Torah

Shabbat Aliyah: Israeli communities that make aliyah possible come together to honor new olim

As 42 congregations across Israel celebrate Shabbat Aliyah, they honor both the journeys that brought olim here and the communal spirit those immigrants bring with them.

FRENCH OLIM arrive in July.
AVRAHAM’S WILLINGNESS to stand alone would become a defining feature of our nation.

Parashat Lech Lecha: Having the courage to stand alone

LIFE’S TRIALS themselves are the light that a person must follow.

Parashat Lech Lecha: There is no wisdom like that gained through experience

A fragment of a Jewish Torah scroll stolen by Nazis during the Holocaust, formerly on sale by Valkyrie Historical Auctions.

Norwegian auction house withdraws sale of SS-looted Torah fragment following Israeli outcry


Beyond the Headlines: Have you heard Elkana Levi’s speech? - opinion

Elkana did not gloss over the pain or the difficulty. He spoke about friends who had been killed, and about his darkest moments.

Elkana Levi giving a speech on gratitude.

Before the High Holidays, the Jewish people must look inward - opinion

With Yom Kippur fast approaching, now is the time for Jews to look inward and ask how one can do better to support one's own nation and peoplehood.

‘MESIRUT NEFESH’: Willingness to give up comfort, time, money, and personal interests for a greater value.

How a Connecticut Torah scroll traveled 50 years, and thousands of miles, to make aliyah - opinion

A closing Connecticut synagogue, a chance Facebook connection, and a retired rabbi helped a Torah scroll dedicated to a young boy complete its journey to Jerusalem.

The sefer torah.

Parashat Re'eh: The tyranny of ‘one’ truth

An age of prophecy should have been an age of clarity. If God spoke directly to humanity, the path forward ought to have been unmistakable.

It takes courage to reject someone who has demonstrated extraordinary gifts.

Parashat Re'eh: The choice to choose

Even those who observe Jewish tradition have areas of choice that they have already conquered, while their struggles lie elsewhere, each person according to their own level and circumstances.

A person is obligated to identify where their own 'point of choice' lies.

Beyond the Headlines: What did you take home from Israel? - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

Rabbi Mark Wildes with the scribe at the Nova site.

Parashat Eikev: With respect for the past

Moses shattered the Tablets, yet their fragments were preserved beside the new ones. Their message endures, what appears broken can still carry holiness, meaning, and strength.

 Moses is seen breaking the Tablets after coming down from Mount Sinai.

Parashat Eikev: The things we step on

Parshat Eikev teaches that the greatest threats to our values begin not with rejecting them, but with neglecting the small practices that keep them alive.

REMBRANDT'S MOSES with the Ten Commandments

Twelve Torah scrolls stolen in targeted antisemitic break-in at synagogue near Paris

"It was with shock and anger that I learned this morning that the Jewish community of Levallois had been struck at what is most sacred and precious to it," said Levallois Mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas.

Synagogue ACCIL.

On Shabbat Nachamu, Isaiah reminds us that human power is just an illusion

Isaiah declares, “Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as the dust on the scales... All the nations are as nothing before Him” (Isaiah 40:15,17).

Every generation has its super powers.