WUPJ Library

Recent Issues by Rabbi Ferenc Raj, PhD, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth El,  Berkeley, CA, USA; Founding Rabbi, Congregation Bet Orim, Budapest, Hungary Like many Yiddish words that are part and parcel of the vocabulary of American Jews, “bashert” is hard to translate. Most often “bashert” and “basherte,” are used to describe one’s soulmate, though we […]

by Rabbin Pauline Bebe, Communauté juive libérale – Ile de France , Paris, France, Ce n’est pas juste! Qui n’a pas prononcé ces mots une fois dans sa vie? Enfant, adolescent, adulte, la conscience de l’injustice, la révolte qu’elle inspire nous donne un sentiment aïgu d’humanité. Nous existons à ce moment parce que précisément notre […]

by Rabbi Fred Morgan, Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth Israel , Melbourne, Australia During the coming week Australia will be holding its next national census.  The results are used to set governmental targets and spending priorities for the next five years, as well as keep statisticians and social commentators in business for many decades. All countries […]

By Rabbi Rich Kirschen, Director of the Anita Saltz International Education Center , The World Union for Progressive Judaism, Jerusalem So I just cannot let this go… this whole Chelsea Clinton Wedding thing… and I think this goes way beyond my obsession with the Clinton Dynasty (although I am still having a hard time letting […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Neal Borovitz, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Avodat Shalom , River Edge, New Jersey, USA Our Torah portion this week, marking the beginning of Moses’ farewell sermon to the people Israel begins with the words: “Re’eh Anochi noten lifnaychem hayom bracha uklalah.” {Deuteronomy 11:26} “Behold I have set before all of you, (the […]

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 […]