Yom Ha'atzmaut (2026)

Yom Haatzmaut - Israeli Independence Day

Dvar TorahBen Gurion famously reflected that to be a realist in Israel you have to believe in miracles. Indeed, the list of miracles is so long and “normal” that we’ve almost gotten use to them.Yom Haatzmaut is a day to reflect on these miracles, be thankful for the past, and optimistic for the future.I’d like to take a moment to dwell on one of them - the ingathering of the exiles. After two thousand years in the Diaspora, Jews from around the world have come home. In my apartment building alone live immigrants from the US, Ethiopia, Canada, the UK, and Argentina. We all speak to each other in our ancestral language of Hebrew - revived as a spoken language from millennia of slumber.Every day here is a living fulfillment the prophecy that the Jewish people would once again walk this Land and that the elderly would look on at the young children playing in the streets of Jerusalem.While Israel is not a simple place to live (particularly in these last 3 years), today we look on with wonder at the gift our generation has received and pray with thanks for all that we have and with hope for the welfare of our future.Chag Atzmaut Sameach!

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Chayei Sarah (2025)

Shabbat Chayei-Sarah Dvar Torah – The Legacy of Lech-L’cha Abraham — like any Jewish father — is worried. Sarah has passed away, Isaac has come of age, and he needs to find his son a wife. What follows is the legendary narrative of Eliezer, Abraham’s trusted servant, journeying to Aram-Naharayim — Abraham’s homeland — where he miraculously encounters Rebecca. Her kindness and generosity shine through immediately, and she unhesitatingly says “yes.” But why did Isaac need a wife from abroad? The same question arises with Jacob — why were the women of Canaan unsuitable for the patriarchs? I once heard a beautiful insight from my sister (whose given name, incidentally, is Rebecca). The defining trait of our patriarchs was their willingness to venture into the unknown in response to God’s call. Abraham heard the command of “Lech Lecha” — to leave behind everything familiar — and he went on to the Promised Land. To join this family and become the mothers of the Jewish people, the mat...

Ki-Tavoh (2025)

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Vayeira (2025)

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