The Power of Symbols

Last updated on: June 17, 2021 at 8:25 am By Hebrew College

By Rabbi Brian Besser This d’var is dedicated to Brian’s father, Avraham Gutman ben Hayyim ve-Tzipporah, z”l. May his memory be a blessing. Parashat Chukat (Numbers 19:1–22:1) One of the flash points in the national conversation on racism concerns the power of symbols to foment violence. Monuments to the Confederacy, which may have once fostered facile pride and solidarity, and still do for some, are now generally regarded as invidious. When the South Carolina governor removed the Confederate flag from state grounds,... Read more

Playing with Fire

Last updated on: June 8, 2021 at 11:15 am By Hebrew College

Parashat Korach (Numbers 16:1–18:32) By Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg | June 8, 2021 In the year 2021, the story of Korah’s rebellion—a narrative that composes most of this week’s parashah—hits a bit too close to home. It is a tale of populist rebellion against those sitting in authority, a story that ends with graphic violence and national calamity. Though the Torah’s telling of the event is ambiguous, this much is clear: several named figures—including Korah, Dasan, and Aviram—attempt a coup against the political leadership... Read more

Reflecting on our Journey

Last updated on: June 3, 2021 at 1:18 pm By Hebrew College

Parasha Shlach (Numbers 13:1–15:41) By Rabbi Daniel Klein | Jun 02, 2021 The section of the Torah we are in now offers a fairly grim portrayal of the religious journey. It depicts a people incapable of consistently living responsively to the Divine encounter. Again and again, both at the foot of Sinai and as they journey into the wilderness, the People of Israel stray from God and from the path of holiness that they have been invited into. In fact, in this... Read more

Relighting Our Lives this Summer

Last updated on: May 26, 2021 at 3:19 pm By Hebrew College

Parashat Biha’alotcha (Numbers 8:1–12:16) By Rabbi Daniel Klein | May 25, 2021 As a teenager, I was very blessed that I more or less enjoyed school and my school-year activities. But, like many kids, summer camp was the core of my life. It felt like 10 months of the year were lived in black and white, and then I arrived at Camp Yavneh, and life sprang into color. The summer, for many of us, is the great destination up ahead on the... Read more

Serving God With and Without WiFi

Last updated on: May 19, 2021 at 1:39 pm By Hebrew College

Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21−7:89) By Rabbi Avi Killip | May 14, 2021 What holy work can be done through the use of technology, and what must be done in person or by hand? This is the question being asked today in every prayer community. These questions can feel mundane and perhaps even trivial. We want to focus our energy on creating powerful, emotional moments of prayer and connection. The logistical questions feel like they drag us down. But they are not... Read more

Finding our way in the desert of uncertainty

Last updated on: May 12, 2021 at 1:27 pm By Hebrew College

Parshat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1–4:20) By Tyler Dratch | May 10, 2021 We are approaching the holiday of Shavuot, yet another Jewish festival in which we work hard to find our way, amongst the limits of our current world. So much of Jewish life these last many months has felt like wandering in a desert. We wish to journey forward, but there is no road showing us the correct way. We move in one direction, and then, with new health data or technical difficulties,... Read more

The Perils of Abundance

Last updated on: May 3, 2021 at 4:05 pm By Hebrew College

Behar-Bechukotai (Leviticus 25:1–27:34) By Matthew Schultz | May 03, 2021 The second verse of the Shema comes from the book of Deuteronomy. Recited twice daily by Jews around the world, it consists of two “if/then” propositions: If you follow God’s commandments, then you will be rewarded with ample rains and the bounty of the land. If you stray, then the land will falter, and you will be exiled from it. This, at least, is the traditional understanding of the text. There... Read more

Lag BaOmer: Starting Over Yet Again

Last updated on: April 29, 2021 at 9:17 am By Hebrew College

Lag BaOmer By Rabbi Ebn Leader April 28, 2021 On Thursday night (April 29) we will count and celebrate the 33rd day of the Omer. The Omer has a consistent rhythm to it—count seven days seven times, one after another, and they will lead you to the climax of the 50th day, standing at the foot of Mount Sinai. Marking the 33rd day feels like a strange break in that rhythm. It is not on the beat of seven, nor is... Read more

Rekindling the Flame

Last updated on: April 29, 2021 at 9:16 am By Hebrew College

Emor (Leviticus 21:1–24:23) By Joshua Jacobson | April 28, 2021 In this week’s Torah portion of Emor we find the second reference to what many people think of as a sacred object called in Hebrew ner tamid, often translated into English as “eternal light.” When Jews hear these two words, we often think of the lamp—often a decorative lamp—by the same name hanging by the eastern wall in synagogue sanctuaries throughout the world. This light is perpetually lit, symbolizing God’s eternal presence. But that is... Read more

Rebuilding toward Holiness

Last updated on: April 21, 2021 at 11:45 am By Hebrew College

Acharei-Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1–20:27) By Naomi Gurt Lind | April 21, 2021 What do we do when calamity has struck? Where do we go next? For us as individuals, and for society as a whole, these are not idle questions. The past year has wrought personal, communal, and national tragedy such as many of us have not seen in our lifetimes, such as none of us hope ever to see again. While the pandemic raged, injustices long simmering just below the surface... Read more