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by Halina Rubinstein In this week's Torah portion, Moses decides to send scouts on a reconnaisance mission to Canaan. Twelve men, one from each tribe, are chosen and given specific instructions on what they have to observe. They come back with a sample of the land's indigenous fruits and a mixed review. They all report Read More >

The Giving of Gifts By Katy Allen The Glory of the Lord dwelt upon Mount Sinai, hidden within a cloud'and God called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. Then the Glory of the Lord appeared'as a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Moses went inside the cloud and ascended the mountain; and Read More >

The Sacred Calendar and the Cycle of Time By Michael Kohn To everything'turn, turn, turn There is a season'turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven 1 In his book The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel writes that 'Judaism is a religion of time, aiming at the sanctification of time. . . . Read More >

Sukkot By Margaret Frisch Klein The words of Qohelet that we read during Sukkot are haunting, 'To everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die . . . A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.' It became the popular Read More >

by Laurie Gold In a few days from now, many people in the United States will be celebrating Independence Day. Barbecues, baking at the beach, and watching fireworks are just some of the activities we may enjoy. While relaxing (or catching up on our work), few of us will think about the origins of this Read More >

by Cantor Marcia Lane (In honor of my birthday and in memory of my father, Gerald Rabinowitz, z'l.) There are five basic sections of this week's parashah: The brief conclusion of Pinchas' slaughter of those who were deemed sexually immoral, a census and geneology of all the tribes, the plight of the daughters of Zelophehad, Read More >

By Michael Kohn The double parashah, Mattot-Massei, concludes the Book of Numbers. The narrative predominantly describes the final preparations for the Israelites to enter the land covenanted by God to their ancestors. Among these preparations is the allocation of land to the various tribes. But before that can occur, something remarkable happens ' representatives of Read More >

Parashat Devarim/Shabbat Hazon by Rabbi Aryeh Meir 'These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan - . . . in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this Teaching (Torah). He said: The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying: You have stayed Read More >

by Joan Lenowitz In this week's parashah Moses continues to relate the history of the peoples' journey toward the Promised Land. Whereas the first chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy deal primarily with how the nearby nations were to be approached in both war and peace, Parashat Va'etchannan is more concerned with elucidating the importance Read More >

By Irwin Huberman During periods of war and conflict, it is difficult to get up every day with a feeling of hope and optimism. On a daily basis, the Biblical commandment to 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Lev. 19:18) is put to the ultimate test. Rather than lean on values of compassion and loving kindness Read More >