WUPJ Library

by Rabbi Lawrence Englander, Solel Congregation of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada A lone street musician in Santa Monica, California, strums his guitar and begins to sing “Stand By Me” (click here for YouTube clip). Then, through the marvel of technology, the camera shifts to New Orleans where another musician picks up the tune and carries on. […]

by Rabbi David Ariel-Joel, Congregation Adath Israel Brith Shalom , Louisville, Kentucky Let us take a look at a small segment of the ‘Be’haalot’cha’ Torah portion, a section which challenges the concept of prophecy as a leadership and ruling tool. “ A young man ran and told Moshe, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the […]

by Rabbi Michael Dolgin, Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto How can we move a people forward?  Our people is known for its wandering.  We are centered in Israel both emotionally and geographically, but we are spread across the face of the earth.  Though a small people, we are divided.  We affirm different Jewish cultures, varied […]

In recent years, it seems like the word “blessing” is on everyone’s lips. When I was a child the only time I heard the word “bless” outside of the synagogue was after another person sneezed and someone nearby responded either “God bless you” or just “bless you.” In Hebrew, a similar response would be livriut, […]

Recent Issues Parashat Naso: You Shall Bless and be Blessed By: Rabbi Y. Lindsey bat Joseph, executive director of the Sol Mark Centre for Jewish Excellence in British Columbia, Canada. In parashat Lekh L’kha , the Holy One promises Abraham “… I will bless you … And you shall be a blessing … and all […]

By Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof, Congregation “Natan-Ya” , Netanya , Israel This Shabbat we will read Parashat Naso, the second portion in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), which is always read either before or after the Shavuot holiday. Naso is the longest portion in the entire Torah (which contains 54 portions); from Numbers 4:21 – […]

by Rabbi Danny Burkeman , The Community Synagogue , Port Washington, NY As couples prepare to get married there are many questions about what the wedding will be like; music, dress code, food, seating and 101 other things which need to be organized. However, in the lead up to their married life together one of […]

by Rabbi Ferenc Raj, PhD, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth El , Berkeley, CA, USA, and Founding Rabbi, Congregation Bet Orim , Budapest, Hungary This week’s parasha, Naso , the longest weekly portion in the entire Torah, consists of 176 verses. One of its chapters, chapter 7, has the distinction of being the longest chapter in […]

by Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor, Vice President, World Union for Progressive Judaism So we find ourselves back in the Exodus narrative, having lived through a long commercial break for the Priesthood, known as Leviticus. Parashat Naso is the second portion in the book of Numbers, which seems to follow seamlessly the events of the Book […]

by Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins, Senior Rabbi, Emanuel Synagogue , Sydney, Australia Parashat Naso is the lengthiest of Torah portions in our reading cycle, discussing the sotah (teaching the notion of mind over matter), the nazir (teaching the tension between the physical and spiritual) and chanukat habayit (a passage also read at the festival of Chanukah […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Cory Weiss, Rabbi of Temple Har Zion , Thornhill, Ontario, Canada Make Yourself Count! A few weeks ago, our family received notice to go online and fill out the Canadian census form. We moved to Canada from the United States just under ten years ago, and so this census is the […]

Recent Issues By: Paul Golomb, Rabbi of Vassar Temple, Poughkeepsie, New York, World Union’s North American Board member, Editor-in-Chief of the Reform Jewish Quarterly (CCAR Journal). Kol Yisrael ‘Aravim Zeh l’Zeh . [All of the people Israel are dependent upon each other]. When I was a younger rabbi, this assertion served as the slogan for […]