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Parashat Pinchas: Between Destruction and Hope - A Shabbat of Memory and Light
The Hebrew calendar, during these days, is steeped in mourning. We have entered the period known as Bein HaMetzarim—the "Three Weeks" of...
12 hours ago


Parashat Korach: When the Ground Opens Up - Korach and the Cracks in Our Collective Soul
Who is Korach? Every year, I ask myself this question as we reach this parashah. Who is Korach today? In what places, in what speeches,...
Jul 11


Parashat Korach: When the Ground Opens Up - Korach and the Cracks in Our Collective Soul
Who is Korach? Every year, I ask myself this question as we reach this parashah. Who is Korach today? In what places, in what speeches,...
Jun 27


Parashat Shlach Lecha: The Perspective That Shapes Destiny
This week we read how ten spies—“explorers,” some translate—returned from the Promised Land in fear, while two—Joshua and Caleb—saw...
Jun 20


Parashat Behaalotcha: Our Unique Trumpet Call
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Make two silver trumpets, hammered out of beaten metal. They shall serve you to summon the congregation...
Jun 13


Parashat Naso: Community, Prayer, and Responsibility
Naso is the longest parashah in the Torah. Its thematic richness is striking. At first glance, it appears to be a scattered mosaic of...
Jun 6


Parashat Bemidvar: And Yet Accounted For
“Bemidbar,” in the desert, is the Hebrew name of the fourth book of the Torah, which we begin reading today, just a day before the...
May 30


Parashat Behar - Bechukotai: Social consciousness as a path to peace
This week, we read a double Torah portion: Behar – Bechukotai. The text confronts us with laws that, at first glance, seem outdated or...
May 23


Parashat Emor: No empty rituals disconnected from social engagement
Today, let’s begin at the end. וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽת־מֹעֲדֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל “Moses spoke of the appointed times of...
May 16


Parashat Acharei Mot - Kedoshim: Living Up to Our So-Called Privileges
If there’s a concept often misunderstood, both in the reading of the Torah and even among those who consider themselves traditional...
May 10


Parashat Tazria - Metzora: From Sorrow to Hope
This past April was perhaps the most intense month I can remember in recent years. I feel the need to share this reflection with you,...
May 2


Parashat Shemini: The Value of Silence
This week we read Parshat Shemini, a portion that, as its name suggests, speaks of the “eighth day” — that inaugural day when the people...
Apr 25


Parashat Chol Hamoed Pesach: The Singing of Freedom
This Friday, at nightfall, we begin the seventh day of Pesach. According to our tradition, it was on this day that the sea split, and...
Apr 18


Parashat Tzav - Shabbat HaGadol: What Kind of Freedom Are We Celebrating?
This Shabbat we are about to begin is another special one. Not only do we read Parshat Tzav, but since it is the Shabbat before Pesach,...
Apr 11


Parashat Vayikra: A Call to Action
Vayikra — “And He called.” It’s not just the beginning of a new book of the Torah — it’s also a personal invitation. Not a command, not...
Apr 4


President's Message | April 2025
A reminder that the offices of Temple Beth El will be housed at Sitrin for the months of April, May and June. Shabbat services and...
Mar 28


We Can Dance Again
It has been over 500 days of learning that the world is not as safe as it once seemed, that many of those who appeared to be close to us...
Mar 28


Parashat Pekudei: The Crisis of Trust in Leadership
The crisis of trust in leadership during times of distress is a recurring theme in Jewish history. Today, as trust erodes and the sense...
Mar 28


Parashat Vayakhel: Gather to Make Our Lives Better
This week's parashah is Parashat Vayakhel: And He Gathered. Moses calls upon the entire people to come together, to be united. The last...
Mar 21


Parashat Ki Tisa / Purim: Time for Sorrow, Time for Joy
Today was Ta’anit Esther, the fast that precedes Purim. It is a good time to reflect on the meaning of Megillat Esther, its place in the...
Mar 14
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