Passover: Counting for Freedom
By Rabbi Jenni Greenspan
Passover
I have long been fascinated by and enthralled with the counting of the Omer, perhaps because the command to count 50...
Parshat Tazria: The Power of Our Words
By Rabbi Joshua Z. Gruenberg
One of the hardest lessons to learn as a rabbi is that your word — that is to say, how...
Parshat Shemini: The Sound of Silence
By Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz
Parshat Shemini parallels the emotional roller coaster that seems all too familiar to many of us.
The parshah opens with the culmination...
Parshat Tzav: Lead or Get Out of the Way
By Reb Ezra Weinberg
Jewish leadership is hard business. I don’t envy our leaders, but I pray for them and their ability to access our...
Purim: Esther’s Bravery
By Julia Gratz
In the Purim story, Esther’s self-confidence and bravery are what saves her people. She becomes queen, finds out about Haman’s evil plan...
Parshat Pekudei: Each Person Matters
By Rabbi Andy Gordon
This week’s Torah portion, Pekudei, is the last portion in the Book of Exodus. The Torah addresses the building of the...
Parshat Vayakhel: Kindling an Eternal Light
By Rabbi Maurice Harris
Last week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, featured the golden calf disaster: a story of fear, betrayal, misguided impulses and, ultimately, divine...
Parshat Ki Tisa: Compassion and Mercy
By Rabbi Joanne Yocheved Heiligman
Imagine this: A woman goes through nine months of pregnancy and many long hours of labor before giving birth to...
Parshat Tetzaveh: How Customs Keep the Jewish People Strong
By Jordan Gincel
This week’s Torah portion is Tetzaveh. This portion is about the kohanim, and how they worked together wearing special garments to serve...
Parshat Terumah: Offering Our Unique Gifts
By Rabbi Nora Feinstein
I remember the excitement I felt when I finally learned the name of the Torah portion for my bat mitzvah: Terumah. Through...
