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Post-Election Message from Rabbi Jill Jacobs
April 10, 2019 Dear Friend, How do we maintain hope in times of uncertainty, or even despair? One midrash (rabbinic expansion) offers a surprising suggestion about how Moses inspired the Israelites toward freedom: “Moses would bring the Book of Job and show it to the elders of Israel enslaved in Egypt so that they would...
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Letters from the U.S.-Mexico Border
T’ruah, together with our friends from HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees, has brought over 100 rabbis and cantors to the United States-Mexico border to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis there. Standing amid so much suffering and injustice was difficult, but we were heartened to meet many heroic activists working to help...
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A Flood of Unsafe Water
On August 31st, 2005, I sat waiting for a connection in Brussels, coming back from a summer studying in Israel. I was about to begin rabbinical school in just a few weeks. TVs streamed footage of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; it was the first I knew of it, having been cut off from most...
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The Beginnings of Gender Justice (Parshat Ki Tetze)
Commentary on Parshat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19) Laws concerning women’s sexual misconduct are grim testimonies to women’s experiences in cultures where the lion’s share of power and privilege goes to men. But before we can know what to do with these laws, we must clarify what they say and to whom they apply....
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Pinchas: If the Law Is Wrong, Change It
The daughters of Zelophehad had previously been disenfranchised by the system but were able to advocate for themselves and not only did God heed their request, God changed the law entirely. We must act as the daughters of Zelophehad and reconcile the injustices we find.
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![Headshot of the author, Rabbi Jill Borodin](https://truah.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rabbi-Jill-Borodin.jpg)
Vayikra: A Model for Transparent Leadership
I yearn to live in a generation where everyone, including our leaders, recognizes that leaders sin; where our leaders admit their mistakes, are held accountable, and where they actively make amends.
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![Rabbi Laurie Franklin](https://truah.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/LF-Portrait-Sizer.jpg)
Mishpatim: Mishpatim in Montana
Mishpatim teaches that formal justice must be free of influence from bribes or wealth status, and that even the stranger deserves protection. In my home state of Montana, regressive laws recently passed in our 2023 state legislature have revoked rights and freedoms from Montana residents under the guise of “protection” and “freedom of speech."
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Emor: Sacred Times: A Moment to Reflect on AAPI Allyship
This month, we have overlapping “sacred times”: the counting of the Omer and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
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Argue for the Sake of Holiness
Rabbi Sharyn Henry reflects on what it means to argue for the sake of heaven in Parshat Korach.
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