Rav Michael Sunshine - Rosh Beit Midrash Many of us, if not all, have had times of great inspiration and connection with the Ribono Shel Olam – moments of truly feeling the dvekut, the embrace of Hashem. We relish those moments and while hoping they will...
Lauren Friedman - Programming Coordinator This week’s Parasha opens with Avraham Avinu recovering from his brit milah. Despite his pain, three men (angels) pass by his tent, and Avraham runs to greet them without hesitation. He could not stand to forgo the opportunity to do this mitzvah of...
Sophie Felberg - Office Manager In this weeks parsha, the Torah tells us how Avraham left to go to Canaan and then he arrived. The pasuk makes it sound like the journey to Canaan was a short one. Why? Because the Torah is teaching us how to...
Nati Lapukhin - Eim Bayit This week’s parsha, Parashat Noach, tells the famous story of Noach and the תֵּבָה. The Torah describes Noach as “אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו” — “a righteous man, perfect in his generation.” But this pasuk makes us wonder — why does it say, “in...
Alexis Levy - Assistant Director One of the most moving sections of the Tefillot of the Yamim Noraim is the paragraph of Unetaneh Tokef – a prayer that pushes us to contemplate our own mortality. This sobering thought pushes us to reassess our values and behaviour as...
Shira Melamaed - Director כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִלְבָֽבְךָ֖ לַֽעֲשׂתֽוֹ:Is one of the most well known psukim in this weeks parsha. Parshat Netzavim,It translates roughly to the concept that the mitzvot are so close to us, they are manageable, tangible and doable. No one should...
Nati Lopukhin - Eim Bayit Parshat Emor starts with “אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים...
Sophie Felberg - Office Manager The Torah tells us “Do not go after the majority to do evil” (Shemot 23:2) What is the meaning of this verse?It is very natural for a person to try and impress their friends. Sometimes this means that they imitate their...
Rav Michael Sunshine - Rosh Beit Midrash In innumerable shuls across the world this Shabbat, a most fascinating event happens. As the ba'al koreh is about to read the 6th Aliyah, everyone present will stand up to hear the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments. More than just recognizing the...
Rav Aharon Ross - Educator This week the midrasha visited sites in the south where some of the attacks on Simchat Torah took place a year and a half ago. Amid the difficult stories, we also heard about incredible people who risked their lives to...