Reform Judaism

1. Vayikra: Restoring the Fires of Israel

   ARZA’s Torah commentary explores connections in the weekly Torah portion to the Land of Israel through the lens of tradition and in our own day. Readers are absolutely encouraged to share this material for weekly Torah classes, conversations, and the Shabbat table, remembering, of course, that “Whoever conveys a teaching in the name of the person […]

2. What is sometimes worse than losing a revolution? Winning

   A D’Var Torah for Parashat Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19) What is sometimes worse than losing a revolution? Winning. The day after the revolution is over we often see revolutionaries demonstrating behavior of great let-down or even depression. The fight is over, the cause has been achieved, and now the really hard work begins. Building. Laying groundwork, […]

3. The Talmudic Art – and Challenge – of Compromise

   In the wake of the historic decision of the Israeli cabinet to create an expansive egalitarian section at the Western Wall, a lot of soul-searching has ensued. Count me among those who celebrate this as a momentous event for Jewish pluralism in the State of Israel—even as I acknowledge the dismay of those who say […]

4. Thoughts on the Kotel, the day after…

   Shalom Haverim, Yesterday we all learned of the historic vote that took place in Israel recognizing an interdenominational consensus on Judaism’s holiest site.  The Government of Israel officially approved the expansion of the egalitarian section of the Western Wall known as the “Ezrat Yisrael”.   Why is this so dramatic and important? As our partners in […]

5. Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by Dan Ephron

   Twenty years after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, a horrible question arises: Was the murder a complete and unmitigated success? I remember exactly where I was on November 4, 1995:  dozing with family on a lazy Shabbat afternoon. The TV was on, and it grabbed our attention when the program cut to breaking news. Rabin […]