The westernmost member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Justice and Mercy
Parsha Bo drash by Stan Satz
Parasha Bo (Chapter 10 through the 16th verse of Chapter 13)
I was in graduate school at Kent State University in the iconoclastic early 1970’s. At that time, one of my non-Jewish English graduate… Continue reading
The Bones of Joseph
Vayehi Drash by Howard Streicher
The different themes to pursue in Parsha Vayehi (“And he lived”) give us the opportunity for integrating the past into the present. Yet, accepting the value of Torah without questioning the literal truth of… Continue reading
The Rest is Commentary
Vayera Drash by Alexander Fellman
וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק יְהוָה֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה
But Hashem hardened pharaoh’s heart.
There is a concept among Christians called the unforgivable sin, the sin that God will never allow repentance for. In most churches, it is the… Continue reading
The Blessings of Yaʻakov
Toldot Drash By Alexander Fellman
There’s a story I like. A Jew was found on a deserted island. He’d made quite a time of his prison there, building himself a house, a street, and two synagogues. “I go to that… Continue reading
Divine Justice & Free Will
Reʻeh Drash by Howard Streicher
Reʻeh, “see,” is the longest parsha with the most words in the book of words (Devarim) 7442 letters, 1932 Hebrew words.
To begin the parsha, God appears to offer a clear choice placing… Continue reading
Tzedek
Shoftim Drash By Marlene Booth & Avi Soifer
Marlene: The portion of the Torah I read today emphasizes the need to have two witnesses in a criminal case. No conviction can be based on the testimony of a single… Continue reading
Hear and Remember
ʻEkev Drash by Sandra Z. Armstrong
The great joy of Shabbat carries through every day until the time comes when we open up the Torah and the words flow through us. In ʻEkev, Moses stresses the importance of “remembering” to… Continue reading
Presidential Remarks
Annual Membership Meeting June 13, 2022
By Sandra Armstrong
Upon looking back on the minutes that Margie graciously wrote up from a year ago, our Jewish world has changed significantly. In May 2021, we were just discussing the move to… Continue reading
Memory, Forgetting, and Accuracy
Drash on Va’etchanan
by Alex Golub
There’s an old joke about a guy who is sent to prison. He’s terrified to be there and nervously, he sits down with some of the oldest convicts to try to blend in.… Continue reading
Irony and Role Reversal
Parsha Balak Drash
by Fran Margulies
Our word irony comes from ancient Greek theater device erroneia. A comic character was an eiron, a faker who pretended to be dumb but was really smart. At end of the play the… Continue reading
- Netanyahu vows more active role in Israel’s judiciary fight following a day of tense protestsNetanyahu's speech came soon after lawmakers passed a law that shields him being removed from office on court order. -- The post Netanyahu vows more active role in Israel’s judiciary fight following a day of tense protests appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
- New York protestors yell ‘shame’ at Israeli judicial reform architect Moshe Koppel"I don't sleep at night," Koppel said about the tensions roiled by the ideas he advanced, according to an audience member. -- The post New York protestors yell ‘shame’ at Israeli judicial reform architect Moshe Koppel appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.