Long before Abraham hears God’s call to Lech L’cha—go forth—our sages imagine a young Abraham asking a dangerous question: What…
Two Minutes of Torah
When I meet with B’nai Mitzvah students, I encourage them to read Torah alongside other ancient stories. I ask: “Who…
Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benveniste, Director of HUC’s Israel Rabbinic Program, reads this week’s parsha, entirely changed by October 7, 2023. How…
Real Simcha As we arrive at Simchat Torah—the celebration of rejoicing with the Torah—and the official end of the High…
My favorite verse in the entire Tanakh is Ecclesiastes 9:11: “I have further observed under the sun that the race…
In the 1960’s and 70’s (depending on which version you like) and for generations after, music listeners around the globe have enjoyed…
Parashat Ki Teitzei begins with a passage that might (should?) trouble us. The Torah imagines an Israelite soldier who sees…
Of all the memorable verses in the Torah, this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shoftim, contains one of the most well-known…
Concerns about demagogues, celebrity, and the shallow pursuit of notoriety seem to be modern concerns. But the attractions of charisma…