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Early on Sunday morning we begin reciting Selichot prayers. Actually, very early. Traditionally, this service takes place at midnight in shuls around the world, on the Saturday night before...
I was privileged to be involved with organising the Avraham Fried concert this week, where nearly 2 000 people gathered for an evening of Jewish music, singing, and...
“You can listen to Jimi Hendrix, but you can’t hear him. There’s a difference.” I once came across this fascinating line in an article from the early 1990s during a discussion...
What truly defines a strong Jewish community? What is the ultimate measure of a successful society? How do we know if we’re investing where it matters most? This week’s parsha, Shoftim,...
At the beginning of Parashat Re’eh, as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, Moshe tells them, “See, I set before you this day a blessing and...
There are few things we are better at than explaining our own success. We tell ourselves that we worked harder than everyone else, made wiser decisions,...
Many of us breathe a communal sigh of relief as we emerge from the gloom of the Three Weeks of Mourning. The restrictions are lifted, we begin the...
This Shabbos we begin reading the fifth and final book of the Torah, the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy. The Haftorah is a special one that we read...
I was sitting underground in Jerusalem, watching a film about the origins of this holy city, when my phone buzzed. Can you write the D’var Torah for...
Secular academia relies solely on natural, observable phenomena to explain the universe. G-d, being outside the realm of empirical, laboratory-tested evidence, is therefore omitted. This method of education, espoused...
My friend L loves to greet everyone with the words, “It’s good to be together.” Whether we are sharing a meal at a simcha, bumping into one...
One of the deepest human desires is the need to be recognised, respected, and honoured by others. While this craving may begin subtly, it often grows...
In Jewish tradition, rituals and symbols aren’t mere decorations or static markers of identity; they are dynamic, transformative tools designed to reshape our inner landscape. In this week’s...
Last week, as Jews around the world watched Israel stand proudly on the Eurovision stage despite boos, hostility, and protests, I couldn’t help but think of our South...
Parashat Naso contains one of the most beautiful sections in the Torah, Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing. We know its words from shul, from yomtov, and perhaps most tenderly from Friday night, when...
This week we start a new Book of the Torah, Bamidbar. Our Parsha – also called Bamidbar – tells us about the time before the Jewish people begin their journey through...
Have you heard the one about the waiter at the kosher restaurant, going around to the tables asking patrons, “Is anything okay here?” It plays into...
This week’s parsha teaches us about one of the most important mitzvot in the Torah, Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem’s Name through our actions. The Torah presents this mitzvah with the verse “I...
Each night of the Omer, we count. One day. Two days. Three. We’re now approximately halfway through this quiet ritual that links Pesach to Shavuot. But why do...
In this week’s Torah reading we read all about the kohen examining people to determine whether they were afflicted by tzaraat, the leprous curse. It was a physical inspection that had spiritual implications....
As we approach Pesach this year, our hearts are deeply focused on Eretz Yisrael. We think of our brothers and sisters living under the shadow of...
For 40 years, Moshe learned Torah from Hashem. Their lessons were always preceded by a call. Hashem would summon Moshe and then proceed to teach a particular subject. When one...
When people look back on an enjoyable holiday or a family gathering, they often forget the challenges that went with it. The suitcase that was lost,...
Standing at Mount Sinai, overwhelmed by the sounds and sights just experienced, awed by the voice of G-d; we have just been freed from Egypt, carried...
Purim is a time of great celebration and fun for the whole family. Carnivals; hamantaschen; dress up; festival meals; and gifts of food to friends and family. Our sages, however, see the miracle...
The incident at Roedean School shook many in our community. Feelings ran high, and it was hard not to be unsettled. Yet even in moments like these, the Torah...
The receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai is the most significant event in human history. Unique among all claims of divine revelation, it wasn’t the experience of a single...
The Ohr HaChaim, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, teaches that Torah isn’t something a person simply inherits. It’s something one must be ready to receive. Remarkably, he derives three foundational...
We stand poised at a unique moment in history. We are at the cusp of the final redemption of which the prophets of Israel spoke so voluminously. We...
So much happens beyond what we can see. If you look up in the sky tonight, you will see just a sliver of a moon. Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat – the new...
A line I once read stays with me, and I quote it in various social situations: “You know you’re an adult when taking a nap changes from being...
I clearly recall one evening some years ago, when we had a very interesting guest for dinner. He was prim and proper, turning down my offer of seconds...
This week’s Torah reading, Vayeitzei, tells a story that speaks to every generation. It’s the story of a forefather, Jacob, who leaves the comfort of home and walks straight into...
How do you build a life where every day is worth remembering? This week’s parsha recounts the passing of Sarah and Avraham, the founding couple of...
I have been learning about the parsha of the week since I was a kid, first at Shaarei Torah Primary school in Yeoville, continuing at Torah...
According to oral tradition, Abraham discovered G-d, not once, but twice. The first time was when he was three years old. The second time when he...
Wow, coming off the high of the high holy days and the events of the past few weeks, how do we ensure that we don’t come...
Life today feels like a phone at 2% battery with no charger in sight. The world is shaky, our schedules overloaded, and our spirits stretched thin....
“I proclaim before G-d that I have arrived in the land which G-d swore to our ancestors to give it to us.” Parshat Ki Tavo Last...
Among the laws of warfare in this week’s parsha is a short passage that contains three mitzvot: first, the prohibition for an impure soldier to enter...
