This week’s Torah portion describes Joseph’s encounter with his brothers in Egypt. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers who were jealous of his relationship with his father. In Egypt, while still captive, Joseph interpreted one of Pharaoh’s dreams about an upcoming famine. So impressed was Pharaoh...
This Shabbat, as the civil year 2020 comes to a close, we would all like to thank and salute our synagogue president, Mr. Kamran Nickfardjam, as this Shabbat is his concluding Shabbat as president. Mr. Nickfardjam, a gentle and worthy soul, has been leading our syangogue with exemplary humility, gentility...
Judaism came to the world in an age in which hereditary privilege was the way of the world. Princes were poised to inherit their fathers’ monarchical status and become kings, and slaves were doomed to remain subjugated and enslaved for perpetuity. In the Torah, as Nietzsche observes in his book...
The name of our Torah portion is “Vayeshev”, which means: “And he settled down” (התיישב). Jacob settles down in Israel after many decades of living abroad. Jacob achieved many things in his life. He spent years working on his spiritual growth, and became a great Torah scholar. Jacob also went...
Jacob loses his beloved wife Rachel in this week’s Torah portion. Rachel died young, while giving birth to her second son Benyamin. Jacob is surely devastated. Jacob’s life was replete with tragedy. He had to leave his parental home, and run for his life. He was exploited and manipulated in...
by Leon Hasson and Marie Altchech We observed the Jewish New Year when we reflected upon our misdeeds during the previous year and resolved to make ourselves better people by incorporating into our lives a few basic tenets of Judaism. It was a time for introspection. The universal story of...
We start our morning prayers every single day of the year with the same word. That word is “Hodoo”. “Hodoo” is Hebrew for “Give thanks”. “Hodoo” is also Hebrew for “Turkey”, and “Hodoo” is also Hebrew for “India”. Christopher Columbus meant to travel to India (“Hodoo”), and because his...
Abraham is a living legend in his own lifetime. He is revered by his contemporaries, who address him as a “Prince of G-d in our midst.” Abraham, with true spiritual humility, describes himself to the local people as “A stranger and a resident amongst you.” This statement made by Abraham...
The Torah states that “God blessed Abraham with everything.” One way to understand this statement, is that Abraham lead a multifaceted existence, in which he experienced all the highs and lows of the human condition. On the one hand, Abraham is admired by his contemporaries as a veritable living legend....
Rabbi David Hartman Z”L, was an important figure in the world of Jewish studies. In his youth, Rabbi Hartman was a student of the great Torah giant, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik of blessed memory. When David Hartman was a young student, Rabbi Soloveitchik strongly encouraged Hartman to pursue a master’s degree...
