WUPJ Library

The Hebrew word “Naso” means “to lift up” and with this word God commanded Moses and Aaron to “lift up” the Children of Israel by concluding the census. It is a curious idea at first glance, to “lift up” in order to take a census, but it makes sense.

There are periods in our lives in which we are neither here nor there. When we leave home, our land or our community and take Avraham Avinu as our example of Lech Lecha, moving toward a place we do not know, everything is seem to be difficult. We were accustomed to the people, to our home, to the streets and avenues of our city, and above all we knew how to deal with known troubles, for we knew o ground and how to keep walking there.

Who will we remember? Parashat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-8:36) / Shabbat Zachor 5771-2011 By Rabbi Robert H. Loewy, Congregation Gates of Prayer , Metairie, LA, USA This is the week that Jews around the world are preparing for Purim. Shelach Manot gifts are ready for delivery. Costumes are prepared. The Purim shpiel is in final rehearsal and […]

A month ago I was sitting in an elementary school classroom on plastic chairs waiting for Friday night Shabbat Services to begin in the town of Gedera, which is south of Rechovot. This is an amazing congregation which has fought in court against the local government in order to win the right to hold their Shabbat services in a local elementary school.

Sukkoth and the challenge of refugees Recent Issues By Rabbi Michel Schlesinger A young man came to a rabbi for a chat. “I’ve bought a new car” said the young man to the rabbi. “Congratulations”, he replied. And the young man went on, “It has been a while since I have been saving to achieve […]

Temporary Homes, Permanent Homes: Reflections for Sukkot by Rabbi Danny Burkeman , The Community Synagogue , Port Washington, NY Many of you will know the story of the three little pigs, each one of whom built a home; one out of straw, one out of wood and one out of brick. A wolf came along […]

Torah Commentary for Chol Hamoed Sukkot (Kohelet) by Rabbi Dr Charles H Middleburgh , Director of Jewish Studies at Leo Baeck College , London, and rabbi to the Cardiff Reform Synagogue in Cardiff, Wales. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when […]

Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot 5771 (Exodus 33:12-34:26) by Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander During Sukkot, I sometimes find myself meandering down the aisles of my local hardware store in search of glue, screws, and hinges to repair my disintegrating sukkah that I first built years ago.  After all, no sukkah is meant to last forever.  But what […]

Think Globally, Act Locally, Do it Together / reflections for Yom Kippur 5772 by Rabbi Mark Goldsmith, Alyth , North Western Reform Synagogue, London; Chair of The Assembly of Reform Rabbis UK It is not certain who first used the phrase “think globally, act locally”.  It became widely used from the 1970’s onwards as the environmentalist […]

Reflections for Yom Kippur 5774 by Rabbi Dr Charles H Middleburgh, Director of Jewish Studies Director of Jewish Studies and Senior Lecturer at Leo Baeck College, London, and rabbi to the Cardiff Reform Synagogue in Cardiff, Wales . Many, many years ago, when I was a child, there was one part of the High Holy […]

Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah / commentary for Rosh Hashana by Rabbi Michel Schlesinger, Congregação Israelita Paulista (CIP) (for the Portuguese version, please scroll down or click here ) Of all the symbols related to the High Holidays, the shofar is the one which draws most of our attention. This ancient musical instrument was used in biblical […]

How many lies are contained in the phrase “A mosque at ground zero”? Erev Rosh HaShana 5771 by Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor, Vice President, World Union for Progressive Judaism / Congregation Da’at Elohim – The Temple of Universal Judaism, New York City There is something very strange and wonderful about this scene.  In fact, what we […]