Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Have you ever been sitting in a synagogue service, singing along mindlessly, only to suddenly trip over a word in translation and think, “wait, what exactly did I just say?”  The words of the Purim piyyut “Shoshanat Yaakov,” are traditionally sung immediately following the reading of the megillah.  Read more...

What is it that we celebrate, when we celebrate Presidents Day? As a kid, I was taught that George Washington was some sort of moral paragon. When he chopped down the cherry tree, he refused to lie about it. After he had served his term as President, he went home to his farm. He had no desire to be a president for life, and this solidified the country on the path of democracy. There would be no lifetime rulers in the United States, as opposed to in Europe where kings and queens reigned.   Read more...

On a family vacation to Hawaii, I joined my twins, Shira and Jacob, snorkeling by a coral reef. Beautiful coral undulated like ocean flowers, with buzzing bees replaced by fish of astonishing colors and variety. Putting my ears under water, I could hear the clicking of the coral, a sound imperceptible if you don't actively attend for it, but once it becomes the subject of your focus, almost deafening. Read more...

When I teach the Exodus story to AJU’s Miller Introduction to Judaism students, I share that it is one of the greatest gifts that the Jewish people has given to the world. This story, which we will begin reading this shabbat, is the moment where we stake claim to a God who sides with justice over power, where lowly slaves are seen as God’s beloved children, where tyrants and dictators are brought crashing down, and where we’re taught that those who are brought down by degradation will be carried on eagles’ wings to a place of dignity. Read more...

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