Power, Persecution and Preservation

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 5, 2023 | Bible Study, Purim

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Let me tell you a story. A Jewish man is taken in captivity to a foreign land where he rises to power. Through deep insight, wisdom, and personal devotion to God, he comes to the aid of the foreign government. Eventually, the very same ruling...

Judah or Joseph: Will the Real Hero Please Stand Up

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 30, 2022 | Bible Study

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I love kitsch spaghetti westerns. While I can finish an entire bucket of popcorn in the first half of the movie, my favorite part is the showdown: the classic face-to-face shootout that pits two men against each other. But the other day, I...

Which Biblical Figure is Similar to Joseph?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2022 | Covenant, Hebrew Language, Mikeitz, Redemption, Tests and Trials

It is time for a Bible quiz. QUESTION: Who began life as the son of slaves and rose to live in Pharoah’s house? ANSWER: Everyone knows that is Moses. QUESTION: Who tricked his twin and got his father’s blessing? ANSWER: Everyone knows that was Jacob. Who was known for...

Dispel Darkness with Light and Love

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 21, 2022 | Chanukah, Covenant, Faith, Mikeitz, Mourning

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Many scholars place Joseph’s descent to Egypt at around 1500 BCE. The Maccabees dedicated the Temple in year 165 BCE. These two events were separated by more than one thousand years and seem entirely disconnected, but the Torah portion that...

How do You Interpret the Return to Zion?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 14, 2022 | Bible Study

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Western culture does not value dreams enough. I am not referring to hopes and ambitions which are plans we make when we are awake. They are dominated by reason and logic. Hopes and ambitions are lightly sprinkled with fairy dust, but the...