Torah Portion: Parashah

Each week, we read a different section of the Torah. Sometimes we read stories about our ancestors’ journeys. Sometimes we read details about the ancient Temple or complex lists of laws. Whatever the content, the Torah portion (or parashah) is frequently the basis for discussions and sermons at Shabbat services in synagogue and throughout the week. Torah text has also been the inspiration for many contemporary songs, poems, and prayers.

Latest Rituals

Vayeshev: Seen From Afar

“We never threw our brother / into a well, but coveted / his stories and dreams”

waves rippling and crashing to shore

Vayeshev

“What if we looked back on every / misery, if not with gratitude, / then with awe?”

young man wrapped in colorful blanket climbing mountain in the desert

If My Struggle Were An Angel

“I would lean into the darkness”

silhouette of person walking in desert toward sunset

This is the Time

“Creation happens through the dark”

Amidah, creation, maariv

person standing small on rocky land beneath blue sky full of stars

Bereishit

“There is joy / At the sight / Of the white fire”

creation, kabbalah

Creation Is a Poem

“god sighs, if only I had / a reader in my likeness”

night sky with sweeping purple yellow blue clouds and stars in the background

My Mom Channeling Balaam

“Mom, / You tried to teach me / The key to my / Heritage of resilience.”

blessing, Emet, happiness, Mom, Olam

Person with hair in a bun, standing outside and looking at a blurred view of trees and buildings.

Tiferet Sh’be’Kedoshim

“This is the time of year I love”

Woman holding a glowing heart-shaped light amid blurred, sparkling lights in the background.

Parshat Tzav on Purim

“It is by means of the dark / That the hidden light can finally be seen”

Silhouetted wildflowers against a sunset, with a soft glow highlighting delicate details in a blurred background.

Vayikra: The Call of the Aleph

“Creativity infused / Through my body / As an offering of love.”

creation, kabbalah, torah, Vayikra

A person with curly hair meditates on a rocky hilltop amidst a misty, mountainous landscape.