Torah
Joseph and Benjamin had two mommies
Vayigash Genesis 44:18–47:27 The scene: Pharaoh has given Jacob’s family the land of Goshen in which to settle down. Joseph is visiting his brother…
Astrolojew
Month of Tevet: From Hanukkah lights to long winter nights
Tevet, 5779 Dec. 8-Jan. 6 The Hebrew month of Tevet is associated with the cardinal earth sign Capricorn (Gidi, the goat), the Tribe of Dan, and the…
Local Voice
The uncertain theology of disaster
I sit by a window overlooking San Francisco’s Glen Canyon. The visibility is limited. However, unlike the limited visibility three days earlier, caused by…
Torah
What Hanukkah teaches us about the pressure to conform
Miketz Genesis 41:4–44:17 This week’s parashah, which relates Joseph’s elevation to political leadership in Egypt, almost always falls during Hanukkah.…
Torah
Dreaming makes the world a better place
Vayeishev Genesis 37:1–40:23 Amos 2:6–3:8 Tuning into the news these days can make us feel like we’re trapped in a bad dream. We strive to wake up — and…
Hanukkah
Big miracles, yes. But don’t ignore the everyday ones.
Rabbi Yosef Caro, the 16th-century sage, asks a fascinating question regarding Hanukkah: Why is it that we celebrate eight days in honor of the miracle of…
Hanukkah
8 reasons why Hanukkah is our best holiday
It is fashionable to question the prominence of Hanukkah in American Jewish life. It is looked down upon by some as a lowest-common-denominator holiday,…
Torah
These tiny dots are a huge Torah mystery
Vayishlach Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 Obadiah 1:1 – 1:21 On the face of it, the great reunion between Jacob and Esau is a poignant and moving…
Hanukkah
Hanukkah happenings around the Bay
Whether you’re standing in the shadow of the 25-foot-tall menorah in Union Square or toting your family’s favorite hanukkiah to a synagogue lighting,…