WUPJ Library

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 […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild lives in Berlin and is Rabbi of congregation ‘ Or Chadasch ‘ in Vienna, Austria. Unasked Questions The two most important types of questions in the Torah are those which are never answered, and those which are never asked. There are many nuggets and many such questions hidden […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Melanie Aron, Congregation Shir Hadash , Los Gatos, California Lifting the Burden of Unforgiven Pain Anachronistically, I sometimes imagine Joseph in therapy, deciding that his family is too toxic and that he is better off not being in touch with them. After all we have to wonder how the man, who is […]

The Peace of Reconciliation By Rabbi Natan Landman, author of Make It Short, Rabbi: Brief Jewish Lessons from Scripture and Take Words with You: Sermons and Addresses of a Lifetime “And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; only then were his brothers able to talk to him” (Genesis 45:5) The climax of […]

Recent Issues By: Rabbi Meir Azari, Senior Rabbi and Executive Director, The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism , Tel Aviv This week’s Torah portion opens with one of the most moving and emotionally charged events in Jewish historical memory. For us, as outside spectators, it is clear that in the meeting between Joseph – the Vizier […]

By: Rabbi Edgar Nof, Haifa, Israel Recent Issues A Renewed Approach of Courage and Peace Vayigash is the eleventh and penultimate Torah portion in the book of Genesis. At the beginning and end of the story we read about two major encounters: the first one between Joseph and Judah, a meeting between two brothers; and […]

By: Rabbi Edgar Nof, Or Hadash , Haifa Recent Issues Time for a New Approach to Understanding Our Torah portion opens with Judah’s initiatives when he “approaches” Joseph: “ Vayigash elav Yehudah ” (Genesis 44:18). There are the early signs of a possible solution in the powerful dispute between Joseph and his brothers. Further along the […]

By: Rabbi Katalin Kelemen, founding member and spiritual leader of Sim Shalom , Hungary (Sim Shalom is the first post-war Progressive Hungarian Jewish Congregation) “Joseph Reveals Himself: How to Deal With Shame” “ Ha’eir eineinu b’toratecha … Let our eyes see the light of Your teaching and our hearts embrace Your commands .Give us integrity […]