What Can We Learn From Characters in Megillat Esther (A pre-Purim study led by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on March 4, 2023)   Today, Shabbat Zachor, is a reminder that Purim is just around the corner. The story of Purim is very well-known, as are the characters. It’s a fun tale befitting a whimsical holiday. […]

Striking the Egyptians: The Incomplete Redemption (delivered by Rabbi J.B. on January 21, 2023) Every year at the Passover seder everyone dips a finger in their cup of wine and spills one drop for each of the ten plagues. Why do we spill wine at the mentioning of plagues? Today the reason usually given is […]

Parashat Va’era: How We’ve Evolved Since The Exodus (delivered by Maayan Lev on January 20, 2023) This week’s parashah is Va’era. This Torah portion is one that many people know well, even if not by name, as it contains seven of the Ten Plagues, and is often depicted on screen in movies such as The […]

Parashat Vay’chi: The Problem of White Lies (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on January 6, 2023) For me, among the more amusing commercials running on television are those by GEICO. Do you know them? One series of ads began with the question, “Would switching to GEICO save you money on car insurance?” My favorite in […]

Parashat Vayeshev: The Bullies Among Us (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on December 16, 2022) Tears can be good or bad. The worst tears of all accompany a child’s death. In this week’s portion, Vayeshev, Jacob experiences such tears when his older sons bring him the blood-soaked “coat of many colors,” which Jacob personally made […]

Parashat Vayeitzei: The Torah Meets Greek Mythology (delivered by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on December 2, 2022) Chanukah will soon be upon us. It is the story of our victory against the Greeks. The story recounts that we successfully resisted the urges of assimilation, and retained our Jewish identity. To the Maccabees, Greek culture was […]

Parashat Vayera: The Trials And Tribulations Of Sarah (Torah Study delivered by Maayan Lev on November 5, 2022)   “Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together, today.” These are the words of one of my favorite clergy members in history, albeit a fictional one, from the movie The Princess Bride. In all seriousness though, this […]

Parashat Lech L’cha: Lot’s Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on November 4, 2022) I remember the thrill of seeing Porgy and Bess for the first time. It was a 1935 English-language tragic opera by George Gershwin.[1] It features a cast of classically trained African-American singers, a daring artistic choice at the […]

Parashat B’reishit: The Story of Cain (Torah Study led by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on October 22, 2022)  This week’s Torah portion is Bereshit (Genesis), which is best known for the days of creation, and also for the Garden of Eden. But there is another well-known story in this week’s parashah, and that is the […]

Shabbat Breishit: Mistakes–A Gift From G!d? (Delivered by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on October 21, 2022) We’ve made it. The High Holy Day season is over, and we are now returning to our regularly scheduled programming. This week, we have scrolled the Torah back to the beginning, and start over with the story of Genesis, […]