was fortunate to take an elective entitled Bibliodrama with Dr. Peter Pitzele. We were told that the class would expand how we would view Torah, by making a parashah come alive by making it into a drama.

23 12, 2024

Parashat Mikeitz 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-12-23T12:41:02-05:00December 23, 2024|

“The waiting is the hardest part Every day you see one more card You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part.” - “The Waiting”, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

16 12, 2024

Parashat Vayeishev 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-12-16T13:22:21-05:00December 16, 2024|

One of my favorite TV shows growing up (with reruns on METV) was “Green Acres,” the story of Oliver Wendell Douglas, a New York lawyer, and his Hungarian socialite wife, Lisa who move from Manhattan to a farm in a place called “Hooterville.” There they encounter all sorts of characters as they try to make their way in a very different world than they’re used to. Played by the late Ava Gabor, Lisa both fits into the community, and at the same time, doesn’t.

9 12, 2024

Parashat Vayishlah 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-12-09T10:54:41-05:00December 9, 2024|

One night many years ago, I drove to the home of a congregant to lead an evening shiva minyan. As I approached the house, I saw that it was dark, but with candle flames flickering in the windows. Having walked into a variety of interesting shiva practices, I wondered what unusual ritual I was about to encounter – a séance? – and hoped it would be something I found reasonable.

3 12, 2024

Parashat Vayeitzei 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-12-03T14:42:27-05:00December 3, 2024|

Vayeitzei is a parashah with bookends: It starts with flight and ends with flight; it starts with a pillar and ends with a pillar (מַּצֵּבָ֔ה); it starts with a vow and ends with a vow. Such a nice, tidy frame around, arguably, a lot of commotion. It’s in that commotion, however, where change occurs, insuring that the Jacob at the start of the parashah is not the same Jacob at its end.

25 11, 2024

Parashat Toledot – 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-11-25T11:04:08-05:00November 25, 2024|

How does it feel to be unfavored?

18 11, 2024

D’var Torah Hayei Sarah – 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-11-18T14:36:15-05:00November 18, 2024|

Recently I was thinking a good deal about the fact that with so much going on in Israel, around the world and even here, in the United States, we forget to talk about LOVE. Unfortunately, we constantly worry - no wonder we are called the “anxious generation.”

12 11, 2024

Parashat Vayeira 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-11-12T11:52:56-05:00November 12, 2024|

As Abraham reached the final stage of implementing God’s request — ready to make the ultimate sacrifice of his own son — he suddenly saw a ram caught in the bushes. At the angel’s direction, he lifted the ram and placed it on the altar in place of Isaac, offering it as the sacrifice. For Abraham, this resolved the “test” and maintained the life of his son. But what of the ram, the being that had no choice but to be sacrificed? Besides serving as a substitute for Isaac, what meaning can we derive by looking at the Akeidah from the ram’s perspective?

4 11, 2024

Parashat Lekh Lekha 5785

By Linda Ripps|2024-11-04T11:43:42-05:00November 4, 2024|

It’s very different today. Churches, mosques and synagogues dot the landscape of many cities and towns throughout the world. Simply find the front door, enter and join in congregational worship or find a cozy spot within and start your own personal meditation. It has not always been that way. It certainly did not work that way thousands of years ago when one person, and only one person, had the understanding that the world was created by the One. A person would worship the sun, the moon or the stars or anything else within nature, but not their Creator.

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

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