Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Ellen Frankel (Author of “The Five Books of Miriam”) askes the following, thought-provoking question: “Why doesn’t Joseph tell his dreams to the women of the family? Why does he tell his two dreams – of his brothers’ sheaves bowing down…
It’s our right to light : This Hanukkah, No Discrimination of Women at the Kotel On November 30, 2015 the Attorney General’s office wrote a letter to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, administrator of the Western Wall and Holy Places, in response…
In parshat Vayishlach Jacob’s name is changed to Israel, not once but twice. The first time, in 32:29, Jacob is named by a “man” after spending all night wrestling with him. In 35:10 Jacob receives the name Israel directly from…
Last Sunday I was invited to attend the SAJBD conference and subsequent Gala Dinner of the SAJBD 48th Biennial National Conference, titled “Gathering Voices – Combatting global racism and anti-Semitism”. Guest speakers included President Jacob Zuma, Ambassador Ronald Lauder and…
A joke is told about the New York man driving around desperately seeking a parking place. He can’t find one, and so in desperation, he says, “Oh God I pray that you give me a parking space, if you give…
On Tuesday morning I attended with several of our ITJ students an “Exclusive Women’s Breakfast” organised by Sharon Wapnick, WIZO. Dr Einat Wilf, the invited guest speaker, led a discussion on “Is there a place for feminism in the Middle…
This week’s Torah portion begins with the phrase, V’eileh toldot Yitzchak ben Avraham, “This is the line of Isaac son of Abraham” (Genesis 25:19), indicating that the text is now going to focus on Isaac, the second of the Patriarchs…
Last Tuesday I was invited to Radio Today to take part in a discussion about “Charter of Compassion” with Gillian Godsell and Archdeacon Michelle Pilet from the Anglican Church in Parkhurst. Conversation that inspired more about this subject, and I discovered…
There so many subjects that I could write about this week: 20 years since Itzhak Rabin was murdered, America’s main modern Orthodox rabbinical association voted last week to ban women clergy, the mitzvah day in the end of the month, the projects…
Have you noticed how “matriarchal” Genesis is? It is true that the “founders” of Judaism are the three patriarchs – three men – but it was their mothers and not their fathers who determined who carried the mantle. Abraham had…