WUPJ Library
Torah from Around the World #157
by Rabbi Benjie Gruber, Rabbi of Kibbutz Yahel, Progressive Judaism, Arava Region and Eilat This week we have the wonderful chance of reading two portions – Vayakhel (“he assembled”) and Pekude (“the numbers”). We say goodbye to the book of Exodus-Shemot and prepare ourselves to spend a few weeks with animal parts and the mishkan. […]
Torah from around the world #106
by Rabbi Steve Burnstein , Director, Anita Saltz IEC , Jerusalem. In this week’s double Torah portion, Vayakhel-Pekudei, we read in tremendous detail about the work of Bezalel, the renowned artist of the Jewish people, as he builds the mishkan or Tabernacle. “ He made the lampstand of pure gold… he made the poles of […]
Some Thoughts on Parashat Vayakhel
This week’s Parasha Vayakhel opens with Moses convening a special meeting of the entire Israelite congregation. Those of us with experience in congregational life might imagine him standing up in front with a roll of blueprints under his arm, congregational officers sitting on the dais along with representatives from the architectural firm as well as the general contractors, and delivering an inspirational speech to kick off the fund raising campaign.
Torah from around the world #11
11 March 2010 / 25 Adar 5770 Five years have passed since I helped the newly formed English-speaking ex-pat congregation in Brussels find its way. The first, somewhat primitive, synagogue was set up, the bimah and the Ark had been made, the first prayer books were printed, and my congregation in Amsterdam had loaned them […]
Torah from Around the World #368
Recent Issues By: Rabbi Jack Luxemburg, Temple Beth Ami , Rockville, Maryland, USA In this week’s Torah portion, the spiritual relationship between a leader and his/her people is explored through the events surrounding the episode of Egel HaZahav – the Golden Calf. Our ancestors experienced Moses’ long stay on Mt. Sinai as abandonment and loss. […]
Torah from Around the World #313
Recent Issues By: Rabbi Michel Schlesinger is the Rabbi of Congregacao Israelita Paulista (CIP) in Sao Paulo and the representative of the Brazilian Jewish Confederation (CONIB) for interreligious dialogue. The sin of the golden calf is committed in this week’s parasha , Ki Tisa. Ironically, in the same portion of the Torah where this artistic […]
Torah from Around the World #262
By Rabbi Ruven Bar Ephraim, Or Chadasch Congregation, Zurich, Switzerland, and Rabbinic Advisor to the EUPJ One comes into the world, usually with two parents, perhaps siblings, aunts, uncles, Grandparents and other relatives. The family situation changes when you have a spouse. He / she brings her / his family clan into the marriage. As […]
Torah from Around the World #206
by Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander, Rabbi of Solel Congregation , Mississauga, Ontario Canada, and President-Elect of Arzenu My new understanding of this week’s Parasha began with a visit to the British Museum in London. There, in the Assyrian gallery, I saw the huge bronze Nimrud gates. Moulded onto these gates were two fierce creatures ( click […]
Torah from Around the World #156
by Rabbi Mark H. Levin , DHL, Congregation Beth Torah, Overland Park , KS Many people would say, as Rabbi Jacob Milgrom demonstrates in his JPS Commentary to The Book of Numbers, that this is the most important Torah portion. Parts of it are read four times in the annual Torah reading cycle: this week’s […]
Second Chances | Parashat Ki Tisa
This week’s Parasha, Ki Tisa, illustrates, among other lessons, how ordinary, mundane administrative matters of life – like the taking of a census and fiscal upkeep of a community – interface with grand and dramatic episodes of life: the revelation of cosmic truths translated into human terms.
Torah from around the world #54
by Rabbi Dr. Shaul (Paul) R Feinberg, Associate Dean Emeritus, Hebrew Union College , Jerusalem This week’s Parasha opens with an administrative injunction: a call for a census of males of military age. For a number of reasons the census was to be carried out by counting a one-half shekel contribution to the Temple. As […]
Torah from around the world #10
By Rabbi Gabor Lengyel 4 March 2010 / 18 Adar 5770 וידבר יהוה אל משה לאמור: כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל לפקדיהם ונתנו איש כפר נפשו ליהוה (Exodus 30: 11-12) “The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: When you take a census of the Israelite men according to their army enrollment, each shall pay […]