The Conflict in Sudan: A Jewish-American Perspective (delivered by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on May 5, 2023) I want to tell a story that should be very familiar to all of us as Jews. There was once a brutally oppressive regime, whose capital city sat on the banks of the Nile River. This country contained […]
Eighth-day Pesach: The Tale of The Four Mourning Children (Yizkor d’var Torah delivered by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on April 13, 2023) Remembrance. We’re all here today to remember. In Judaism, we have an obligation to remember. The Haggadah teaches that in every generation, we’re all obligated to see ourselves as though we had personally […]
Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach: Freedom–Use It Or Lose It (A d’var Torah delivered by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on April 8, 2023) On this third day of Pesach,we continue to celebrate how we went ,מִעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת from slavery to freedom. As we read in the Haggadah on seder night from Deuteronomy 26: וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם […]
Parashat Vayakhel-P’kudei: What Makes a Sanctuary? (A Torah discussion led by Maayan Lev on 3/18/2023) [NOTE: For our discussion this past Shabbat, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to have a town hall of sorts. I wanted to really ask the congregation how they felt about things. It was important to hear from […]
Parashat Vayakhel-P’kudei: What Kind of Giver Are You? (D’var Torah delivered by Maayan Lev on 3/17/2023) This week, as the book of Exodus comes to a close, we not only have a double parashah, Vayakel-Pekudei, but it’s also Shabbat HaChodesh, which I’ll mention again tomorrow. As you can see, there’s a lot going on this […]
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. […]
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 […]
Hanukkah and Assimiliation: Ba-yamim Ha-em U-vaz’man Ha-ze (a discussion led by Maayan Lev on December 17, 2022) This week’s parashah is Vayeshev, which begins the story of Joseph. But on top of what’s happening in the Torah this Shabbat, it’s also Hanukkah tomorrow night. So what do these two narratives have in common? In both […]
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 […]