WUPJ Library

Recent Issues Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) By Rabbi Jordan D. Cohen D.D., Temple Anshe Sholom , Hamilton, Ontario According to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in his classic work The Prophets , “The prophet is a lonely man. He alienates the wicked as well as the pious, the cynics as well as the believers, the priests […]

by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, City Shul , Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Twitter: @cityshul) The longest parsha of the book of Deuteronomy, Re’eh begins with a simple statement in chapter 11, verse 26: “ See! I am placing before you blessing and curse .” It seems like a choice, a gift freely given, a true example of […]

By Rabbi Steve Burnstein, Director, Anita Saltz International Education Center In April, 1983, I visited Israel for the first time as a participant on the High School in Israel program (before it became the Alexander Muss High School in Israel). It was an amazing, transformational experience that impacted the course of my life in many […]

by Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor, Vice President, Philanthropy, World Union for Progressive Judaism My beloved wife and I have been blessed with three children. Our youngest, Zach, is just about to begin his college studies, but I still remember holding him in the days of his infancy and as an infant, Zachary, had many lessons […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Erin Polansky, the founding rabbi of Neshamah Congregation , a Reform community just north of Toronto. The High Holy Days will be upon us before we know it. Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Are they big ones or small ones? This week’s Torah portion, Eikev , shows us […]

Recent Issues Parashat Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25) By: Rabbi Paul (Shaul) R Feinberg, PhD, Associate Dean, Emeritus and Adjunct Associate Professor of Education, Emeritus; Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion , Jerusalem, Israel Thanksgiving for the Land and Its Bounty Thanksgiving for the Land and Its Bounty Thanksgiving for Being Thankful “…for the Eternal Your God […]

by Rabbi Katalin Kelemen, Spiritual Leader of Sim Shalom Synagogue , Budapest, Hungary. “ When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless… ” The sidra Ekev is named after its second word which means literally “on the heel of”, i.e. “in consequence of” your obedience. It starts with one of the prominent themes […]

By Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Movement Rabbi, Movement for Reform Judaism, UK In Parashat Ekev (עקב), Moses continues his speech to the Israelites, outlining the consequences of obeying or disobeying God’s commandments. The rewards of obedience include continuing to enjoy the benefits of the covenant – health, abundant produce and fertility. The Israelite’s enemies will be […]

by Rabbi Pauline Bebe, Communauté Juive Libérale , Centre Maayan – Paris, France The very name of this parasha – EKEV – is a drash in and of itself; no need to go further. Sometimes a mere utterance is worth a long speech. As one of my teachers, Rabbi Lionel Blue, used to say: you […]

By Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild, Landesrabbiner of Schleswig-Holstein, rabbi of Or Chadasch , Vienna There is a big, very big, question hidden in Deuteronomy 9:5.  The Israelites, says God, are not to give themselves any credit for the fact that their opponents are driven out of the Land which they, the Israelites, are now to […]

Sh’ma Yisrael! – The Voices WE Hear By Rabbi Norman T. Roman, Rabbi Emeritus Temple Kol Ami of West Bloomfield, Detroit, Michigan (USA) We sometimes overlook a special talent, such as Moses demonstrated, especially in the last book of the Torah, D’varim – Deuteronomy. While this week’s Parasha, Va-etchanan, gives us further insight into his […]

Recent Issues Parashat Vaethanan (Nachamu) 3:23-7:11 By: Rabbi Roberto Graetz, Temple Isaiah , Los Angeles, USA The cycle of weekly Torah readings and the prophetic readings in the Haftarah is in many ways daunting. We just finished three weeks where the prophets spoke harsh words of admonition ( puranuta ). On this Shabbat known both […]