WUPJ Library

By: Rabbi Pauline Bebe, rabbi of Communaute Juive Liberalee Please click here for this commentary in French If the book of Shemoth was presented to a publisher today, it would probably be suggested to the author that starting off with a list of names as the opener to a book, might leave a lot to be […]

By: Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor, Vice President, Philanthropy, World Union for Progressive Judaism “Seeing Holiness” In 1938, one of my favorite poets, William Butler Yeats, was presented with a gift. The gift was a sculpture of three Chinese monks carved out of deep-blue lapis lazuli stone. Contemplating the sculpture at length, he composed his poem, […]

By: Rabbi Rebecca Lillian, Lund University , Lund, Sweden and Egalitarian Synagogue of Malmo, Malmo, Sweden What is in a Name? This week’s parasha, like the Second Book of Moses (Exodus) that it opens, is known as “ shemot ,” meaning “names.” Indeed, names play a major role throughout this very rich portion, from the […]

By: Rabbi Dr John Levi, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth Israel , Victoria, Australia The story of Joseph is over. His descendents have brought his embalmed body ‘home’. And now we begin a new book of the Torah and its opening chapters contain some surprises. First of all, despite the list of the tribes of Israel, […]

By: Rabbi Rich Kirschen Director, Anita Saltz International Education Center of the World Union for Progressive Judaism Recent Issues “When the Lord saw that he (Moshe) had turned aside to look (to notice), God called out to him from out of the bush.” Exodus, Chapter 3 verse 4. Being “present in the moment” is never easy […]

Recent Issues 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 Living Life to the Fullest “And Jacob lived….” Thus begins the last portion of Genesis recounting the events surrounding the deaths of Jacob-Israel and Joseph. The closing […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Norman T. Roman, M.A.H.L., R.J.E., D.D., Temple Kol Ami, West Bloomfield , Michigan, USA “ Earning the Blessing of Israel ” “ Earning the Blessing of Israel ” “Jacob said to Joseph: ‘Your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, shall be mine. Ephraim and Menasseh […]

Recent Issues By Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs, D. Min., DD, Past President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He is the author of What’s in It for Me? Finding Ourselves in Biblical Narratives Reversing History’s Pattern When Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers fear that […]

By: Rabbi Joan Glazer Farber Promises, Promises Promises. Most of us have made a promise at some point in our lives. Maybe you were young and wanted a puppy: you promised to walk that dog every day, you promised to feed that dog, you promised anything that you thought would convince your parents to adopt […]

Recent Issues A Blessing, a Knee and a Pool of Water What is a blessing? Who is worthy of one, and who can give blessings? In our Torah portion this week, Vayechi, Jacob gathers his and Joseph’s sons to his deathbed and gives them each a personalized final blessing. Some, like the blessing given to […]

By: Rabbi Steven Katz, senior rabbi of Hendon Reform Synagogue in London In many Jewish homes around the world the names of Ephraim and Menashe, the sons of Joseph, the grandsons of Jacob, are invoked as role models for today. We know so much more about other Biblical personalities, surely the Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac […]

By: Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild State Rabbi for Schleswig-Holstein in Berlin, Germany Just like an earlier Sidra,  “Chayyei Sarah”, “the Life of Sarah”, which actually starts with her death – so here “Vayechi” – “and he Lived” – incorporates in fact two deathbed scenes – those of Jacob the Patriarch and his son Joseph who […]