“And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had previously exacted an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will be sure to take notice of you and when this comes to be, you pledge to carry up my bones from here with you to the Holy...

What inspires you? How are you empowered? The Torah portion Beshalach teaches us about the importance of faith, patience and action. We read about the importance of keeping our word and the importance of singing and dancing. There are moments we find...

Moses relates the commandments the Israelites must fulfill on the fateful eve of Passover in Egypt in our parsha this week, Bo. Can you imagine their fear and trepidation? This includes the consumption of the paschal lamb. Moses is then told to give...

Before Exodus 2:24-25 (G*d heard their cry. . .and G*d saw"), there is little mention of G*d in the first few chapters of the Book of Exodus. G*d was not personally involved (hashgacha pratit in Hebrew) with Israel, as it were, but allowed events...

Each year, as we prepare to read the final Torah portion in the book of Genesis, Parashat Vayechi, I am struck again by the opening verse of the portion: “And Jacob lived 17 years in the land of Egypt so that the total span of Jacob’s lifetime...

Are Jews strong or weak, powerful or oppressed? The answer, of course, is, yes. Israel, the Jewish state, is a nuclear power and, although small, has the strongest military in the Middle East.  And in so many ways, Jews are a strong, proud presence...

Our Torah portion this week, Parashat Miketz, focuses on Joseph’s rise to power and what transpires when he encounters his brothers after a lengthy hiatus. My focus has always been on the “what goes around, comes around” aspect of the story....

“Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age. Thus he had made for him an ornamented, multicolored tunic.”  (Genesis 37:3) I have to admit that I have always been intrigued by Joseph’s famous coat...

“And the twins struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD answered her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two separate peoples shall issue forth from your body. One people shall...

This week’s portion, Vayera, ends with the Akedah (“the binding”), one of the most difficult and challenging narratives in the entire Bible. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. God decides to put Abraham to the test and tells Abraham...

One of the great privileges I have as a congregational rabbi is meeting with thoughtful, earnest adults who are interested in joining the Jewish People. They almost always come to our meetings armed with the many books they have already devoured and...