Torah

The Women’s Parsha Slam: Giving women a voice on Simchat Torah

Perhaps my favorite part of the Parsha Slam is knowing that beyond the event itself, women who never saw themselves as Torah teachers or public speakers take the mic and share.

Yehudis Schamroth at the First Annual Parsha Slam in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
WORSHIPERS PRAY in memory of the victims of the October 7th massacre and for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, on the morning of Simchat Torah, in Jerusalem, in 2024.

Simchat Torah: Celebrating and honoring authentic Jewish values

Family members of released hostages hold a press conference at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center - Ichilov, on October 14, 2025.

Parashat Bereshit: The Israeli hostages and the Haftorah

Illustrative image of Cain and Abel.

Parashat Bereshit: The lesson of Cain


Simchat Torah 5786: A joyful return and reflection on the hostages - opinion

This Simchat Torah, the release of hostages sparked joy and a shift in attitudes across Israel.

 REJOICING IN  the Torah at  Tel Aviv’s Rabin  Square.

‘Kohelet’: Advantage vs purpose in Ecclesiastes - opinion

There is a clear connection between Kohelet and Sukkot.

An illustrative image of King Solomon.

Hol Hamoed Sukkot: A vision of redemption amid a world on fire

As we sit in our sukkot, exposed to the elements, let us remember Ezekiel’s message: Though the storm may rage, Israel’s destiny is secure. 

An illustrative image of the Earth on fire.

Simchat Torah: Divine fire and national legacy

Should Torah exist apart from society or be fully integrated within it?

SIMCHAT TORAH at the Gush Etzion junction.

Simchat Torah: From torn shoes to a crown of majesty

The great secret of the Jewish people has always been the ability to join tear to tear, soul to soul, until together they form a whole garment once again.

Soldiers dance with Torah scrolls during the celebrations of Simhat Torah in the Eshkol region in the Negev in September 2010.

Mermaids and a talking donkey: A treasure trove of ‘midrashic’ interpretations - review

Zev T. Gershon's '100 Wonders in the World of Torah' includes entries of little-known stories and oddities.

‘BALAAM AND The Angel,’ 1493 woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle.

Yom Kippur War: How the Book of Isaiah spurred world Jewry to back Israel, refusniks in 1973

The haftarah for Yom Kippur begins with these action-filled words of Isaiah. We must act – we must cut the road through – it is up to us to clear the way for ami – My people – God’s people.

NEW YORK’S Jewish community marches beneath the banner ‘We shall not be silent’ during the Solidarity Sunday for Soviet Jewry demonstration in protest at the Soviet Union’s treatment of Jewish people, in New York City, in 1975.

In fond memory of Rabbi David Ebner: My sharp, sensitive, story-telling rebbe - opinion

When he led us in prayer, we felt the heavens open. Amid the awe, he would sweep us up in joyous dance, drawing his students into the profound intensity of his prayers.

RABBI DR. DAVID EBNER: His approach set a yeshiva-wide tone of intellectual rigor combined with warmth, kindness, and compassion.

Haftarat Ha’azinu: A song for our time

As we celebrate Sukkot this year, amid the shadows of Oct. 7, let us draw strength from the songs of Moses and David.

 SCRIBES FINISH writing a Torah scroll.

Parashat Ha’azinu: Between heaven and Earth

Between heaven and Earth lies a sheltering presence, a glimpse of eternity, and the promise of unity beneath the wings of the divine.

‘PORTAL,’ 120 x 160 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2025.

This week's Torah portion contains lessons to learn amid the Yom Kippur Manchester attack - opinion

Ha’azinu calls us to remember history and understand generational change - for Jews, to strengthen our mesorah; for nations, to confront the consequences of their actions before it is too late.

People gather near the scene, after an attack in which a car was driven at pedestrians and stabbings were reported near a synagogue in north Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2025