A Time to Grieve

Sep 5, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Ki Tetzei

As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold and war is waged against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), we turn our soul’s attention to Parashat Ki Tetzei.

Patriarchs and Matriarchs

Nov 8, 2003 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Lekh Lekha

The central prayer of Jewish prayers, the Amidah, begins by identifying to whom one is praying: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. This identification serves not only to say who God is, but also to specify who the Jews are: the descendants of those patriarchs. At the same time, the Jews are also descendants of the matriarchs, and here’s the rub: though God’s promises are recorded in the Torah as given to the men, they would not have been achieved without the women.

Transformative Women

Jan 16, 2012 By Daniel Nevins | Commentary | Vayeshev

Male characters and voices dominate biblical literature, yet the near-absence of female characters is particularly striking in Parashat Va-yeishev. Here is the story of Jacob (his wives don’t appear) and his 12 sons (his daughter doesn’t appear) exploring the world of men—in the field, on the road, in the city, and in prison. These narratives are rough and even violent, and this tone carries over to the two stories in which women do appear: Judah’s coarse treatment of Tamar and Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s unnamed wife, who physically accosts him.

And the Gates Opened: Women in the Rabbinate

Oct 5, 2012 By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Documentary

“And the Gates Opened” investigates the legacy that women are creating for Jewish religious and lay leaders. This program explores the rich history behind the move to ordain women and the current status of female religious leaders.

Biblical Waterboarding

May 29, 2015 By Raysh Weiss | Commentary | Naso

A representation of the sotah (suspected adulteress) ritual from this week’s parashah (Num. 5:11–31).

Deeper Than the Skin

Apr 24, 2015 By Yitzhak Lewis | Commentary | Metzora | Tazria

Your body is a map of roads
To be taken,
And not taken
Alone.

Your skin enfolds what
Your eyes shut behind them,

All your past is bored into it
Every day with the awl of time.

A Tale Of Two Queens

Feb 26, 2015 By Anne Lapidus Lerner | Short Video | Purim

Head Covering: An Interreligious Discussion

Mar 11, 2012

Kippot, Hijaabs, Sheitels, and other head coverings. What do different religious head coverings symbolize, how are they all similar, and how are they different?