Israel

In the Gemara (Talmud) we learn that the three different prayer times throughout our day are thought to reflect the stories and experiences of our patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In this week’s parasha, Chayei Sarah we come across one of these…

Jacob is with IfNotNow NYC.

Last Friday, IfNotNow NYC members gathered before Shabbat, outside the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, singing Rabbi Menachem Creditor’s Olam Chesed Yibaneh, written in the shadow of September 11th, and translated to English as “We…

Rachel is with IfNotNow DC.

Earlier this week, I sat across the breakfast table from a fellow hive member, as we discussed our interpretations of what “G-d” is. Unsurprisingly, we got into a cyclical conversation: Is G-d…

Rachel is with IfNotNow DC.

This week’s parasha begins the book we call Numbers in English, clearly a reference to the census taken of the Israelites in the first chapter. In Hebrew, however, the book is called BaMidbar (“in…

Rachel is with IfNotNow DC.

In this double parasha, we are told of the ancient rituals for atonement that became Yom Kippur, laws about blood and sexual relationships, and the code for holiness. The parasha begins with the…

Abby Stein is with IfNotNow NYC.

This week’s Torah reading, Mishpatim (literally, laws), is one of the most complicated Torah portions to study in depth. It is a wealth of laws as they relate to interpersonal relationships — Bein Adam…

Benjamin Koatz is with IfNotNow Bay Area.

When I think of déjà vu, I usually think of that one scene in the Matrix with the black cat, and Keanu Reeves making faces, waffling between confusion and surprise, giving acting his very best shot.

Rachel Roberts is with IfNotNow DC.

From the Exodus story, we learn a great deal about the nature of oppression and the power that comes from standing up to injustice, even against a ruler who seems all powerful and unstoppable, even against odds that…