Deb is a past member of the executive committee of the North American Board of Women of Reform Judaism and a past president of Beth Am Women. She currently serves as a member of the board of directors at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA, and is a co-producer for the Silicon Valley section of the Jewish Plays Project. She is the managing partner of a trusts and estates law firm, and she and her husband, Jonathan, have two very active sons who consider their current home bases to be Berkeley, CA, and New York City, and a dog named Mitzi.
This parashah reminds us that each of us holds a Tabernacle inside us. Our interoceptive thoughts protect this holy vessel, like the Levites, keeping our most precious feelings safe and available to us when needed. Our exteroceptive thoughts, like the vast tribes of Israel, keep us rooted in our world, striving for a better future. We are not always organized or aware as we toil each day, so reminders to take a census of ourselves and reflect on our strengths, challenges, and opportunities are vital.