by Yael Turitz Kaplan, Class of 2027 The gemara in Sota 11b tells us: “In the merit of righteous women in that generation, the Jews were saved from Egypt.” And yet, when we begin the epic story of the exodus in Parshat Shemot with a list of names, women are absent from the list. What women is the gemara talking about? On what merit did they help bring the Jews out of slavery? In Masechet Sota, the gemara goes on to tell us about the women of Bnei Yisrael who persisted in havi

by Rabbanit Dalia Davis, Class of 2022 In fourth grade we learned Parshat Vayechi. My teacher had us memorize all of the blessings that Yaakov bestowed upon his children. At the time, I knew all of them by heart (as well as all the accompanying hand movements), but I didn’t notice any absences. Today, I no longer remember all of the words, but I do see one glaring omission: Where is Dinah? Before Yaakov dies, he summons his children: “And Jacob called his children/sons and sa

by Rabbi Tali Aronsky, Class of 2025 Parashat Vayigash opens with three simple words: “Vayigash elav Yehudah,”   “And Judah approached him” (Bereishit 44:18).   After chapters of tension, silence, guilt, and distance, Judah steps forward. Judah steps forward to confront the powerful Egyptian viceroy, not yet knowing that this ruler is his own brother Joseph. The stakes could not be higher: Benjamin’s freedom, his father’s life, and the future of the family itself. But the Tor

by Ilana Gimpelevich, Class of 2026 The end of last week’s parsha, Vayeshev, does not bode well for Yosef. What began as the bravado of an arrogant youth quickly unravels as he is brought low. His father rebukes him for his wild dreams; his brothers remove him from the picture by casting him into a pit; then, in Egypt, he finds himself thrust even further down, locked away in prison on false charges. By this point, Yosef’s confidence appears to be thoroughly crushed, his earl

by Rabbi Marianne Novak Class of '19 We return this week to the dramatic saga of Yaakov’s family. After surviving a battle with an angel, a fraught reunion with his twin brother Esav, the rape of his daughter, and her brothers’ violent retaliation, Yaakov settles down. He is now Vayeshev Yaakov . The lens of the narrative now turns to his children—specifically his most favorite child, Yosef, his ben z’kunim, the child of his old age, and Yehuda, the unlikely father of kings.

by Chanchkie Slavin Class of '26 The book of Bereishit is, in many ways, a tapestry of sibling stories: complex, painful, and profoundly human. Let us focus on the stories of our forefathers, whose life work and journeys provide guidance for our own lives today. Yishmael and Yitzchak. Esav and Yaakov. And finally, the twelve sons of Yaakov, Bnei Yisrael. Each generation faces its own version of rivalry, misunderstanding, and separation. But only one generation, the children

by Rabba Claudia Marbach class of '18 As the mother of a mother who is expecting twins, I am curious about my daughter’s reaction to the oncoming tsunami of emotion and change. Any shaking up of a family, whether anticipated or not, brings a reordering of relations, reallocation of labor, and questions about work-life balance. Rivka, the Torah’s ultimate twin mom, teaches us that for an expectant mother, the change is not only about relationships. It is also about fundamental

by Sarah Pincus, Class of ‘26 A few months back, I was at shiva house and one of the aveilim remarked, “I’m finding I don’t really like when people say, ‘May her memory be for a blessing.’ Turning her life into a memory makes her feel like something of the past. In her living and in her death, may her life be for a blessing.” When I began reading this week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, those words immediately came to mind.  After Sarah Imeinu’s full life of 127 years, the Torah tel

by Rabbi Yali Szulanski, Class of ‘25 Three times in Parshat Vayera, the Torah pauses to tell us, “Vayashkem Avraham baboker”—“Avraham rose early in the morning.” It seems like a small detail, yet it appears at decisive moments. It appears before he stands at the edge of Sodom and sees the aftermath of destruction. It appears before he sends Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness, a moment of profound heartbreak. It appears before he sets out with Isaac toward Mount Moriah, un

by Rabbi Rina Krautwirth, Class of ‘23 In this week’s parsha, we encounter the origin story of the Jewish people. In a powerful display of faith, Abraham leaves his homeland and sets out for the Land of Israel, in response to the word of God. The story of the Jewish people begins with God’s commandment to Abram (later renamed Abraham): “And God said to Abram go for yourself from your homeland and from your birthplace and from the house of your fathers to the land that I will

by Rabbi Arielle Krule, Class of ‘25 What happens after your world as you know it ends? When you, as you know yourself, radically change?  Parashat Noach is a story about what it means to live after everything falls apart. Noah is someone who sees the world destroyed—everything literally flooded. It’s almost impossible to imagine what that was like. But Noah’s story is about more than survival; it is a spiritual map for what comes next. It teaches that after the flood—after t

by Shoshana Jakobovits, Class of ‘26 If you mention the name “Piccard” in casual conversation in Switzerland, everyone will know the great family of explorers you are referring to. Auguste Piccard, a balloonist, was the first to fly to the stratosphere in 1931. His son, Jacques Piccard, explored the depths and was the first to descend to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, in 1960. His own son, Bertrand Piccard, pursued his grandfather’s legacy by completing the first non-stop

by Yehudit Mazur-Shlomi '27 “Rabbi Chanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven” (Berachot 33b). Another...

by Brooke Pollak '27 As Parshat Nitzavim opens, with Moshe sealing the covenant with the generation about to enter Eretz Yisrael, he says...

by Rabbanit Dr. Tamar Ron Marvin “You can’t control the weather” is a milquetoast idiom in English, as inoffensive small talk of current...

by Rabbi Yali Szulanski Parashat Ki Teitzei contains 74 mitzvot, more than any other parsha in the Torah. Each mitzvah comes quickly,...

by Anna Veronese '28 This Dvar Torah is dedicated to the memory of Shirel bat Rubina z"l, in the month of her passing. May her neshamah...

by Karolyn Berger '26 See I have set before you this day a blessing and a curse; the blessing that (asher) you obey the commandments of...

by Shana Krakowski Burstein '28 A few years ago, when I was working in the Tel Aviv Municipality’s international department, I was struck...

by Rabbanit Lisa Schlaff '21 This week, we revisit a d'var torah written by Rabbanit Lisa Schlaff in 2020. In this week’s parsha,...