Resources

Net Neutrality: The Torah of the Donkey
In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Balak, we read the story of the mighty Moabite king Balak, who wants to hire the prophet Bil’am to curse the children of Israel. Balak places increasing pressure upon Bil’am, first through Moabite and Midianite elders, and then through elite princes. Both times Balak sends esteemed men, but God...
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The Grand Evening
A d’var Torah for Shavuot 5774 “Moses led the people out of the camp towards God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.” (Ex. 19:17) This is the essence and promise of Shavuot: that we as a people can walk towards God, take our places, and stand together as one nation,...
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Three Plagues
This week’s Torah portion is Parshat Bo. The portion tells the stories of the last three plagues suffered by the Egyptians—locusts, darkness and the killing of the firstborn. During the Pesach seder, we remove drops of wine from our cups to remember the suffering of the Egyptians. During morning worship on Pesach, we recite Hallel,...
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2013 Rabbinic Letter on Bedouin Rights
In 2013, nearly 800 rabbis, cantors, and rabbinical and cantorial students signed this letter, which was delivered to the Israeli government. As spiritual and Jewish community leaders who care deeply about the State of Israel, we write to you in solidarity with concerned Jewish and Arab Israelis to urge you to withdraw the Bill on...
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Fighting Modern-Day Slavery: A Handbook for Jewish Communities
T’ruah’s resources on trafficking are collected in Fighting Modern-Day Slavery: A Handbook for Jewish Communities. This handbook will help Jewish communities across North America fight trafficking on a local level. It includes background information sermon ideas text studies a children’s program ways to take action a poster to photocopy and hang in institutional restrooms further resources...
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Power and Transformation
The intersection of Parshat Miketz and Hanukah invites us to reflect on two different ways in which transformational impact can be effected, and the importance of understanding the nuances of each. We see two drastically different models of power and change in these stories. In Miketz, Joseph—an Israelite foreigner in Egypt who, by happenstance, is granted an...
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A Tale of Two Brothers
The reunion was to take place the next morning. Each of the brothers, alone within his own encampment, struggled with his own fears – and his own memories. Esau, the older, was sure that his younger brother would be up to his old tricks. He remembered how he had done everything his father had asked...
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Jacob the Immigrant
On October 5, supporters of immigration reform staged rallies in cities across the United States to advocate for a comprehensive overhaul of a system that routinely disregards basic dignity and respect. After Shabbat services that week, some congregants and I attended the New York-area rally on Cadman Plaza, just steps from our shul. When we...
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Food From Above
”Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go past your servant” (Genesis 18:2-3). When I was 17 I learned about...
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