In 2012, the year before WRJ celebrated our 100^th anniversary, my mitzvah participation while a member of the WRJ Executive Committee was to write 12 D’vrei Torah all of which had the theme, “Women’s Voices Deepen Our Jewish Legacy.” One that I wrote for our..

The setting is in the land of Shechem in Canaan, where Jacob and his family are staying after their brief reconciliation with his brother Esau. Usually, I would begin by summarizing the story but we run into problems right from the second sentence:

“Now..

In this week’s Torah portion Jacob is fleeing from his brother and is on his way to Haran when he stops at a “certain place” (Genesis 28:11). He settles in for the night, uses a stone as a pillow, and has a dream.

The story of Rebekah can be a great cautionary tale of how not to be a “good Jewish mother.” You know the stereotype: an anxious mother who fawns over her children and then uses guilt to get her children to make the choices she wants them to make.

Like that

Although this parashah means “Life of Sarah,” we learn instead about her death at age 127 and Abraham’s purchase of a burial place for his beloved wife.

The first several paragraphs of Vayeira (Genesis 18:1 – 18.16) recount the story of the visit by God, in the form of 3 strangers, to inform Abraham that his wife, Sarah, at the advanced age of 90, will bear a son.  It is apparent from the text that these...

I first heard Debbie Friedman’s music in 1976 at an Ohio summer camp. Twenty years later I heard “L’chi Lach”, a song Debbie Friedman and feminist biblical scholar Savina Teuba wrote based on this week’s parashah, Lecha L’cha (“go forth”).  Friedman’s text...

When most people think of this week’s Torah portion, Noach, they think of the flood, the ark, and the animals. When I think of Noach, I think of cross stitch, Canada, and connection.

Time flies – that’s the bad news – the good news is we are the pilots. This is especially true during the High Holy Days and the fall festivals; another New Year is beginning. Where did the last year go? It went fast.