Shabbat Weekly Dvar Torah

In Ancient Rome, life revolved around the Coliseum. In New York City, the cultural capital of America, all roads lead to Times Square. And in London, Buckingham Palace stands as the heart of the city. These central monuments reveal the core values of each society — spectacle, commerce, and monarchy respectively. So, what lies at the center of the Jewish Nation? In the opening of the book of Numbers, God instructs the Israelites to arrange themselves by tribe, giving each its assigned position, distinctive flag, and marching formation. But perhaps most significantly, these tribal designations all revolve around a single focal point: "The Israelites shall camp each man with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house; they shall encamp, surrounding the Tent of Meeting." (Numbers / Bamidbar 2:2)

On April 22nd, we were honored to celebrate two great milestones— Yom HaAtzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day (in the Jewish calendar the 5th of Iyar) and Carla Spector, who is retiring after 50 years working for CAJE. This week’s blog presents a few reflections on Carla from me and her direct boss, Dr. Bella Tendler Krieger, CAJE’s Director of Adult Learning and Growth, and then some of the remarks Carla shared with the many attendees.