Proud children of Zelphehad’s daughters
See it again, my sermon from last Shabbat on why Progressive/Reform Judaism is AUTHENTIC Judaism.
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Category Torah
Created in the image of God
Today, Friday (22 May/28 Iyyar) we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, one of several Jewish holidays commemorating events of war in the modern State of Israel. This one recalls Israel’s regaining of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in…
Shavuot 2020 @ Bet David
Together with the learners of our Cheder, we will open the Shavuot Festival with a joyful Service Thursday evening at 18h30. Please join in and support our cheder learners. Prof. Steven Friedman opens our night of learning with a Shiur…
What in God’s Name is God’s Name?
This is one of the more profound theological questions. To be able to name something or someone is to have a specific relationship to it or them, even a form of control. One can call out not just “Hey, You!”…
Shemot: A story, which can challenge our assumptions
At the beginning of 2011, while protests were happening in Egypt against the regime of Hosni Mubarak, a joke did the rounds, which claimed that the Jews had warned the Egyptians that they would refuse to rebuild the pyramids if…
Have no fear – be Strong!
The Torah portion Va’yechi is the concluding parasha of the first book of Torah, B’reishit. It ends the narrative of the founding mothers and fathers of our folk and faith, and also concludes the complex and compelling story of Joseph.…
Heaven and earth touched each other
This week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei, describes the first part of the journey of the biblical Jacob. Fleeing the wrath of his brother, whose birthright he purchased and whose blessing he stole, Jacob is “heading for the exits (Vayetzei).” As the now iconic…
Toledot: It is about seeing—and not seeing.
Our parasha reports how Isaac was tricked by Jacob, taking advantage of his father‘s blindness, into giving him the blessing of the firstborn. But was Isaac really blind? Was he really not able to notice that it was Jacob and…
Knowing that We Are Blessed
As Abraham reached the twilight of his years, our Torah portion informs us that “the Eternal had blessed Abraham in every way” (Genesis 24:1). The Rabbis were perplexed by such an assertion. No surprise! Do you know anyone on earth…
Keeping Shabbat the Progressive Way
Once a year, usually mid-November, a special Shabbat is announced. The so called Shabbat Project should inspire Jews around the globe to keep Shabbat. But what does it mean “to keep Shabbat“? Technically, the laws of Shabbat can seem draconian.…