Friday Shabbat Shalom

This week’s Dvar Torah is entitled Thoughts on Anti-Semitism and the Future of Humanity: Thoughts for Parashat Shemot. It was written by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City. Currently, he is the Founder and Director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, which seeks to foster an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism.

In this week’s parasha, Vayechi, Our patriarchs Yosef/Joseph and Yaakov/Jacob can be models for us in our quest for equanimity during these stressful and frightening times. Yosef --who suffered so gravely because of his brothers' betrayal-- ultimately came to a place of forgiveness. Yaakov-- who could have disowned his sons for their actions-- was able to come to some sort of resolution.

These past few weeks, good people everywhere have been horrified by the attacks on Jews that have recently taken place in New Jersey and New York. And those of us carefully following these incidents know that seemingly random acts of anti-Semitic violence have been happening for a while in the Orthodox neighborhoods of Brooklyn, particularly Crown Heights.

This Dvar Torah is based upon the inspirational message given by Rabbi Eliot Pearlson of Temple Menorah at the Hebrew Academy's Annual Dinner a few years ago.This week's Parasha Miketz and last week's Parasha Vayeishev have the running theme of dreams.

Chanukkah comes from the same Hebrew root as the word for education, Chinuch. So it's fitting that we feature the many aspects of CAJE, our community's central address for Jewish education. Education is all about dreaming and visioning for the future.

One of the most heartbreaking things that humans do to themselves and others is to refuse to accept the reality we are given and cannot change. In Parashat Vayeitzei, we see this dynamic played out so clearly between sisters Rachel and Leah. Older sister Leah is the first wife of Yaakov/Jacob, but less loved.

One of the most heartbreaking things that humans do to themselves and others is to refuse to accept the reality we are given and cannot change. In Parashat Vayeitzei, we see this dynamic played out so clearly between sisters Rachel and Leah. Older sister Leah is the first wife of Yaakov/Jacob, but less loved.

What's the difference between looking and seeing? EVERYTHING! As we see in this week's Parshat Toldot, "when Yitzhak (Isaac) was old and his eyes were too dim to see," (Genesis 27:1) he calls his eldest son Eisav (Esau) to confer his blessing and clan leadership on him. Sadly, this isn't the first instance of Yitzhak not really seeing.