Yom HaShoah: Reinstating the memory and names as a permanent remembrance
When someone we love passes away, we experience deep sorrow and grief. We miss that person’s presence and caring. We miss the support and all that we shared. Jewish mourning…
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Torah Sparks: Resurrection of the death?
This coming Shabbat, we have a dramatic haftarah reading from Ezekiel 37:1-14. The prophet shares the vision of dry bones coming to life. What does this vision have to do…
Pesach Seder: A very Jewish version of a symposium
The most well-known thing that Jewish people do during Passover is to gather together for a ceremonial festive meal called a seder. The main thing to understand about a seder…
Torah Sparks: Teach it to your children
An old saying teaches that we believe what we see, but the reverse is often true: we see what we believe. And what we believe is often coloured by the…
Torah Sparks: Shabbat haChodesh—Time is relevant
The spiritual cycle of the Jewish year depends on an interaction among the flow of holidays, the marking of Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) observance.…
Parashat Ki Tisa: Lights of Glory
At the conclusion of our parashah, Moshe descends from Mount Sinai with a new set of hewn tablets in hand. The Torah narrates, “Moses was not aware that the skin…
Purim: Apparel oft proclaims the man
In Hamlet, the character Polonius proclaims, “Apparel oft proclaims the man” – the only thing to add is that apparel no less proclaims the woman. Indeed, our clothing says a…
Parashat Terumah – Let them make me a sanctuary
At the beginning of our parashah we read the following request from God to Moses: “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts (t’rumah); you shall accept gifts for Me…
Parashat Mishpatim – For you were strangers in the land of Egypt
Last week’s parashah contained a magnificent description of the revelation at Mount Sinai. God revealed Godself and gave the Decalogue. The “Ten Commandments” represent the first laws of the mutual…
Parashat Yitro – Shabbat rest becomes a taste of the redemption
Our Torah portion includes the “10 commandments”. While most of us recall the commandments not to murder or to honour our parents, many forget one of the 10 statements is…