Person in the Parsha: Beha’alotecha

May 25, 2018

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB 

“A CANDLE OF GOD IS THE SOUL OF MAN“

I no longer remember which Israeli artist colony I was visiting. Perhaps Jaffa. But I will never forget the crude, almost...

Say Little, Do Much: Democracy

May 25, 2018

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

This Memorial Day, we remember the storied 1945 eulogy preached by Lieutenant Roland Gittelsohn, a United States Marine chaplain, for American casualties at Iwo Jima. Noting the racial, social, and religious diversity of the fallen,...

Person in the Parsha: Naso

May 18, 2018

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“UNIFORMITY AND UNIQUENESS”

One of the interesting paradoxes of human life is our tendency to copy one another and to try to “fit in” with friends and acquaintances, while simultaneously trying...

Say Little, Do Much: Weddings

May 18, 2018

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

This Shabbat, as we read in Parshat Bemidbar of the People Israel’s tribal princes, much of the world’s attention will be riveted to the royal wedding of Britain’s Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle....

Person in the Parsha: Bamidbar

May 11, 2018

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“YOU TOO CAN BE A LEVITE”

The world is indeed a stage, and we all play many roles in our lives. Some of these roles are assigned to us, leaving us...

Say Little, Do Much: Jerusalem

May 11, 2018

 By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

The Rabbis (Sanhedrin 37A) describe Jerusalem as tiburo shel olam — “the navel, the belly-button of the world!” Let’s contemplate this curious metaphor. The ancients not implausibly considered the Land of Israel (Jerusalem at its...

Say Little, Do Much: Powerlessness

May 04, 2018

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

I recently attended a “Friends of Scouting” dinner keynoted by astronaut Mark Kelly. He encouraged and inspired young Scouts and their leaders, speaking of his youth, his military service, and his storied career.

He discussed...

Person in the Parsha: Behar-Bechukotai

May 04, 2018

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“THE WORK-STUDY PROGRAM”

It is quite a long time now since I first heard the term “work-study program.” This was a special federal program designed to assist young adults with limited...

Person in the Parsha: Emor

April 27, 2018

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“THE UNBURIED CORPSE”

Dead. Unburied. Abandoned. Forgotten.

What can be a worse fate?

I once read a very moving novel about the events immediately preceding World War I and...

Say Little Do Much: “Hear!”

April 22, 2018

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

“Shema Yisrael!” The Shema is the most famous and central prayer of Jewish tradition. We teach this verse to our children as soon as they are able to speak, and we strive to make these...