Growth Through Challenge

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2024 | Shemot, Tests and Trials

The beginning of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt is marked by Pharaoh’s fearful decree: “Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase” (Exodus 1:10). Yet, paradoxically, in response to increasing oppression, the Israelites flourished:...

The Making of a Nation

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2024 | Chosen Nation, Redemption, Shemot, Tests and Trials

The Torah portion of Shemot (Exodus 1:1-6:1), which opens the Book of Exodus, recounts the transition of the Children of Israel from their esteemed position within Egyptian society to a state of harsh subjugation and relentless oppression. This period of suffering and...

Enlist in the Army of God

by Rabbi Elie Mischel | f 22, 2023 | Bo, Zechariah

Before Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) became the chief rabbi of pre-State Israel, he served as the rabbi of Boisk, Latvia. On the holiday of Purim, 1897, Rabbi Kook sat together with some of the young men who were students in his religious school and shared...

Lighting the Path to Peace in Troubled Times

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 20, 2023 | Shabbat, Yitro

On January 1, 2000, the New York Times published a special Millennium Edition. This unique issue featured three distinctive front pages, each offering a fascinating glimpse into a different millennium. The first front page transported readers back to January 1, 1900....

Unveiling the Miracle: The Splitting of the Red Sea

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 21, 2023 | Beshalach, Passover

The parting of the Red Sea, one of the most stunning and crucial incidents in the biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, stands tall in the narrative of freedom and belief. This miraculous happening bears deep meaning. This article seeks to explore...

The Portion of Pekudei (Exodus 38:21-40:38)

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | Pekudei, Temple

This week’s portion is often read together with the previous portion, Vayakhel. Besides the mathematical inevitability of some years having an extra Saturday, Jewish tradition prescribes a leap month be added seven times over a 19-year cycle so that Passover always...