On the Shabbat before Purim, it is customary to add a reading to the weekly Parsha that is called, “Parshat Zachor.” The reason behind this tradition is hidden in a verse from the added parsha, “Remember what Amalek did to you.” This verse, now linked to Purim, is an echo that reminds us of how the Amalek lineage eventually begets the evil Haman. […]
How is it already the end of the summer? How are we again preparing for Rosh Hashanah? I am going into Rosh Hashanah this year thinking about traditions and repetition. Marcie Yoselevsky In an article for Rosh Hashanah about Finding the meaning of rituals […]
My parents' house in Omer. Every Shabbat evening my grandmother would light Shabbat candles on the tea cart that stood between the kitchen and the dining room. Perfumed. Her white hair combed back. She brought her palms together, covered her face. Closed her eyes and blessed. The house became silent. Listened. […]
What is the meaning of “Lech Lecha”? Is it the way to fulfill one’s destiny? Is it a call to go to the one place where you truly belong, or to search for the place where you will become who you are meant to be? Is it the path of reason, or perhaps the way of the heart? Or is it the essence of the connection between them? From where does a person draw the strength to set out without asking why, when no clear destination is in sight? […]
Most of my life I’ve been an educator. Since becoming a counselor in my youth movement 18 years ago and […]
It is not every day that such a daring, self-confident secular figure emerges in our midst, presenting a bold and positive secular-Jewish stance that serves as a beacon for Jews all over the world. Amos Oz was not only a literary giant, he was also an exemplary secular Jew. […]
Tu B’Av has become Jewish Valentine's Day: always on a full moon, it is the perfect date for a mid-summer wedding, and when there is no pandemic, it is ideal for full moon festivals, out in the desert or on the beach. […]
Marcie Yoselevsky, External Relations Associate at BINA speaks with Ayala Dekel, Head of the BINA Secular Yeshiva. Can you describe for us what life has looked like for you, both at home and at work, since Oct 7? […]
Gili Dvash Yeshurun takes a look at Megillat Ruth and sees the parallel between Ruth’s experience finding her footing as a displaced person and how her community helps her gain a sense of belonging. This Shavuot, how will holiday celebration traditions be maintained, evolve, or change? […]
Seven times Joseph weeps, more than any other person in the Torah. He does not cry when he is thrown into the pit, nor when he is sold to the Ishmaelites. He does not weep when cast into prison, nor when betrayed by his companions there. He does not weep from happiness at his success. Seven times he weeps, but only in his encounters with his brothers, with his father, in the presence of, or facing, his family. […]
