Shalom, As we light the first candle of Hanukkah tonight, we recall the miracle that happened to our ancestors in those days and in this time. The lights of our Hannukiyot, are perfectly poised to give us hope in dark times, provide light among the increasingly literal and metaphoric darkness, and offer us an opportunity […]
…try try a third election! Shalom, The 22nd Knesset, sworn in just two months ago managed to legislate only one law – to disperse itself. Rookie Knesset members who were elected for the first time in April are now veteran campaigners facing their third elections in less than one year. What should we make of this? […]
Shalom, After a night of solitude and a revelatory, transformative experience, Jacob resumes his mission of finding a wife from the place of his father’s origin. Rachel, standing by the well, becomes the desire of his eye. They meet, kiss, and live happily ever… oh, wait. Before any fairytale ending could happen the scene quickly […]
וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַל־תֵּרֵ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה שְׁכֹ֣ן בָּאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ גּ֚וּר בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶֽהְיֶ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ וַאֲבָרְכֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־לְךָ֣ וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֗ אֶתֵּן֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָֽאֲרָצֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔ל וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙ אֶת־הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם אָבִֽיךָ׃ “Adonai had appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land which I point out to you. Reside in this land, and […]
“Land, Land! – This is the secret to the solution of the Jewish Question” ~Nathan Birnbaum, “Die Nationale Wiedergeburt judischen Volkes in seinem Lande” (1893) One of my most memorable moments in Israel was not a swearing-in ceremony in the army, nor even the birth of Sabra children, but signing the contract to […]
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃ She said to Abraham, “Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” וַיֵּ֧רַע הַדָּבָ֛ר מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם עַ֖ל אוֹדֹ֥ת בְּנֽוֹ׃ The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it […]
**This post is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Lee Diamond z”l (1940-2019)** “וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ, לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ, וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ; וֶהְיֵה, בְּרָכָה. (בראשית יב:א-ב) “Adonai said unto Avram: ‘Go forth from your country, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, unto the land […]
Speak the Language of the Hebrew Wo/Man “וַֽיְהִ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃” “Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words.” (Genesis 11:1) הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ “Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech.” […]
“וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ ק֚וֹל דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃” “Then He said, “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!” Shalom, Names are important. Names are not given at random, especially in the Torah, where they are rich with meaning. For those who read the text in translation […]
HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE Shalom, It is at this moment, just days after the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, that Reform Judaism in Israel has extended its reach into the hearts and homes of thousands of Israeli families. The High Holiday season is one of renewal, connection, celebration, and soul searching – a time for […]