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Sukkkot: Stepping Outside of Our Comfort Zones By Hayley Mica Siegel Almost as much as the Jew looks forward to Shabbat after a busy week, it is certain that the entire Jewish community lets out a collective sigh of relief during the celebration of Sukkot. After ten days of praying, fasting, repenting, and reflecting, we Read More >

Shemini Atzeret/Simhat Torah Neal L. Spevack Shemini Atzeret is observed on the 22nd of Tishrei or the eighth day of Sukkot but is considered a separate holiday. Outside of Israel, Simhat Torah is on the subsequent, ninth day. Shemini Atzeret has its initial source in Lev. 23:36 'Seven days you shall bring offerings by fire Read More >

By Linda Shriner-CahnThe holidays have come and gone, and we begin anew, back at the beginning, with an opportunity to come to the Torah with fresh eyes, ready to wrestle new meaning and deeper understandings from the text.Rabbi Marc Gellman wrote a midrash for children that provides us with the opportunity to do just that. Read More >

By Enid C. Lader This past September marked the fifth year of remembering the tragic events of 9/11 and the thousands who lost their lives. As the television cameras panned the site of the World Trade Center and politicians pledged renewed effort to build towers even taller to replace the ones lost and pundits decried Read More >

By Eleanor B. Pearlman What motivates a person to go on a journey? I think of the push/pull theory of immigration: one leaves to escape intolerable discomfort and anticipates a better life somewhere else. Such departures involve pain in the present and hope for the future. At a certain point in life one may leave Read More >

By Jaron Matlow In this week's parashah, we find myriad fascinating events which are very difficult to understand. One example is the story of Sarah, Abraham, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac (21:9-13). The peak of this event (21:10) is that Sarah tells Abraham to drive out the slave woman (Hagar) and her son (Ishmael), because the Read More >

By Kathy Novick This week we read Parashat Hayei Sarah ' The Life of Sarah. Many think of the irony of this title since the parashah begins with the death of Sarah and its impact upon Avraham. We read of Avraham mourning then rising and ACTING. We learned from social workers, chaplains and clergy who Read More >

Parashat Toldot: Fathers and Sons By Rabbi David Greenstein Parashat Toldot is the only Torah portion devoted to the life of Isaac. Abraham merits a much more extended treatment by the Torah (as does Jacob, later). Isaac seems to exist in the shadow of his illustrious father. This is borne out by the very first Read More >

Escaping What You've Embraced Peg Kershenbaum What does it take for us to see ourselves as we really are? How do we become aware of the impact we have on the lives and well-being of others? Jacob's meeting with Laban was probably the incident that had the most impact on him, up to that moment. Read More >

By Michael G. Kohn What is deceit? Is it ever acceptable to deceive another? And is it ever proper to hold a community responsible for the act of a single person? These questions practically jump from the pages of this week's parashah, where we read the tragic episode of the rape of Dinah, Leah's daughter. Read More >