Northeast District Blog Posts

WRJ Goes to Israel!

Elisa Heisman

This week, several WRJ women arrived in Israel to tour the country on what we are calling the “Women Off the Beaten Path” journey. They have been sending photos and stories about their adventures all week, and we have been posting them on social media.

Parashat Emor: Order and Chaos

Deborah Wilfond
On the surface, this parashah deals with separating things: life and death, celebration and self-denial, holy and unholy, perfect and blemished. Yet, we know that the real world is much more complicated.   Our existence cannot be arranged into perfectly neat categories. Illness and death are part of the way of things, the cycle of the seasons. Our grasp on life is more fragile than we realize. Our attempts at classification and hierarchy often contradict the multifaceted nature of our world. Chaos and order are both the stuff of our existence.

Parashat Sh'mini

Shoshana Dweck, VP of Social Justice, Temple Shaaray Tefila, Bedford Corners, NY
Parashat Sh'mini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47) starts with expectation, celebration, and solemn excitement. Aaron and his sons have just been ordained as the first priests. Step by detailed step, we follow along as Moses gives the instructions to Aaron, the priests, and the elders of the people, and they conduct the rituals to offer their first sacrifices. There is awe and wonder and the singing of praises. But suddenly, everything goes terribly awry.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Shoshana Dweck, VP of Social Justice, Temple Shaaray Tefila, Bedford Corners, NY
Talia Shapiro Blank
April marks the annual recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). WRJ is committed to addressing the discrimination many of us, unfortunately, have witnessed or experienced. As we look around our synagogues, it’s important to be aware that if you dig deep enough, you will find many people have stories. When we allow space for vulnerability and sharing, it keeps people from suffering in silence and allows room for change. For that change to make a lasting impact, it takes commitment from all members of a congregation or community.