By Joshua Maxey On November 2, I landed at Ben Gurion Airport for the first time. This being my first trip to Israel, I was filled with many emotions. I decided to keep an open mind as I joined twelve young adult leaders on a journey to learn more about Israel, Zionism, and why Jews […]
מַה־נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ (בראשית כח:יז) “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.” (Genesis 28:17) The Hebrew word נורא (nora) can be interpreted in multiple ways. Literally, it means awe-inspiring or trembling. But […]
Friday November 18, 2022 – כ״ג חֶשְׁוָן תשפ”ג גֵּר־וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי” (בראשית כג:ד)” “I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site among you, that I may remove my dead for burial.” (Genesis 23:4) Too often the lessons we glean from the legacy […]
Friday November 11, 2022 – י״ז חֶשְׁוָן תשפ”ג By now, the Israeli election results are old news as many in the U.S. have moved on to the now-passed midterm elections. The Israeli political parties have begun the ritual and obligatory sit-downs with President Herzog to endorse their preferred party head to form a coalition. […]
Friday November 4, 2022 – י’ בחשוון תשפ”ג Late Tuesday night Itamar Ben Gvir took to the stage, flanked by a security detail, with a gloating smirk, as he began to speak. Almost in competition with the roaring chants of his devotees and acolytes, transforming the party’s headquarters into a soccer stadium feeling, he belted […]
Enough With Cherry Tomatoes and Drip Irrigation: Let’s Take a new stance on Israel – post election 2022 By Shimon Smith Good morning Israel – you have a new government! When Israel’s President Isaac Herzog recently acknowledged concerns over far-right parties rising to power, but said that Israel-Diaspora ties can weather it, I say no. […]
October 28, 2022 – ג׳ חֶשְׁוָן תשפ”ג As the old Jewish joke goes: The pessimist looks at the polls of the coming election and says, “It can’t possibly get any worse than this.” The optimist says, “Of course, it can!” We are taught in this week’s Torah portion that in a time of so much […]
By Rabbi Fred Guttman At the end of the sixth day in this week’s Torah portion, we begin reading the Torah anew, beginning with the book of Genesis. Toward the end of the creation story we read the following: “וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד” בראשית א:לא- “And God saw everything that God had made, […]
Friday, October 21, 2022 – כ״ו תִשְׁרֵי תשפ”ג “לְמַ֤עַן צִיּוֹן֙ לֹ֣א אֶחֱשֶׁ֔ה וּלְמַ֥עַן יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם לֹ֣א אֶשְׁק֑וֹט עַד־יֵצֵ֤א כַנֹּ֙גַהּ֙ צִדְקָ֔הּ וִישׁוּעָתָ֖הּ כְּלַפִּ֥יד יִבְעָֽר׃” (ישעיהו ס”ב:א) “For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent, For the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be still” (Isaiah 62:1) As the results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election […]
Friday October 14, 2022 – כ״ו תִשְׁרֵי תשפ”ג “וְעַתָּ֡ה אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֜ן בְּעֵינֶ֗יךָ הוֹדִעֵ֤נִי נָא֙ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֔ךָ וְאֵדָ֣עֲךָ֔ לְמַ֥עַן אֶמְצָא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּרְאֵ֕ה כִּ֥י עַמְּךָ֖ הַגּ֥וֹי הַזֶּֽה׃” ~שמות לג:יג “Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this […]
