Voices of WRJ

This weekly blog series, published on Fridays, features insights from WRJ leaders on the Torah portions from a women's perspective. Enhance your Torah learning and understanding by adding Voices to your reading list.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with a gray mountain and blue sky backdrop.
R'eih

Parashat R’eih

Michelle Scheinkopf
The pandemic has offered us an opportunity “to see” (R’eih) more clearly what our blessings are. These past two and a half years have given us a moment to pause and consider what is truly important in our lives. ... My synagogue is the central meeting place where I get to practice and live my Judaism with my temple community. To belong and to be connected to something very powerful and to belong to others gives me great meaning and fulfillment. My central meeting place, my synagogue, is forever a blessing.
Torah scroll
Voices of WRJ

Parashah Ki Tetzei

Dr. Madelyn Mishkin Katz

I suspect that everyone has gone through an experience in which you felt resentful, angry or depressed about a past encounter with someone and found it hard to get past it. Someone close to you may have said, “Get over it! Put it in your past!

This Week's Torah Portion
Voices of WRJ

Parashah R'eih

Lisa B. Schwartz, WRJ North American Board Member, Yardley, PA


Parashah R’eih (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) opens with the verse “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse (Deut 11:26-28).” Many instructions of daily living are included in the text.

Torah scroll
Voices of WRJ

Parashah Eikev

Emily Dana, HUC-JIR Rabbinical Student, Waltham, MA

Parashah Eikev, while it may be one of the parashyot in Deuteronomy that we gloss over on our way to Simchat Torah, actually raises several challenging questions and can teach us meaningful lessons.

Torah scroll
Voices of WRJ

Parashah Va-et'chanan

Karen Sim, WRJ First Vice President, Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati, OH

 

When I was a little girl attending Sunday school, I learned about the Ten Commandments and understood the gist of most of them, particularly the commandments about one God, not stealing, and honoring my Mother and Father.