by Cindy Hurwitz | May 22, 2025 | Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom! This week in Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, we’re diving into the powerful connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. After 2,000 years of exile, what does it mean to truly come home? The Torah speaks of shmita, yovel, and commandments...
by Cindy Hurwitz | May 13, 2025 | Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom! This week in Parshat Emor, we encounter a challenging and thought-provoking command: priests with physical blemishes were not permitted to serve in the Temple. Why would the Torah—so often a voice for compassion and inclusion—seemingly exclude those...
by Cindy Hurwitz | May 8, 2025 | Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom! This week, we read the double portion of Acharei Mot–Kedoshim, exploring what it truly means to be holy—and why holiness is never a solo journey. Why does the Torah follow the tragic death of Aaron’s sons with the sacred rituals of Yom Kippur? And what...
by Cindy Hurwitz | Apr 30, 2025 | Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom! This week’s Torah portion, Parshat Tazria, opens with a surprising question: Why does a woman who gives birth need to bring a sin offering? What “sin” could possibly be connected to the most miraculous and joyful moment of life? Our sages offer...
by Katie Eacrett | Apr 28, 2025 | News from the Land
April 29, 2025 Sondra Oster Baras This week is a very special week in Israel, a week of Israel Remembrance. It actually began last Thursday with Holocaust Remembrance Day. With each passing year, there are fewer Holocaust survivors who are still with us. Most of...
