Is Three a Magic Number? (Parshat Vayera)

Commentary on Parshat Vayera (Genesis 18:1 – 22:24) This edition of Torah from Truah is sponsored by Dale Gardner in memory of her sister Rhonda Kolarik. “Three is a magic number.” One can surely ascribe meaning to almost any number or any letter of the alphabet. But let’s consider the number three for a moment....
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The Exodus from Egypt Was Only the Beginning

As Emma Lazarus taught us, “until we are all free, we are none of us free.” Even once the Israelites left that narrow place, Egypt, they were still pursued by Pharaoh and his army. They eventually came to stand at the shore of the sea, at the crossroads of history; that is where we stand today. 
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Photo of the author, Rabbi Lana Zilberman Soloway

Bamidbar: Lispor and Lesaper

We have been counting the days since October 7, counting the unbearable number of lost lives, counting the number of hostages, counting the number of people who became refugees in their own land. We count and we count and we count. And we tell a story. Each and every one of us.
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Gala 2022

Give now! Give now! Prince George Ballroom, 15 East 27th Street, New York City ~ 6:45pmVirtual ~ 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT Jump to: Honorees Get Tickets / Join the Host CommitteeHost CommitteeHonoree AmbassadorsHost Committee Benefits Honorees Read more about our incredible honorees here. Heather BoothRaphael Lemkin Human Rights...
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Rabbi Soshana Brown

Vayigash: Can We Dream Bigger?

What I think is needed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories today is the will to break the chain of the blame-game. We need a new generation of dreamers — those who can imagine a future of peace and prosperity for both Palestinians and Israelis together.
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Every Person Counts? (Parshat Bamidbar)

Commentary on Parshat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20) Our Torah portion opens with the taking of another census of B’nai Yisrael – the Children of Israel – this time “listed by their clans, ages 20 years and up, all those in Israel who are able to bear arms…” (Num. 1:2) This is census number three since the...
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You, Too, Can Be An Angel

Y’tziyat Mitzraim, the Exodus from Egypt, stands as one of the defining stories of the Jewish people. It defines our identity, provides a moral mission and stands as the paradigm for the ultimate redemption. Scripture reminds us no less than thirty-two times of our status as slaves and strangers in Egypt. We know the affliction...
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Heart of a Stranger: The Jewish Historical Memory of Torture

You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt. -Ex. 23:9 You were strangers in the land of Egypt reminds us that we have experienced the great suffering that one in a foreign land feels. By remembering the pain which we...
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