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Shabbat Chanukah By Michael Rothbaum In memory of Naomi Goodman, z"l, past president of the Jewish Peace Fellowship About 2,200 years ago, as many of us know, a ragtag group of insurgents known as the Maccabees defeated what was then one of the strongest military forces in the known world, the Syrian Greek Empire. A Read More >

By Michael Kohn Vayehi is the final parashah of Sefer Bereshit and brings to a close not only the lives of Jacob and Joseph but the narrative of the Patriarchs as well. It is a major transition point in the Torah narrative, inasmuch as the second chapter of Sefer Shemot begins with the birth of Read More >

Toward Reconciliation By Harvey Israelton At the end of last week's parashah, Miketz, Joseph's brothers had returned to Egypt to appear once again before Joseph, and they had brought with them Joseph's only full brother, Benjamin (Joseph and Benjamin were Rachel's only children). Joseph had stated that Benjamin will remain with him as his slave Read More >

By Michael Kohn Vayehi is the final parashah of Sefer Bereshit and brings to a close not only the lives of Jacob and Joseph but the narrative of the Patriarchs as well. It is a major transition point in the Torah narrative, inasmuch as the second chapter of Sefer Shemot begins with the birth of Read More >

The Fast and the Slow By Greg Schindler This D'var Torah is dedicated in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of my son, Gabriel Jonah. The story is told in the Talmud of a man who came to the sage Hillel and requested, 'Teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.' (Shabbos 31a) Read More >

By Heidi Hoover In this week's parashah we begin with God's reassurance to Moses that God is El Shaddai, the same One who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that God will indeed free the Israelites. This appears to be in order to restore Moses' confidence in God. That confidence (which was always shaky Read More >

The Secret to our Survival By Irwin Huberman What is it about Judaism that has enabled it to survive for thousands of years, in spite of constant prejudice, harassment and affliction? Since our inception, Jews have been under attack, both in Israel, and throughout the world. How could any religion withstand such pressure over such Read More >

The Shabbat of The Song By Cantor Marcia Lane Have you ever noticed that, when you fell in love, you fell in love with all of your beloved? You fell in love with the shape of the face, with the sound of the voice, even with the way your loved one walked. Believe me, it's Read More >

A Treasured People By Daniel Price In this week's Torah portion, neatly nestled between Yitro's sage advice to Moses to delegate, and the Ten Commandments, is a controversial verse that has been central for Jews over the centuries. It has been both a source of hope and strength for a marginalized people through the ages, Read More >

Law and Order by the Numbers By Peggy de Prophetis This parashah begins with God's words to Moses, 'These are the rules that you shall set before them.' It continues with a long and detailed list of the mitzvot that the Israelites are commanded to follow. These include statements concerning slavery, murder, kidnapping, cursing, damages, Read More >