Yom Kippur marks the day that G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf. And…
Rosh Hashanah: Looking Ahead
The haunting, powerful and frightening words of Untenah Tokef – who shall live and who shall die –…
Nitzavim-Vayelech: Standing Still and Moving Forward
It is the rare year in which none of the parshiot of the year are doubled. Being that a lunar year…
Ki Tavo: Thank you
We are meant to observe mitzvot without fanfare, to do so because it is the right thing to do.…
Ki Teizei: Put it in Context
When trying to properly understand something context is crucial. Torah is no different. A proper…
Shoftim: It is Your Responsibility
“Then all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose…
Re'eh: Conflicting Emotions
It is difficult to feel two contradictory emotions at the same time. Conflicting, if not …
Eikev: Thank You!
We all like to take credit for success, but failure we tend to blame on others. Such is human…
Va'etchanan: A Smart Torah
What is the role of the Jewish people? To give some insight to this most complex question we must…
Tisha B'Av: Avoiding a Recession
When we think of Tisha B’Av many images enter our mind – this year sadly more than in the past.…
Devarim: Straight Talk
Some of the most stirring and beautiful Biblical words – or any words – are those spoken by the…
Mattot: To Speak or Not to Speak
“In ten utterances did G-d create the world” (Avot 5:1). It is thus not surprising that…
Pinchas: Three Types of Leaders
Parshat Pinchas presents us with at least three distinct models of leadership.
From Bratislava to Nikolsburg
The relationship between modernity and Judaism is perhaps the central question that Jews have…
Balak: Hope over Dispair
As I noted in my last post I had the honour of speaking at the Beit Yehudah synagogue in Budapest…
Shabbat in Budapest
Kazinczy, Dohany, Rumbach. For the average Hungarian these are street names in the heart of…
Thoughts From Budapest: Past, Present, and Future
Jews first settled in Hungary in the 13th century, settling mainly in the city of Buda. In 1526 the…
Torah in Toledo
The city of Toledo sits some 75 kilometres to the south of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It is a…